- My husband and I were accosted in Phoenix one evening (about 6PM) in a public parking lot (well lighted) by four individuals who wanted our truck (and who knows what else). If we had not been armed, they would have had the truck and anything else they may well have wanted. The police were no where in sight and when we contacted them the next day all they said was, "what were you doing on that street at that time of the evening? We don't even go there after dark."
- The first time I used my gun in self defense I was leaving work late. It was dark and the parking lot was empty. Our office building was on a road off the main streets where the traffic was. The building was surrounded by woods. The other office building in the area were empty. No one would see me leaving. Except the man who was waiting in the shadows for me to leave. I had my gun purse in which I carried my colt mustang plus II 380. As I was walking towards my car I heard a man say "hey baby, looking good" I couldn't see him. I just kept walking. I heard foot steps and then he said "where ya going? Your not afraid are you?" I could tell he was closer now from the sound of his voice. I reached the side of my car which put the car between us and turned to face him. He had a knife in his hand which shined so I could see it clearly. He said "give it up easy and I won't cut you too bad" so I pulled out my gun (which I keep a bullet chambered and the safety on, all I have to do is take the safety off.) I pointed it at him and remembering the line from the untouchables movie with Sean Connery, I said "not too smart bringing a knife to a gunfight" he put the knife away as he backed up. He put his hands in the air and without saying a word ran away. I wished after that I had made him drop the knife before he ran away so he wouldn't have that knife at least to use on someone else and maybe I could have given it to the police. He had gloves on so I don't know if they could get fingerprints. Besides him hiding in the shadows waiting, the gloves also show he had planned an attack. Without that gun what would have happened? No one would have seen anything and no one would have heard me scream. The other story I'll save for another time. I had to protect myself with lethal force it's a hard story to tell. Theresa/ FL
- Used gun? My husband did, We were approached by two men in an alley. They informed my husband that they wanted his money and his "woman" Thank God that he had a gun, the mere display of his firearm convinced them to seek an easier "unarmed" target. Roxanne
I agree with what has already been stated and is well documented, "courts have long held that the police are under no obligation to protect individual citizens. Linda
- On august 2nd, 1997 at 12:40 a.m. intruders kicked my front door in. They had gloves, masks and cammo type jackets. One said something like lay down or get down ma'am. I didn't ! I ran to where my husband was sleeping. I was screaming help to my husband while running and while trying to hold the intruders out of our bedroom. As I was on one side of the bedroom door they were beating the other side of the door. As my husband got out of bed and came to where I was, the door broke across me and broke some of my ribs. In the dark, the intruders shot into our bedroom at my husband and myself. My husband fought and took the guys back to the livingroom. At the same time I am calling 911. I told them we were being shot, my address, and hung up.
I reached over in our headboard and got my husbands gun. He had always told me to take the safety off and cock it. I did so. I didn't want to shoot my husband so I thought if I shot over their heads they would run and I would not accidently hit my husband with a bullet. They didn't run. One came towards me firing and I ran. Through all of this I was shot twice, as was my husband. After running to my bedroom, the intruder didn't follow me all the way to the room because he now knew I had a gun also. I peeked out of my room and saw the intruders hand/gun squatted by my refrigerator. I slid across a small wall between my room and dining room which leads back to the living room where the intruder was squatted and the other intruder(s) was fighting my husband.
I fired at the intruder that was
squatted waiting on me to come out the other way. He was shot twice also.
Through all of this, when the intruder decides to leave out, he finds his ride
had left, so he comes back in and put a shot gun to my head for the keys to my
husbands truck. As I stand bleeding from two gun shots to the chest and through
the back I begged this intruder to not shoot me anymore.
He took the keys
from my hand and left. He also left his face in my memory forever because when
he went outside he had pulled his mask up on his head and my husband and I saw
his face. He also left his buddy or best friend dead in our yard from gun
shot wounds which I put in him. He also for what ever reason, on purpose or accident,
ran over his buddy with our truck. He now is serving 5 life terms for his part
in the crime. And the driver who should of faced the same crimes only received
5 years for his part. The intruder in my yard received a death sentence.
As for us the victims, I received a sentence of taking a persons life not
by choice but by the will of self defense. If you had asked me before
August of 1997 my beliefs on guns, I would have told you I did not like
guns, did not want guns in our home, and was against guns and what I thought
guns did.
Today I speak every chance I get to tell people why it is so important
to uphold our right to bear arms. I am living proof that guns save lives.
I spoke at the white house with president Clinton and about 20 women on the gun
issue on good morning live. I was one of the few that was there on the right
to bear arms. Most were their because they had lost children to guns and
crime. At this forum of women there were cat fights in between taping.
By the time I spoke I was so mad at some of these women that I was to tears. It
is very sad that it wasn't okay that their child had died at the hands of guns
,but it wasn't okay that a gun had saved my life. One women there after
I told her that if I would of had a gun lock on my gun that night that I probably
would not be here today and her response was what a loss that would be.
So what she was saying was I am not important to my family like her son was important
to her family. What a sad day for me. That is when I knew that some
at the million mom march was there to see that all guns are banned. Guns have
been around longer than you and I. Guns is what made America a free country.
It is our society that needs to change not the issue of guns. When I was a child
there was guns in our home but I didn't nor did my friends go and kill our school
mates or teachers. So we need to look at what has caused the problem to
correct the problem. But that doesn't include taking my right to bear arms.
Signed Susan Gonzalez/Jacksonville, FL.