This event took place at 10:30pm in a Denny’s, not exactly a crack house in the slums of the city. 3 gunman storm the restaurant demanding cash from the register and the customers, pointing guns at anyone and everyone. Eventually they get frustrated and start shooting and now one of those people has died (according to reports from the news).
Think about it: 3 men with guns, possibly spread out through the restaurant taking items by force. What do you do? It’s difficult to say without actually having been there, in a best case scenario spotting them before they came through the front door all bunched up and wielding pistols would provide the best chance for defensive action. Once in the restaurant and with civilians all around things get entirely more complicated. At that point there are endless “what if’s” and while you might be able to take out the guy with his back turned who is 5 feet away, the other two who are pointing their guns at kids and older people 25 feet away (with a counter in between you and them) might make your decision even more difficult.
Lesson’s learned? I think more than anything situational awareness plays a huge role. It’s 10:30 at night and you are grabbing something to eat with your family. Enjoy yourself and act normal, but sit where you have clear line of sight to the entrance and maybe even the windows leading to the entrance. Be able to eliminate or stop the threat before it presents itself. If the first gun toting bad guy would have gotten dropped while coming through the fatal funnel, the other two would have remembered they had somewhere else to be post haste.
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I didn’t think Denny’s was CC friendly… tell the sheepdogs they’re unwelcome and they will find better places to go.
Author
Not sure on Denny’s policy on CC. However this woman seemed to fare rather well against armed robbers at Denny’s.
Always a tough situation when other people are around. I know many folks automatically think the right play would be to draw their weapon in a situation like this. Situational awareness is the most important aspect here and after that having position – ie, being next to the door, where your point of aim will be away from most innocent bystanders comes in second. If your SA is off or you are going to have to engage targets around bystanders, then you are in a no win spot. Even if none of your bullets strike an innocent but the perps light the place up killing several, you may find yourself facing charges as well.
If you CC, pick your angles and maintain your SA before things turn bad.
Author
Great point, maintaining SA is so important in just about every circumstance.
First, how stupid are these three? That they would rob a Denny’s at the risk of Jail or Death. If you had to pick a business with the lowest cash available, both in the Cash Register and in the customer’s pockets, it might just be Denny’s.
I often consider getting my Concealed Carry license, but I don’t because at 50 years old I never once was in a situation that I would have needed it…not even close. Had I had a gun and I was there, I would have been concerned more about who I was eating with than myself. So I would not pull and fire unless I was sure that I would be successful, otherwise my actions could result in those eating with me getting killed.
Fundamentally I would have no problem shooting those low lifes.
Author
I’m with The Maj,
Deciding not to CC is completely personal and nobody should force you to do something you aren’t comfortable with. While you, me, and many others have never encountered a situation in our lives which required drawing from concealment in order to protect ourselves (or a loved one) there can be no guarantees that will never occur. I guess it’s like anything, there are probably those who refuse to wear a seatbelt and make it through life with narry a scratch. Then there are those who can attribute staying alive to the fact that they had a seatbelt on. Always a case for both sides.
Personally, like the Maj said, I would always rather have it and NOT need it. If I go through life and never have to draw my concealed weapon other than on the range shooting paper and steel…I will consider that a success. Yet I cannot in good conscience go out with my family and not have any means by which to protect them. I don’t care if you are 6’5″ and are a prize winning MMA fighter, a scrawny teenager with a 30 year old revolver still has the upper hand.
Your general, run of the mill criminals are definitely not brain surgeons. Most of the time they are desperate for their next fix, drink, or some other vice. I have not known of many that turned to crime in order to make rent or car payments or to buy groceries. They look for easy targets, like Denny’s or the Wal-Mart parking lot or the corner store.
I was raised in a community and time where no one locked their doors, even when they were going out of town. As time progressed, people had to start locking their doors and now security systems are the norm. Our society has changed and continues to do so at an exponential rate. Some of it is the reliance on the government and the “it’s not my fault mentality”. I would imagine you will see criminal activity to continue to grow.
Making the decision to cc or not is a personal decision and the vast majority that do never encounter a situation where they needed their firearm. The question remains, had you rather have it and not need it OR need it and not have it?