A St. Louis man on a bathroom break at a QuikTrip [in St. Charles, Missouri] shot and killed an armed robber early Saturday.
Police said the robber was on a “violent crime spree” across three St. Charles gas stations.
The QuikTrip customer, identified only as a 26-year-old man from St. Louis, stopped around 3:20 a.m. at the gas station at 2260 First Capitol Drive to use the restroom and make a purchase, St. Charles police said in a release. The man was on his way back to his vehicle in front of the store when he saw a black SUV pull up abruptly.
The customer watched a man get out of the SUV, run into the QuikTrip carrying a backpack, and approach a clerk by the coffee pots, police said. He then grabbed the clerk and dragged her to the front of the store while she was screaming.
The customer saw the man inside the station holding a knife to the clerk’s throat. The customer got his 9 mm (sic) handgun from his vehicle, entered the store, and confronted the suspect, police said.
The suspect grabbed his backpack, told the man, “I have something for you,” and walked toward him, police said.
The customer then fired several times. The suspect fell to the floor. The customer and the clerk, who were uninjured, both called 911, police said.
The suspect was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Another one bites the dust! Hey Hey
That’s the way, uh uh, I like it…..
Confucius say…Very bad dirtbag fall down hard because…
1) The Second Amendment is one thing.
2) The criminal misuse of firearms, bricks, bats, knives, vehicles, etc. is another thing.
3) History Confirms Gun Control in any shape, matter or form is a racist and nazi based Thing.
Well done Missouri Man.
“3) History Confirms Gun Control in any shape, matter or form is a racist and nazi based Thing.”
Way to propagate and spread propaganda about the one army that stood against Bolshevism / Communism. So when the king of England tried to disarm the colonists in 1770’s, that was “Nazis”?
Why don’t you stop scapegoating the wrong group???
“So when the king of England tried to disarm the colonists in 1770’s, that was “Nazis”?”
Deborah may not have been articulate in that example, in describing what happened, but when the King of England sent his army ‘across the pond’ (to what is now America), the King was trying to make sure the ‘Wrong People’, IE, the colonists, could not stop his tax collectors from fleecing the ‘ignorant hillbillies’ out of their earnings in the ‘New World’.
They failed, because they fought back with guns (many of them built in their homes), and won their freedom.
‘Gun Control’ has always been about making sure the ‘Wrong People’ couldn’t have guns.
Leave the lady alone, you bully!
Geoff, that’s one has already posted that antisemitic vibe mess before. Read that statement again, particularly about “about the one army that stood against Bolshevism / Communism.”
That one is a not so in the closet Nazi, or a plant to make the blog look bad.
Proves you should Never bring a Backpack to a Gun fight.
“Proves you should Never bring a Backpack to a Gun fight.”
I dunno, a Backpack with soft armor and a few hundred rounds of ammo already loaded in magazines might come in very handy, (depending on the Gun fight).
“Well done Missouri Man”, indeed! 🙂
^ That, sort of.
Describes my courier pack to a tee, except one thing. 10.5″ Blackout folder inside too.
…and trauma kit. Can’t forget that.
Hero. Kudos!!
Prefer to wear the gun rather than car-carry.
But he stepped-up, stepped in, got the job done.
The state should give him a nice reward for saving the taxpayers the cost of the trial and incarceration.
In NYC this would win a charge of premeditated hate-crime murder.
From the article:
“St. Charles County prosecutors will review the case first to determine if the killing was justified.”
It sounds like he isn’t in the clear yet.
They’re just hedging their bets in case the initial reports of the incident turn out to be seriously flawed.
Gov. won’t necessarily disagree. However with a certain ‘party of the people(tm)’ currently advocating a ‘bounty’ on spotting members of the opposition, especially six scotus types, we certainly do not want to do anything that smacks of vigilantism.
I believe Missouri has CCW, but I don’t know any details about it. Maybe the GGWAG (hint: Good Guy…) didn’t have a CCW and/or QT posted a NO GUNS sign. Regardless, he certainly responded assertively. He could have 1) left the scene and let the employee fend for herself, 2) stayed in his vehicle and called 911. Both would have been much safer for him, not so much for the employee. I hope it is ruled justifiable. A determined, anti-gun, anti-2A prosecutor might accuse him of being the aggressor because he armed himself and went back into the store. Hopefully, more information will become available.
OldProf49,
Missouri is a “shall-issue” concealed carry state and, more recently, a “constitutional carry” state. Unless the Good Samaritan was a felon (federal law and probably state law deems it a crime for a felon to own/possess a firearm), he could legally carry his handgun on his person.
In terms of any legal jeopardy, I highly doubt he is facing any legal jeopardy since the attacker was in the process of kidnapping, potentially raping, and potentially murdering the store clerk.
Missouri became constitutional carry in 2017 I think. Didn’t they?
The perp’s actions might suggest meth was involved.
“In terms of any legal jeopardy, I highly doubt he is facing any legal jeopardy…”
What’s the law in Mo. say about “No guns allowed” signs on establishments? In some places, it’s a felony offense (like NYC)…
Actually the bad guy was making aggressive moves towards there good guy. The reported statement “I’ve got something for you” certainly could be interpreted by the imaginary “reasonable man” as a threat of additional violence above and beyond what had already taken place. It would be a legal travesty for the DA to initiate any sort of criminal charges based on what we know.
The United States of America has “CCW”. “but I don’t know any details about it”–You’re on the INTERNET. My God, when I see the profound ignorance of some gun owners….
OldProf49 the link below may answer your questions relative to Missouri carry laws:
https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/resources/ccw_reciprocity_map/mo-gun-laws/
Good God, you don’t have anybodies back when someone is trying to kill them. You could whack that dude in the head with a can of beans and get him off the girl. Call 911, when you have seconds, help is minutes away.
A friendly warning for the people who read this website–especially the regulars who are people of faith:
Some time around late January to early February 2020 (as the massive disruption of COVID-19 was starting to dawn on our nation), out of the blue I suddenly had a very strong notion that God was fed-up with the widespread horrible behavior of the populace in our nation. And, as a result, God was largely withdrawing His Holy Spirit and would no longer actively restrain evil people as God had been doing for the entirety of our nation’s history.
I believe the past 30 months have validated that revelation (for lack of a better word). The nature and frequency of violent crime, rioting (cough Black-Lives-Matter riots cough), and government corruption seems to be well beyond anything that our nation has ever experienced. This latest example of the crazed attacker in the gas station is, sadly, more commonplace than ever.
If my revelation was accurate/true, then you all would be wise to be armed wherever you go. All indications that I see point to things getting even worse in the short term and, unless something miraculous happens soon, will continue to get worse in the long term.
GOD didn’t withdraw the HOLY SPIRIT. People ignore HIM. 6000000 babies were murdered before the BLM riot’s et all. Satan knows his time is short. JESUS is at the door. America will really go to he!! when all the true believers are raptured. Be ready. Be vigilant. Guns will be the leash of your worries. We are truly in the last day’s.
former water walker,
The word “withdraw” may not be the best choice of words. There is a bit of nuance to what I learned.
We can make a strong argument that, at some point when truly evil people repeatedly reject God’s calls for salvation, God withdraws His Holy Spirit from them and they are forever lost. And we can make an equally strong argument that God never withdraws his Holy Spirit from saved souls, even when those saved souls sin. Finally, we can make a strong argument that God reduces how much he blesses saved souls when those saved souls revel in sin.
That last part is the primary component at play. Part of God’s blessings on saved souls (who ardently try to suppress sin) is sending His Holy Spirit to limit how much evil those truly evil/lost souls can unleash on saved souls. The revelation that I believe I learned is that the Holy Spirit was largely going to stop limiting truly evil/lost souls and allow them to unleash significantly more evil on saved souls–since vast numbers of saved souls were no longer ardently trying to suppress sin.
uncommon_sense
“And we can make an equally strong argument that God never withdraws his Holy Spirit from saved souls, even when those saved souls sin”
The difference is when a saved soul commits a sin, they repent. Repentance is what keeps the saved in the community of the saved.
Hush,
Very true. Excellent comment.
I’ve been having a similar – and increasing – feeling about CA in general. Mrs Haz and I were returning yesterday from a mountain vacation trip via a highway we’re famaliar with, and saw a new billboard sponsored by the State of California. It read:
“Abortion still is, and will remain, legal in California. We’ve got you!”
Any government that openly defies the sanctity of life cannot continue indefinitely without God withdrawing His providence at some point.
God puts up with a lot of shit.
Sometimes I wonder why he ever invented humans.
When it first all started he gave Adam two commandments, Worship me before all others and name the animals.
Name the animals is a little interesting, to name them you’ve got to know them and if you know them you take care of them.
Kinda weird how just about every animal on earth likes the touch of a human.
You all blew it.
Paved paradise, put up a parking lot.
“Kinda weird how just about every animal on earth likes the touch of a human.”
Some animals like the taste of human too especially when they are hungry…
But in a more domesticated note: dogs… don’t get me wrong, I like dogs. But when I see someone getting licked by a dog and they think its doggie kisses of love affection I some times want to tell them “the dog is not licking you because he loves you. He’s licking you because he’s tasting you.”
@ .40 It’s a grooming behavior not tasting.
@CWT
you didn’t get the joke
I Haz a Question,
I believe the widespread common practice of killing babies in the womb (a.k.a. abortion) is a significant element of God’s profound sadness and decision to reduce or even stop limiting evil people.
And I see two facets to the above. First, a nauseating number of saved souls (Christians of faith) have voluntarily killed the babies in their wombs. (That includes Christian men who supported their girlfriends’/wives’ choices to kill the babies in their wombs.) Second, and this may be even more significant, a significant majority of Christians fail to oppose (and many even support) the widespread voluntary killing of babies in the womb.
That last part may be the most egregious dimension to this in God’s eyes because it effectively condones abortion. And when a large majority of Christians effectively condone killing babies in the womb, God’s nature means that He eventually withdraws his blessings from His people.
Sodom and Gomorrah Genesis 19:24.
uncommon…Instead of your coughed up race based theory leading you to nowhereville there has always been bad people throughout America’s history no matter their race, creed, etc. I.E. red coats, the kkk, german nazis, etc.
Now for the clerk to walk away unharmed all the gears have to mesh perfectly and the timing had to be flawless. That means had the Missouri Man so much as caught a red light or hadn’t caught a red-light, etc. etc, etc. the outcome would have been different. All the players had to be in position. Perhaps if the perp did not die he would have murdered someone who God had plans for. Or perhaps God’s plan was for saving the clerk’s life because she would be needed to help another person later in her life, etc. etc. etc.
When it comes to warnings and God…Perhaps some people cannot see the forest for the trees.
“Now for the clerk to walk away unharmed …”
Actually the victim did not walk away unharmed. But relative to death she was relatively un harmed.
The animal had already started cutting on her some. Not life ending things yet, but it seems to have been going that way as the bad guy was getting more and more hostile and physical with her despite her trying to comply. Its a good thing the good guy with a gun was there.
She was taken to hospital, the cuts were not life threatening.
Debbie W.,
And your reply is why I am largely transitioning to not talking to people any more.
I did not say, imply, nor even hint about anything about race (genetics) in my comment. And yet you disparage me about some “coughed up race based theory”.
Then you suggest that this Good Samaritan’s intervention shows that God still does restrain evil and therefore my revelation was false–and I am therefore a false profit and evil.
The fact that I said God was LARGELY, not COMPLETELY pulling back on how much he restrains evil somehow does not inform your comments.
And that informs my recent opinion: why do I even bother to talk to people any more since they hear whatever they want to hear. I have no interest in wasting my time nor effort any more.
@uncommon,
Debbie always throws a handful of “racism” salt into the stew. Said another way, she plays on a conversational banjo that has only one string and is relevant to only a narrow range of topics. Ignore the criticism.
I understood what you were saying.
I’m 65 and trust me, it gets worse. You warmly embrace the concept that the only reason some people are alive is because it’s illegal to kill them with your bare hands.
@uncommon,
Do not disappear from the dialogue here. Your input is pertinent and valued.
Hey Uncommon I was replying(again but was sitting in church & my wife gave me “the look”)so I shut down TTAG. About all I can say is NO ONE has an excuse in America save the feeble-minded,non-english speakers & those who choose evil. Peace out…
I Haz a Question,
I appreciate your encouragement and sentiment. Aside from the pragmatic aspect of the fact that nearly everyone in my immediate, local, and even distant circle are ignoring what I say and hearing what they want–which presses me to stop talking to people–there are pertinent Bible versus which are ringing loudly in my psyche.
The first verse is where the Bible tells us that we are wasting our energy “casting pearls before swine”. The second verse is where Jesus tells his disciples to shake the dust off their feet as a witness against villages who rejected their presentation of the Gospel.
That last verse which I referenced is a bit indirect–and even somewhat refutes my beckoning decision to stop talking to people. That verse makes it clear that disciples should NOT beat their head against a wall (as we would say in modern parlance) trying to educate people on the truth. Of course it also makes it clear that we should attempt to at least present wisdom–especially the Gospel–at least once to people.
The overwhelming rejection of truth that I have been presenting–even from my own immediate family members who are faithful Christians–has me believing that God wants me to focus inward on the most simple aspects of faith and leave everyone else to their own devices.
Hang in there. It will be worth it in the end. Evil will be defeated once and for all.
Deb – roundabout way of saying ‘timing is every thing’ 😉
My faith promises a safe landing, NOT a smooth voyage.
The best way to handle it?
As things get worse, think/act like Jobe.
5:22
Job 5:22
At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh
Not deride and despise them, and make a jest of them; for good men have a reverence and awe of the righteous judgments of God upon them, when they are in the world, ( Psalms 119:120 ) ; but the sense is, that such shall reckon themselves safe and secure amidst such calamities, provision being made for their protection and sustenance; and be cheerful and comfortable, putting their trust and confidence in the Lord, as Habakkuk was, in a time of great distress, when all the necessaries of life were cut off from the stall, the herds, the flocks, and the fields; ( Habakkuk 3:17-19 ) ; just as a man that is in a good harbour, or has a good house over his head, laughs at blustering storms and winds F8, or thinks himself secure, and so is cheerful and pleasant amidst all the noise that is about him, see ( Habakkuk 1:10 ) ;
It is not the first time God has withheld blessings from a wicked and disobedient population. He didn’t leave us. We left Him. I believe the only thing standing between this nation and utter destruction is the decreasing population of the righteous and those struggling to meet the standard of Christ.
“The customer got his 9 mm (sic) handgun from his vehicle, entered the store, and confronted the suspect,…”
Sigh…and it wasn’t on his person because???
3am in St.Louis is NOT the time or place to just leave your gun in the car.
Good on him for stepping up and taking care of business but for Pete’s sake people, stop leaving your firearms in your car! In a constitutional carry state no-less!
Read it again, and this time pay attention. You are OFF by 12 whole hours as to the time of incident.
Read it again and it says clear as day “around 3:20am”.
Irregardless of time of day a firearm is far safer and more useful on your person than sitting in your car.
Plenty of OTs around here (and no 7-11), never seen a no guns sign. Unlike 7-11 they seem to treat their employees well, though I don’t know anything about their gun carry policies.
So the 9mm blew his lungs out? But a good shot.
Yes but they will be cleaning with Soft Scrub and a Shop Vac® for a week getting all the blasted out lung cleaned up.
GOD didn’t withdraw the HOLY SPIRIT. People ignore HIM. 6000000 babies were murdered before the BLM riot’s et all. Satan knows his time is short. JESUS is at the door. America will really go to he!! when all the true believers are raptured. Be ready. Be vigilant. Guns will be the least of your worries. We are truly in the last day’s.
Which begs the question: Which caliber for demon?
There’s more than one ‘flavor’ of demon, but as a rule, use what you have on you… 🙂
Raptured or ruptured? I think most have already been ruptured between the ears.
Gasp! The criminal had a knife! But But But anti-gun says that criminals only use guns and ‘ghost guns’ at that!
😁
On average, in today’s world:
~1,300 victims daily across the United States are confronted by a criminal with a knife (~474,500 victims annually of criminal violent knife crime).
~3,500 victims daily across the United States are confronted by a criminal with a blunt object (~1,277,500 victims annually of criminal violent blunt object crime).
~5,650 victims daily across the United States are confronted by a criminal using hands to commit their violence during a crime (~2,062,250 victims annually of criminals using hands for their violence)
~164 victims daily across the United States are confronted by a criminal with a gun (~60,000 victims of criminal violent gun crime annually).
Less than 11% of the criminals in these are arrested, and then of those arrested only about 2% are convicted. No conviction or arrest then no representation in the stats for crime. This particular criminal doesn’t need to worry about being arrested by law enforcement. This victim is relatively unharmed in this violent crime because a good guy with a gun happened to have been in the right place at the right time, it was her lucky day. ~2,000,000 people annually are relatively unharmed in a violent crime because they happened to have been a good guy with a gun.
The majority of violent crime is not committed with a gun. A gun is the least likely thing for a criminal to use to commit a violent crime.
The violent crime you hear about mostly are only the ones where a gun was used, its rare relatively that a crime by use of a weapon other than a gun is known in the media.
This is not a ‘gun violence’ epidemic, its a ‘violent crime epidemic’
The “criminal holding a knife” is exactly why the 7-yd standard exists.
“personal weapons” (e.g. hands, knives, blunt object) use by a criminal means the criminal getting 7 yards or closer.
~a step away on average then with arm reach another ~3 feet beyond that can result in inflicting harm with a knife with another move forward – for the average adult. So 7 yards is about the threshold point where your last possible moment in time, that eye blink moment in time has arrived, to make the decision to fire has arrived, it is pretty much nothing but criminal intent to harm at that 7 yard point if they are moving towards you armed with a knife especially when they have already already demonstrated violence intent.
clarification for… “Less than 11% of the criminals in these are arrested”
less than 11% of the criminals committing vs the crimes collectively (the total number of offenses, not 11% in each crime individually)
@.40 cal
“Gasp! The criminal had a knife! But But But anti-gun says that criminals only use guns and ‘ghost guns’ at that!”
By the Left’s definition he was NOT a criminal, but only a small-time entrepreneur tragically afflicted with Circadian rhythm disorder which forced him to pursue his livelihood during the hours of darkness. I’m sure that one of his other enterprising associates [sic] will start a GoFundMe page for his survivors.
He was the subject of sooo much hate and misunderstanding. *sigh*
It was a ghost knife.
an 80% kit knife with a large capacity handle
“It was a ghost knife.”
AKA, a ‘shank’, in prison lore…
“an 80% kit knife with a large capacity handle”
But, was the blade less than 16″? Did it have the dreaded “finger grooves” with the black DLC finish? Was it’s spine fully-supported or only semi-supported? The possession of a fully-supported, finger-grooved black knife of less than 16″ requires registering the serial number and paying the Federal Tax in order to legally own / possess a SBK (Short Bladed Knife). The Right to bare [sic] edged arms must be carefully, and individually, evaluated with an articulated “need to carry” and only issued to those demonstrating “good character” so as to keep these murderous devices from the hands of “the wrong people”. I believe that it is safe to state that only the Military and Police have the requisite training to safely bare these Weapons of War. All
serfscitizens are encouraged to report any and all homemade knives they may see to their local Stazi or Capitol Police sub-office..40 cal Booger,
“No conviction or arrest then no representation in the stats for crime.”
Are you sure about that? My understanding was that F.B.I. Uniform Crime Reports tally-up all violent crimes formally reported to law enforcement agencies in the United States–arrests and convictions were not necessary for the reporting and tally.
Not correct uncommon. yeah, I know…the UCR, but that’s part of the problem. In most states that participate in the FBI’s UCR Program, its not authorized by the state to report if there is no arrest or conviction. Then in some states, and in some jurisdictions in states, despite participating in the UCR Program they don’t generate a UCR report unless there is an arrest. In some states they do not do UCR except for convictions. And some states don’t report anything unless they have an arrest, or know who the offender is, or a conviction.
That UCR thing is one big mess.
Just because a crime is reported does not mean it gets into the state or FBI stats.
I’ll give you a for example; Where my sister lives, if you scare off a burglar before they break in all the way but can’t identify the burglar, even though they smashed in a door or window – when the police arrive and there is no bad guy they can identify to find, its not even a police report but rather it goes in the police blotter for the day instead of being an individual report, and its never in a UCR report.
It’s worse than that – most DA’s will plea bargain away gun charges in order to get guilty pleas (and a simple court appearance). So all those perps in possession of a handgun when they are not yet 21 (the minimum legal age in the US to buy a handgun), or a convicted felon in possession of a handgun, or a perp in possession of a “ghost gun” (what LEOs call ALL firearms with the serial removed) never show up in the stats.
and the world has one less idiot terrorizing people
There is no telling how many lives were saved as a result of a good guy with a gun. THIS is how things are supposed to work.
9mm-must have gotten his lungs blown out🤣
Pity the fool, but not really.
LOL where’s the Queen’s beloved Albert J Hall on this one? Hopefully he took the last advice I gave him?
If it happened in St. Louis proper the DA would prosecute him for voluntarily entering the situation which he was safely away from.
I’m going down to Quick Trip and rob it.
Blam Blam Blam
Well that was fast.
Wonder what Demoncraps have to say about this hero? Was he a woman?
How do you expect democrats to know when we have a SCJ who can’t describe a woman!
Wombman
Well don’t leave me hanging. What was in the backpack?
“Well don’t leave me hanging. What was in the backpack”
a whole lotta love for his fellow man 😜
But, he was a good boy. He was about to get his life together and go to school to become a priest. He just trying to collect donations for his tuition. That guy just shot him for no reason. SOB shoulda minded his own business.
And don’t he know having a gun is dangerous to everyone? We can’t have people randomly shooting crminals. Won’t be nothing for the police or government to do.
LOL!
LIKE THE : ANOTHER ONE BITS THA DUST COMMENT , HEY HEY
THANK GOD SOME GOOD NEWS ONE LESS KNIFE WEILDING THUG
Do not try this at home if your home is NY or CA
Yeah, in NYC, violating a “No Guns Allowed” sign hanging in a neighborhood bodega is a FELONY crime…
THe use of proportional force to prevent a crime or to protect youself or a fellow citizen is a cornerstone of most juduciaries. However as far as the opening comment has it the reaction of the ‘customer’ to the perp was not to my mind proportional. It takes real courage to shoot down a man approaching you with a back pack I wonder what he’s have done if the perp had had a bloody hand gun or one of those non-assault rifles? Did he give the perp a warning by the way . LIKE THE POLICE would had to do unless faced with a drawn firearm. . Just saying!
????????????
he doesn’t understand the difference between ‘proportional force’ and ‘deadly force’
He didn’t even understand the bad guy had a knife behind that backpack and was using the backpack to cover it until he got close enough to use it and had already cut on the victim with the knife and now was coming for him.
hes and idiot
Proportional force? 🤣
As usual your cluelessness is showing subject.
Proportional Force (PF) is for LEO/Professional Security personnel that are TRAINED in the PROPER usage of PF
An armed civilian jumping on the Proportional Force ladder will usually end up being charged (and likely convicted) with “escalation” of a situation that resulted in a DGU.
Enjoy that extended stay at the Greybar hotel.
As an armed civilian, the proper mindset is to be polite, de-escalate, and dis-engage.
ALWAYS!
PERIOD!
That ONLY changes when there’s an immidate threat to life/safety. Then, neutralize the threat.
ABSOLUTELY ZERO PF!
The usage of PF will be used by the prosecution to convince a jury that you weren’t in eminent danger while you were raising the threat level and provoking the adversary.
A single misstep on the PF ladder can transform YOU from the victim to the aggressor.
Leave the PF to LE and experts.
Always…….As an armed civilian, the proper mindset is to be polite, de-escalate, and dis-engage. Learn it, know it, live it.
“Proportionate” my ass. If someone threatens me or someone else in my proximity, he’s getting as unfair a fight as I can possibly give him.
ICB
True that. Be nice, until time to not be nice.
Then be the most vicious MFer in the room.
The guy had a KNIFE that he just had at the throat of the clerk. He had it in his hand and was planning on stabbing the guy with the gun. OBVIOUSLY. So PF is shoot him in the face.
Couldn’t happen to a “nicer” guy”.
If this had happened in California, the man would have been arrested and charged with manslaughter and the dead criminal would get a statue in his honor.
“The suspect grabbed his backpack, told the man, ‘I have something for you,’ and walked toward him, police said.”
The most realistic splatter target ever?
He was put there for a reason!
That’s what happens when you bring a back pack to a gun fight. Or should I say hide a knife behind your backpack.
“There are no examples of a good guys with a gun stopping bad guys”
“I have 4 recent events for you to look at”
“The American gun culture is just obsessed with guns because they have a tiny manhood”
The anti-liberty crowd is not interested in being proven wrong. They are only interested in breaking us. Even if we document every good guy with a gun for the past 30 years.
Comments are closed.