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Former CNN journalists Chuck de Caro and Lynne Russell (courtesy nbcnews.com)

We joke about shower carry on this website. But it’s no joke. Check this out: “[Former CNN Headline news anchor Lynne] Russell — a licensed private investigator and former Fulton County, Georgia, sheriff’s deputy with two martial arts black belts — told NBC station KOB that she and her husband had stopped in Albuquerque for dinner with a friend and were planning to get up early because they were traveling.” A man with “a 40-caliber big shiny silver handgun” pushed her into her Motel 6 room just as her husband was coming out of the shower . . .

“In the process, I recognized what I had seen before — I was a deputy sheriff for many years — that this guy was used to this,” Russell said. “I suddenly realized that it wouldn’t bother him at all to pull the trigger.”

She said she offered to search her purse for something of value to hand over to the gunman — and slipped her gun into the purse, which she then handed to her husband.

“‘Is there anything in here we can give him?'” Russell said she asked. “Chuck said, ‘Oh, yes, there is.'”

How Clint Eastwood is that?

Russell said the man took de Caro’s briefcase over to the bed of the motel room and began firing at her husband. [?]

“Chuck fired back, and it was a shootout,” she said. “He expended the rounds from one small handgun and grabbed for the other even as he had taken fire” and was losing blood quickly.

“The guy went down, and he was history,” Russell said.

De Caro was hit three times, but the bullets didn’t strike any vital organs, Russell said. Authorities said he was expected to survive.

Shower carry people, shower carry. Only . . . what gun? How?

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91 COMMENTS

  1. Wait a sec here. She is a former deputy sheriff and a licensed private investigator withtwo martial arts belts, but instead of pulling the gun out of her purse and ventilating the guy, she hands the purse to her (naked) husband? [Maybe she thought it would better if her husband got shot than she? Maybe it wasn’t a robbery?] And why is it that the narrative is so confused? I thought she was a reporter!

    • While it does sound like the husband probably has a lot more training than she does I still don’t see why she wanted to play pattycake instead of just taking care of it herself without the lagtime.

      Maybe, when it comes down to it, we have a conceal carrier who doesn’t have what it takes to pull the trigger.

      • Among Mr de Caro’s other accomplishments, he has served in US Special Forces. It was a good idea to pass him the gun.

        • Jon in OH – Maybe he did? The article mentions that he expended all the rounds in one gun and went for a second.

        • @bobiojumbo: Perhaps but it didn’t read here like that was the case. It’s unlikely the following exchange happened after he started shooting. It seemed more likely that he started with her firearm and worked his way to his own.

          She said she offered to search her purse for something of value to hand over to the gunman — and slipped her gun into the purse, which she then handed to her husband.

    • I’m thinking more like Mary Steenburgen in the last season of “Justified.”

      Bad guy has the drop on her. “Just a second, let me look in my purse.”

      Fish around in purse. KABOOM.

      Now she needs a new purse. (Revolvers make SUCH a mess with all that side-blast from the cylinder gap.)

    • Ahhh she worked for cnn….. seriously guns are dangerous… for the record there are lots of useless martial arts blackbelt may mean nothing

      • There are lots of blackbelts I wouldn’t trust to protect a lemonaid stand from a horde of thirsty kittens.

        Blackbelts mean crap.

        I’m guessing either circumstances prevented her from doing it (don’t pull a gun on someone pointing a gun at you), or she just doesn’t have a killer instinct.

    • “You don’t think we’re just gonna let you walk out of here, do you?”

      “What you mean ‘we,’ sucker?”

      “Well, that would be Smith, and Wesson … and Ruger.”

      • Rubberize the hell out of a Glock or a Mossberg Mariner and carry on. When I’m by myself at home and take a shower I keep my rifle in the bathroom, my bathroom door is difficult to open since my sister has this giant 3 foot high container by the door. If anyone tried anything they’d face trouble getting the door open and some 7.62 through a nice white pine door.

        • Stinkeye, But Biden told me to buy a shotgun and fire it in the *air* and they would run off…*confused*

        • The biden? I thought it was called ‘the oscar pistorius’ and it could get you 5 yrs in the pen…..

        • I see the problem. You’re using old information. About a month after he suggested firing a double-barrel shotgun into the air, he offered this piece of sound tactical advice: “If you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door.”

          He obviously realized it was irresponsible and ineffective to just blast shots blindly into the air, so he revised it to blasting shots blindly through the door.

  2. Wow. Real life one liner and then a shootout?

    How much for the movie rights? I’ll option it right now, I don’t care what it costs.

    • Common decency might tell you to wait until the husband is out of the hospital from his wounds. But you’re a jackass, so keep on being a dick.

  3. Drop leg holster, belt wrapped around your AR that spans the top of the shower stall, right along with your chest rig of pistol/rifle mags, flash-bang/smoke/frag grenades, radio to higher, fixed-blade knife, folding-knife, sheathed quick release razor blade gut-knife to unass your battle buddy from a seat harness, gear harness or uniform items in the event of injury. If your lucky, and your AR is a M203 you should have a suicide vest with smoke/lume/HEDP.

    Or, just John McClane Christmas wrapping tape and a Beretta 92.

    • Well my ideal set up based off your description involves a top of tax stamps. I would insist on an SBR and Those HEDP rounds and ‘203 ain’t gonna pay for them selves.

  4. Tuco got it right in “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” but don’t try that trick with a Black Powder revolver!

  5. In this situation it would’ve been sufficient to have the firearm in the bathroom and the door locked. He didn’t need the firearm while he was actually in the shower. A loaded handgun close by under a towel in the bathroom is probably good enough.

  6. Look at the man’s wife, I wouldn’t want to take the chance of those puppies getting deflated either. lol

    • My thoughts exactly. Motel 6 for a couple of this stature? Maybe they are cheap. Maybe Motel 6 was the only place with a vacancy. Maybe is was the only place that had a light left on for them. Maybe they like the smell of all the residue from previous “guests.” Maybe they were taking a walk on the wild side and seeing what is was like to be like poorer travelers. Who knows, but I bet Motel 6 will have to pay a pretty penny to the couple for their unfortunate wild west shootout.

      P.S. – I read about this on Fox411 (a re-print of a New York Post story) and that story said the couple grabbed a .35 caliber handgun that was on the nightstand. Is .35 caliber something new or did some NY Post reporter just not know anything about guns? Was the .35 in her purse or on a nightstand? Too many questions for this boy who just fell off the turnip truck.

      • I think they were rounding down from .357, which is BASICALLY a .35.

        The only question is, why did they round DOWN? 7 rounds up, so it should be a .36 caliber handgun.

        • Cause everybody sues everybody today for the most trivial reasons. And there are lawyers who will take on any case imaginable. I can see a lawsuit against Motel 6 for not maintaining a safe environment outside the rooms (did they leave the lights on?). It does not matter that Motel 6 may have done everything PRACTICAL to ensure their guests’ safety. If there was one more thing they could have done, sue Motel 6 to get rich quick.

        • Filing is not winning a suit (you termed it as “pay a pretty penny”). A lawsuit based upon this incident wouldn’t be likely to succeed.

    • I was honestly shocked to read about how many aren’t armed in such places. Being armed where one is more vulnerable always seemed like common sense to me… but what do I know?

    • Hee, hee! A toilet gun. Who would have ever thought of that? Guess I need to head out to Scheels and see what they have in the way of toilet guns. I hope those salesmen are up on their guns, and I sure don’t want them laughing at me when I ask to see some “toilet guns!”

      • put a big 1 gal zip lock (dual zippers) around your lesser favorite wheel gun, and drop it in. You will be able to grab it and yank the trigger thru the bag. bobbed hammer or hammer less would be a nice option.

        • But would that be a true “toilet gun” or an adaption of an existing gun? I want a real toilet gun, not a Rube Goldberg/jerry-rigged thing that is not made for the specific job. We spend alot of time in our bathrooms and we must be safe there as well. Just ask Lynne Russell (age 69 by the way) or her hubby Chuck de Caro.

        • +1 this. I put my EDC xd sub9 in a quart zip lock and it sits up on the shower caddy behind the shower head. when I get out, it sits next to the sink until I am dressed and its AIWB.

  7. Read Chuck de Caro’s Wikipedia page. Very impressive. And RF will be pleased to know that he’s de Caro is Rhode Island guy.

    • Lynne Russell is impressive in her own right. (And not just *that*)

      She had the overnight shift back in the 80’s on CNN Headline News.

      The interviewed her when she retired from CNN, she mentioned that she was a concealed carrier then and her preferred carry method was a thigh holster under her skirt. (She was a thin leggy thing back then…)

      The interviewer was incredulous, so with a coy smile she lifted her skirt a bit and there was her thigh holster…

      Right. On. Frigg’in. CNN.

      I’ve been in love ever since…

      🙂

      • Holy Crap!

        I found the video of her showing her thigh holster.

        It was on Conan O’Brian.

        Anyways, 4 min. in on this CNN retrospective of her career…

        • i must admit that prior to this story on various internet sites, I had never heard of Lynne Russel, due mainly to my avoidance of CNN. Thanks for posting the video.

        • In the early 80’s CNN was nothing like it is now.

          It was THE place to get news.

          Shuttle Challenger was the story that lead to the eventual changes at CNN. I was at the DMV a cold morning getting my license renewed. I’m sitting by the exit door waiting for my new license to be run through the laminator when a breaking news flash came on the cheap clock radio the clerks had playing. “The shuttle has just exploded…”.

          They called my name and handed me my license. I stepped out side and looked east and up. Range safety destroyed the boosters by this point. Home happened to be east so as I drove home the launch cloud and resultant explosion was right in front of me the whole time.(Canaveral is about 70 miles NE from here)

          Got home and flipped on CNN. They were showing the footage of one of their reporters filming the reaction of Christa McAuliffe’s parents to the launch. They were watching the launch, oohing and ahhing and then it blew up. The look of horror and confusion on the elderly couple’s face.

          Then they shoved a microphone in their face and asked them what they were feeling.

          At that exact second is when I began to hate reporters.

          Yet I like Lynne. Hmm.

          Hey, RF, you were at CNN then. Ever had a chance to speak to her?

  8. At one time I lived in a truly sh*tty neighberhood. I put the gun in a towel on the toilet seat before I stepped into the shower. Not in the bathroom but on the street I can testify that dgu’s happen without shots being fired.

    Last time I actually hurt another human being was there. No gun fire. But he wound up going to the er with multiple injuries including a skull fracture.

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If I never have to do violence to another human being so long as I live I will be happy. But don’t mistake that sentiment for weakness.

  9. Screw you guys, I’m gonna say it. Bewbs. Fake Bewbs.

    Why toss the purse to naked hubby? Distance. If you can’t make distance one way, make it another.

    And don’t risk popping your fake bewbs.

    Because you can’t motorboat a personality.

  10. It would be nice if the people were better identified in the post here. Chuck, de Caro, what’s the bad guy’s name? What happened to the bad guy? Was he the one shot three times?

    • “alleged” miscreant.

      he could have been door to door soliciting for St. Jude’s Hospital.

      well he COULDA!!!!!

      those media lawyers are a hoot ain’t they? don’t want to tread on any dead crook’s reputation now do we?

  11. The point is clear, being armed can and does saves lives of lawful people and stop criminals. It also clarifies why force must be equal. In the end the husband and wife are fortunate to be alive.

  12. “‘Is there anything in here we can give him?’” Russell said she asked. “Chuck said, ‘Oh, yes, there is.’”

    That’s stone cold awesome right there.

  13. Seems like I saw a John Wayne film not too long ago that had him shower carry. Nothing new under Sun. But how? Ziplock baggie?

  14. get those large baggies. insert weapon and fold over. put on sink while in tub or shower nearby. lock door.

    too bad she wasn’t comfortable shooting as she could have stopped it right then instead of risking the lateral to hubby.

    still it all worked out.

  15. “‘Is there anything in here we can give him?’” Russell said she asked. “Chuck said, ‘Oh, yes, there is.’”

    Not a betting man but I imagine the officer taking her statement really had to stifle a chuckle upon hearing that.

  16. For the martial artist and to actually answer the question. Carry a long gun into the shower. Yes, get it wet. You will not hurt your modern fighting rifle. Sling your rifle over your body. Walk into the bathroom. Unsling rifle. Disrobe. Pick up rifle. Carry into shower. Prop rifle in corner of shower. Don’t point at head. Carry milsurp ammo with sealed primers. Retire old rifle carry ammo as you would change out your pistol carry ammo. The downside to a rifle is that it is larger and less concealable than a handgun. You are not in public and you are not carrying your rifle far. You do not have to figure out a holster rig with a rifle.

    • “The downside to a rifle is that it is larger and less concealable than a handgun.”

      Yeah but think of the look on the perps face when you come charging out of the bathroom buck naked, dripping water, with your MSR aimed at his chest…

  17. “…Shower carry people, shower carry.”

    Well, of course –

    Why else did you think they started making ’em in stainless steel, anyway?…Just don’t forget to lacquer- or wax-seal the ammo; terrible thing, needing to blow some ugly oxygen-thief’s s**t away, and having only soggy ammo on hand – “keep yer powder dry”, and all that.

  18. One problem with traveling across the country is every state has different rules. I am licensed to carry in my state. But others we just don’t stop in for the night. NM and Govenor Martinez is on the right side of gun issues. If this would have happened in Illinois , New York or anywhere in the Northeast they could be up on charges. The dilemma is do you bring your gun to your room and risk a concealed charge, or leave it in the car and risk theft.
    Thanks for all your insights.
    Greatly appreciated.
    Fight For Reciprocity!

    • Reciprocity will only solve some of these problems.

      You’d still have to know about places it’s illegal to carry with a permit (and expect hoplo-states to enact long lists) and when it’s legal to use the gun for self defense.

  19. Shower carry a revolver. Just make sure that thing’s bluer that the bluest blue you can legally buy. And it probably wouldn’t hurt to use some grill paint and bake that stuff on there pretty good.

    Also, keep at least a p320 in your socks while you poo. Just in case sh*t happens…

    • Just get a real “toilet gun” and be done with it. Not some gun-in-o-bag, but a true manly (or womanly – not a sexist here) “toilet gun.”

  20. I’m just interested in the facts that the guy with the big ole .40 Cal put three non lethal rounds in him and he, with the diminutive .38 Cal. killed hell out of the guy. Another example of not what you carry, but how you use it.

  21. Obvious why she is ex-cop. No guts. Also, no situational awareness. Hubby is in the shower and she opens or leaves open the door? Come on. Why is it so many big breasted women seem to have less common sense? As for black belts. Big whoop. You are in a dojo, with a referee/sensei. My university’s black belt instructor and her two best brown belts got their butts kicked and their purses taken by two guys. As I told a belligerent high school student once when he asked if I could force him to go to the principal, “Are we talking about you being alive, conscious, or what here?” He settled down then. I was 4th man in class of 60 in Judo and the ROK infantry took some of us in ‘Nam to train in their hand-to-hand. The senseis did not like to spar with me as I was not as untrained as the others. As for Caro’s special forces experience; they are like everyone else. A good soldier is a good soldier regardless of his/her (politics, sheesh) MOS and extra training. I was infantry, recon, and armor with explosives, electronics, and a variety of “add-ons” and a keen observer of the boobytraps (no, not politically correct IED) our local VC left laying around. My signal support unit got in an EM club brawl with green beanies and the beanies lost. Don’t get me wrong as there were a few I ran across I wouldn’t have messed with for money and that includes the ROKs, too. Big question about miss “former this or that” is why wasn’t she in the shower with her husband? 🙂

  22. Welcome to Albuquerque. Wonder which Motel 6 this happened at.

    edit: Just look at local news and found the location. Not the best part of town, but if you didn’t live here you would probably never know.

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