OH:Concealed Carry Fail; Rapist Disarms Realtor

No discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of open and concealed carry used to be complete without the obligatory theory that open carry was more dangerous.  It was asserted that a criminal will target the open carrier because they are armed.   Here is an example from freerepublic:

Why would anyone want the bad guy to shoot him first?

Fortunately, the gun culture is becoming educated in the matter.   People now realize that open carry promotes tactical deterrence.  There have been two known instances where open carriers have been targeted, but they are very rare.  The other side of the coin also occurs.  Concealed carriers are targeted because their attacker does *not* know they are armed, and the attacker sometimes wins.   In this case in Ohio, it is doubtful that the woman would have been attacked if the attacker knew that she was armed.

As is most common in rape cases, the assailant did not use a weapon other than his own body.  It, and the element of surprise, were enough to overcome the victim's defenses.  From the marionstar.com:

As she was struggling face down on the floor, the victim reached for her 9 mm Smith and Wesson handgun. Her attacker knocked the weapon out of her hand, causing the weapon to discharge. Each time she'd try to turn and fight back, her head was smashed against the floor.

The attacker probably did not know that she had a gun.  He came very close to being shot and/or killed.  A half second of inattention on his part, or a half second faster response by the victim, and he would have been.   A shot over the back of the neck and above your own buttocks is hard to miss, if you practice just a little bit.

It seems that the attacker was unnerved enough by his close call not to abscond with the victim's gun, which was worth considerably more than the money in her purse, that he did take.   Or, possibly, she managed to reach the gun and he fled, but she does not remember:

 "I don't remember how I got there, but I remember crouching in the corner with my back against the wall and my gun in my hand," she said. "The door was open. I didn't know if he was coming back."

In both circumstances, either an open or concealed carrier being targeted, the best solution is situational awareness.  The woman who was attacked acknowledges this:

"I'm a survivor," she said. "I haven't been back to work yet, but I will be. ... I thought I was invincible. I'm not. But the best tool's not a gun; it's the knowledge of your surroundings."

Everyone who studies self defense says the same thing.  An awareness of your surroundings is more important than having a weapon.   Most attacks can be avoided if you see them coming.  Open carry allows the attacker to avoid the open carrier; concealed carry gives the defender more of an element of surprise.

Open and concealed carry each have their advantages and disadvantages.  The best situation is to be able to use either or both methods when you find them appropriate.


 ©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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