Two Good Samaritans are being credited with saving a woman’s life after she was attacked by two suspected carjackers who hit her over the head while she was putting her child into a car seat after leaving Walmart in Shawnee, Kansas, on Sunday.
A bystander, who rushed to the aid of the woman after hearing her screams, was shot multiple times by one of the suspects, according to police.
Another Good Samaritan saw what happened, got out of his car and shot one of the attackers dead.
A shopper who had just exited the store recorded the aftermath of the shootings and posted the video to Facebook.
The man down in the foreground is dead, and has been identified as John W. Simmons, III. The first Samaritan was a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was shot and seriously wounded.
“The first phone call was that he was shot in the face and dying,” she said. She was later relieved to learn that he had survived, despite wounds to his face and chest.
“We know parts of his left nostril was blown off and his face and upper left chest area are wounded,” the man’s father told FOX 4.
His mother said even with his injuries, the man was still concerned for the woman and her child.
“He was more concerned about how the baby was, and the woman,” she explained.
Police said a second man, who’s from Desoto, also ran to try to help the woman. He shot one of the suspects, killing him. That Good Samaritan was also injured, but he was treated and released from the hospital.
The second Samaritan from Desoto was armed. He shot and killed Simmons, and was also injured.
He may be the man in light green shirt and blue pants that is sitting in the background on the left. The green shirted man can be clearly seen in the video. Many good Samaritans have learned that keeping anonymous works better than being harassed by the media.
This may have been an attempted robbery or carjacking. It may have domestic implications. We do not have the facts at present.
We know that the armed Samaritan suffered minor injuries while the unarmed, veteran Samaritan ended in the hospital in critical condition. His condition has been upgraded, as has the woman who was attacked.
Not everyone is willing to risk their life for someone in distress. Not everyone is willing to stand by and let someone be killed. Firearms are personal power multipliers. They’re called “equalizers” for a good reason.
©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
This needs to be seen by as many people as possible.
Lightbulbs and an inner tube. TMI
Here I am, shopping at Wal-Mart, making a video. I’m not a Wal-Martian, I don’t shop at Wal-Mart…I look down on the people who shop at Wal-Mart…but here I am shopping at Wal-Mart and posting a video of my visit there…I only bought a light bulb and an inner tube…so that doesn’t count as me shopping at Wal-Mart…
I took her comments that she didn’t like to shop there because it is dangerous.
“Many good Samaritans have learned that keeping anonymous works better than being harassed by the media.”
Not to mention retribution by the thug’s ‘buddies’…
Does that actually happen? Ever?
Or I suppose more accurately, does that ever happen in a statistically significant frequency?
If they are independent perps, probably not. But gangs need to exact vengeance or lose control and the confidence of their members. I doubt the FBI or DOJ keeps track of gang retributions: they are too busy studying how to disarm law-abiding citizens per Obama’s orders just like letting Clinton off the hook.
Statistically significant, I don’t know. it pretty much depends on who the “buddies” are. Around here, the worry is our racist and Klan types, who have been known to inflict revenge on people meddling in “their” business (though ironically it seems they respect someone butting in with violence to protect a friend, while reporting to the police can get you crippled or in one case dead).
Results!!
Never happens!!! Can’t happen!!! Its not common Sense!!!
Deplorables!!!!!!
That’s right. These good Samaritans are definitely in the basket.
I appreciate the fact you put the entire story on the main page, but a paragraph would of been just as good. Please start doing that again. Do it for John Browning. For the children!
I’m sure it was just an error that will soon be fixed.
I can’t believe the thugs were armed and attacked a woman in broad daylight in a lot with security cameras and were willing to shoot somebody that came to her aid. Seems poorly thought out.
The first Good Samaritan forgot Rule 1: always carry a gun. Lucky he survived. Good Samaritan 2 was able to intervene successfully because he didn’t forget Rule 1.
Too bad the accomplice wasn’t shot dead too.
Can’t speak for Kansas. But a lot of states will charge all the bad guys involved in a crime with murder even if the guy that dies was one of their’s.
Felony Murder Rule. Anyone involved in commission of a felony is guilty of any murder that occurs, whether or not they actually pulled the trigger.
That’s called the Law of Parties in Texas, which many accomplices have learned, is nowhere near as pleasant as its fun-sounding name. We have a guy on death row right now, who received a stay recently, who was convicted under that law.
He was the wheel man in a c-store robbery and murder. People are crying that he shouldn’t be executed when he didn’t personally kill anyone.
Too bad, so sad, I say. He volunteered to be subjected to that law when he participated in the armed robbery. No crying about it now. Stick him.
+1 on the Felony Murder charge, but I hate the idea of paying to keep a guy incarcerated for the rest of his life. My tax dollars should be spent more wisely.
Maybe we should reimburse Good Samaritan 2 for his ammo, and take up a gun collection for Good Samaritan 1?
@Jonathan
I get so confused when people act like robbery at gunpoint is somehow morally different than murder… you’re executing a premeditated plan to forcibly taking someone’s property UNDER THE THREAT OF MURDER! That’s not non-violent, or “poor impulse control” – that’s a conscious, premeditated decision to end someone’s life over STUFF!
This “do what he says and it won’t get violent” mentality is pure delusional fantasy. ITS ALREADY VIOLENT – THERE’S A GUN IN YOUR FACE.
/rant. Sorry, it just really bugs me.
“I can’t believe the thugs were armed and attacked a woman in broad daylight in a lot with security cameras and were willing to shoot somebody that came to her aid. Seems poorly thought out.”
From one standpoint I agree.
However, we’ve been spending a long time in the US teaching people that there are little to no consequences for doing bad things, at least in certain parts of the country, and it’s not their fault anyway. (Consider the rap sheets we hear about upon a Chi-town gangbanger’s demise, for example.) This type of assault is an entirely predictable consequence.
Every human being bases their choices on Risk VS Reward – even if they don’t know it.
If you’re likely to get shot, choosing that path is less appealing to you emotionally, instinctually, and intellectually.
If you’re likely to get some cool stuff and get away scott-free, choosing that path becomes more appealing.
Sadly, it really is that simple. Human beings are nearly as complicated as we’d all like to believe.
Lets hope for a speedy recovery for the injured good Samaritan.
Both of them, in fact!
Exactly, my reading comprehension let me down…….
Good work Samaritans. The first guy may well have bought the time the second guy needed to put rounds on target to good effect.
Get well soon.
Wnd and fox are running the story? Let me know when nbc or cnn pick it up. Those are the audiences who need exposure to this. Probably happens a dozen times a day in this country and no one ever breathes a word of it. Because guns.
This is why I like living in Kansas. The majority of it’s residents are good people.
And now you’re down one bad resident as well!
Hope all the good guys make a full recovery.
When I saw this on Sunday, three things stood out to me:
1) Neighborhood. This isn’t a run-down part of town. Don’t wait til you’re going somewhere “bad” to carry. Carry every day.
2) Time of day. It’s 1pm on a Sunday. Like the lady said, lots of witnesses. Criminals have to be pretty stupid/brazen to try something like this there and then.
3) They targeted a woman putting her baby in her car. That’s gut-wrenchingly low. But it also brings up something I told my wife not long after I started carrying — strapping the kids in the car is a very vulnerable time in a parking lot. Lots of concealment for people to sneak up on you while you’re focused on strapping in a probably-less-than-cooperative young child. Keep your head on a swivel people. Look early and look often.
“1) Neighborhood. This isn’t a run-down part of town. Don’t wait til you’re going somewhere “bad” to carry. Carry every day.”
It continues to intrigue me how many people ignore this basic fact of life.
Bad crap can, and does, happen anywhere. Ask the Petits about that, too.
Excellent advice, there James. Always carry. Every day. Don’t think a “good neighborhood” will stop the bad guys. Shoot, under Sec 8, they live in those ‘hoods now, too.
The biggest scam/security theater I know of are gated communities. People feel safe behind a fence an 8yo can climb and with minimum wage mall cops watching their gates. There’s no such thing as a good neighborhood.
Just neighborhoods the bad guys haven’t got around to yet.
There’s a large gated community near me.
Parents of “troubled” youths move there to get their kids away from the “bad influence” somewhere else. In reality, the bad influence is their own kids, who they bring right into the gated community.
A few years ago, a guy walking down the street in broad daylight was shot do death. Gang related (surprise!). This gated community is one of the more dangerous neighborhoods in the area.
“There’s no such thing as a good neighborhood.”
Rarely do I disagree with you jwm but here I must. A good neighborhood is one that’s full of law abiding folks that are well armed. My neighborhood is quite nice. Screw around here and all the wives are immediately out on the porch with the shotgun while hubby opens up the gun safe for something with a bit more range.
The last group of people breaking into cars a couple years ago all went to jail having soiled themselves. No one has ever returned for a second helping.
Nah. The bad guys got to my neighborhood, were shut down, exposed, arrested and cuffed and convicted, and we haven’t seen them since. Of course, we hadn’t seen them for 40 years before that, but we did not become the new target.
It doesn’t matter where it is, it’s a Wal-Mart.
That’s really all that needs to be said. If you’re going to Wally World and not carrying you’re a fool. Just look up the number of crimes committed at Wal-Mart vs. the Target right down the street.
Wal-Mart = shit magnet.
This could never happen at Sam’s Club.
It’s hard to carjack someone when you’re pushing a dolly with a 55 gallon drum of cran-grape juice and a 20 year supply of cheese puffs on it! ROFL!
In all seriousness though, I was referring to the fact that Wal-Marts attract crime. They have significantly higher rates of shoplifting and robbery in the parking lots than do other chains. It’s a huge problem that costs them a ton of money every year to try to keep a lid on.
“I was referring to the fact that Wal-Marts attract crime. They have significantly higher rates of shoplifting and robbery in the parking lots than do other chains. It’s a huge problem that costs them a ton of money every year to try to keep a lid on.”
I’ve parked for the night in more than a few Walmart lots. One time shortly after they’d closed, a but after dark, their security person came by. She noticed the Ruger on my hip. Her response? “Enjoy your night — stay alert”.
This is all I have to say about that:
http://img.pandawhale.com/16192-tumblrm4wyfpplGN1rp9buto1250gi-P45p.gif
Hope both the good guys have full, speedy recoveries.
Good job!! Just doing their duty as American citizens being the first line of defense for thier community.
The Founding Fathers wrote extensively, as well as in the Federalist Papers; that when the general public stops seeing this as their civic duty, that this is the beginning of the end of a free Republic and the beginning of a police state. They were right.
They once again are showing not prophecy, but an understanding of history and human nature.
Interesting post! I hadn’t thought of it, but does anyone know how long it took LE to arrive?
Well, seconds counted, so… at least some minutes.
Somewhere between “Not quick enough to have stopped the attack on the woman” and three hours?
That three hour standard for an on-going homicide is a pretty low bar to clear.
Good lord, why does the lady taking the video look so happy in the beginning!? She’s yamming it up while a dude is dead just yards away and another is wounded… “Oh my god, y’all, I just can’t believe this is happening at WAL-MART! You never know what might happen at WAL-MART while getting inner-tubes and light bulbs!”
For real.
Mugger shitbag he may have been, but there is a dead human being 20 feet in front of you and a dozen professionals are working hard to make sure the body count stays at one, and you are chirping away making a video about it so you can get internet famous for 38 seconds as the Innertube Light Bulb Bimbo.
A lot of people smile or laugh when nervous or in an unusual situation. It’s not at all uncommon.
Soooo….when everybody inside the Walmart, some of whom may have heard gunfire, told her and others not to go outside, her response was to go outside, fire up the smartphone camera, and post a video online? What a d-bag.
Oh, and her little “I’m at Walmart….which I hate going to…” is B.S.
With that oh so sassy bleach bottle blonde haircut, she’s a poser who just doesn’t want he phony friends to think she shops at Walmart and that this was a rarity for her.
So what does this have to do with guns or this incident? Plenty. Be aware that no matter where you are in public, there’s probably someone with a cell phone. So your pre- and post-DGU actions and statements could be documented.
Moreover, the one taking the video may not be favorable to your side. The video could be edited to make you look bad. It could even be withheld entirely if it makes you look good. Have your lawyer subpoena all cell tower and WiFi activity in the area at the time. You might discover someone took a video and didn’t post it, but maybe sent it to someone or saved it to the cloud.
Cops arrested a suspect after seeing him in the security video. The mother of young Mr. Didndonothin says he was right there at home with her during the incident…
http://fox4kc.com/2016/09/11/woman-claims-police-arrested-the-wrong-man-after-shawnee-wal-mart-shooting/
I hope they got the right guy. The dead guy sure isn’t going to help them ID his friend…but I’d feel more comfortable if the arrested guy was on the dead guy’s “known associates” list…
Nope.
http://fox4kc.com/2016/09/12/man-thought-to-be-involved-in-shawnee-wal-mart-shooting-cleared-police-still-searching-for-second-suspect/
Godspeed to the injured. I’m with you jwm-evil is everywhere. Like the poor 14 year old girl stabbed to death in Burr Ridge,Il. The thug taunted her mom with her stolen phone. Former NBA player Eddie Curry lived there and was robbed and nearly killed awhile back. Most expensive hood in Illinois…yeah Wal-Mart sucks.
Transitional spaces people – they are your highest risk times/places, period.
-Gas Stations
-Parking Lots
-Alleyways
-Sidewalks
These are places predators go to find prey.
Active Self Protection (ASP) on Facebook really drives this point home with video analysis of dozens of muggings/shootings/etc.. a valuable resource.
What I find interesting is the number of crimes that happen in parking lots. You think of dark alleys at night and similar scenarios but I’ve read about plenty of fairly nasty things that happen in parking lots in broad daylight in what you would consider “safe” areas. Tool up and stay in condition yellow.
There is not much reason to remain in condition yellow, if you have not previously tooled up. Which includes being an MMA champion, etc, etc, but normally includes something that at least goes “pop”, if not “BOOM”.
Semper FI, Many Veterans have Various reactions on owning or not of Firearms, Some used them a lot and had enough! May these gentleman have a speedy and uncomplicated Recovery’s! Guy who intervened first has very large Cahones!
Jeez wonder how the BLM’ers will spin this one, Two black guys helping a Lady out of Her Car cause she needed help especially when one slipped and accidentally conked her on the noggin, the guns were for her protection, especially from the guy in the green shirt who falsely assumed that she was being hurt and got aggressive so DODO # 1 Caps this guy Dude #1 then dude #2 sees this and caps DODO #1 sending him to look at roots, DODO #2 disappears cause dude # 2 is a good shot an he don’t want no holes by mistake, poor baby! any bet the Republicans made them do it! check CNN, ABC, CBS see how fast they can spin this story!
Simmons will be made to be a dindunuffin victim. His family and BLM will look to sue the good samaritans, and the press will likely support this because Simmons was “turning his life around”.
———————–
Lewis said her son is innocent, and was at home when the shooting happened.
“As I come pulling up, I see them arresting my son. I didn’t make it to park the car because as I seen my son, and the police around my only child, I sped up,”
————————
So how do you know your son was at home if you weren’t there? You just admitted you were in your car and not at home?
They caught the right guy. Mom’s was right.