Jerry Lyons owns Shooters in New Haven. Mr. Lyons has brain cancer; when armed robbers invaded his gun store he reckoned he had nothing to lose. “They wanted me to beg for my life and I just wasn’t going to do it. I just knew they were going to do it anyway. You could just feel it.” Fortunately, Mr. Lyons was wrong. The perps didn’t perforate him, his employee or a customer. Nor did Mr. Lyons engage in a gun fight with his attackers, who were eventually apprehended. Now I know there are times when a law-abiding American gets so far behind the curve that a counter-ambush is more of a suicide mission than a self-defense strategy . . .
I realize that second-guessing survivors of criminal attack puts both my qualifications within the firearms fold and my emotional intelligence in the cross-hairs. But it must be said: when you’re up against a credible threat to your life, even if the odds are overwhelmingly against you, push back. Hard.
Again, I’m not saying I would have for sure started a firefight if I were in the same position. The only people who can make that claim with anything remotely resembling credibility are armed self-defenders who’ve actually been there, done that. Or not done that.
But I’m down with Daniel Daly. Just before charging the Germans during the Battle of Belleau Wood, the Marine commander (awarded not one but two Medals of Honor) yelled to his men “Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever?”
We’re all going to die. I’ll be god damned if I’m going to let some vermin decide the moment of my departure. It might happen regardless of my intentions, but I [pray that I] will do everything in my power to make sure that I don’t let it happen.
I respect those who tape over the “or die” part of New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die” license plate. There are plenty of people who’d rather submit to authority (of any kind) in a life or death situation (be it tyrannical or criminal) and hope that they’ll live another day. So that they can continue to fight for their freedom. Or just survive
Their choice. Not mine.
My Lyons’ customer could have emerged from this vicious robbery with permanent brain damage. All three men could have been executed. Some of them could have been murdered, leaving the survivors broken men. Thank God they all survived. But this should have been a defensive gun use.
Yeah, should have been a DGU…and now these retards (that already own guns, willing to risk it all to rob a gun store of a few more guns) should be summarily executed for their stupidity. Scum.
Uh…what kind of gun store doesnt have their employees carrying pistols? Those robbers should have been put down on sight.
Per the video…the gun store owner was carrying. I imagine that when you’re busy with a customer and someone rushes your store, guns drawn, one doesn’t always have time to react.
What kind of gun store doesn’t have a majority of the customers carrying pistols?
A gun store in a state that doesn’t acknowledge the rights of citizens.
Any crime committed with a lethal weapon, be it gun, knife, or pointy stick should be severely punished. The deadlier the weapon, the harsher the punishment. In the case of a gun, the crime should be considered intended murder. It’s time to stop punishing and persecuting the sheep and eliminate the wolves.
Sammy, what in the world has the deadliness of the weapon have to do with anything? Leave those arguments for the anti-gun folks. Robbery is robbery, murder is murder, assualt is assualt… it matters not which tool a criminal uses to carry out his evil act.
Death by pointy stick is still death by pointy stick.
It shows the degree of intimidation and repercussions of non compliance to the criminal. Apparently the punishment for armed robbery is insufficient to deter the act. Personally I would give 25 to life for crimes involving intimidation with any type of weapon. These people are vicious animals. And please, I’m still trying to get over being accused of being a liberal by a poster the other day. I am anything but. I just don’t think you can separate the presents of weapons from the intention to use them, we can only remove the perps from society for a long time.
A second thought, if you will. The criminal use of a gun is the reason grabbers use to validate their argument for disarming you and me. In doing so criminals help to usurp our 2a rights.
Who gives weapons as presents? I thought criminals would try to hold onto their weapons.
Eh his life his right… me? I’d be trying to get the red stain out of the store carpet right now.
Ditto Aaronvan… and the brown stain out of my BVD’s.
“and winner of not one but two Medals of Honor”
One does not “win” the Medal of Honor…
Point taken. Text amended.
mark this one down for the anti-gun crowd that believes the bad guys do not steal guns.
The shop owner played it how he saw it. Each situation is different. In this case he did the right thing not drawing. He saved lives. Also not all gun shop employees carry. Lots of states have laws on the books about armed robbery.
I read “In Cold Blood” right after college. I by the time I finished, I’d decided that I’d go running or fighting, but never meekly submit to being tied up and slaughtered like a hog. That’s when I started studying self-defense.
Bu..bu….but, the gun haters say that no one needs a gun to protect themselves….
If they tried this at the gunshop I go to, the perps would have been shot by no less than four different people.
I grew up knowing this man and his family many years ago. He is a Vietnam Vet who saw combat. He was one of the people that I admired that had served our country (my father also). I eventually also served (desert storm).
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