http://www.sierratimes.com/02/10/26/ar-waters.htm

Shots from the Underground
By Robert A. Waters
Published 10. 25. 02 at 22:28 Sierra Time
By the time John Allen Muhammed and John Lee Malvo were arrested for the Beltway Sniper murders, they had gunned down ten people and wounded three others. Howls from the gun control mob were heard, and polls indicated that many Americans agreed that there should be tighter firearms restrictions.
But beneath the surface, others were using guns to save lives.

On October 13, a Philadelphia woman shot an armed serial rapist. As Daniel Wesley threatened her with a rifle, Charmaine Dunbar drew her own licensed handgun and fired, striking him twice. Investigators later determined that Wesley was the violent rapist who had been stalking the East End area for weeks. His six victims included a fourteen-year-old girl.

This incident occurred during the rampage of the Beltway Sniper. Predictably, the networks, which gave wall-to-wall coverage to the Sniper, said nothing about the capture of the serial rapist.

On October 2, a 53-year-old Detroit woman shot one of two gunmen who broke into her home. This story was reported only in the local media.

On October 6, in Ybor City, Florida, a robber pulled a gun on parking lot attendant Ian McGeehan and demanded money. The victim, who had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, pulled his own handgun and shot the robber twice.

On October 7, Sam Harper, a deliveryman for the Birmingham News, saw a shotgun-wielding robber threaten a store clerk. Harper pulled a handgun and shot the robber.

Tom Burtnett, the clerk, credited Harper with saving his life.

On October 8, Richland, South Carolina store owner Sterling Patterson opened fire on three armed robbers. One of the bandits had pointed a gun at a customer and threatened to kill him. Patterson?s barrage hit one of the robbers and sent the others fleeing.

Also on October 8, a Las Vegas homeowner shot two home invaders. After they broke into his house, the resident and his wife took refuge in their bedroom and called police. However, when the intruders attempted to break down the door, the homeowner shot them.

In Detroit, on October 10, a storeowner came to the rescue of a woman who was being mugged. As she attempted to withdraw money from an ATM machine, two men assaulted her. The business owner saw what was happening, retrieved his gun, and shot one of the thugs.

On October 13, a Vigo County, Indiana teenager shot an intruder who threatened him with a crowbar.

Between October 7 and October 13, armed intruders were shot by residents in Texas, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, and North Carolina.

On October 14, a cancer patient in Tennessee shot an armed home invader who attempted to steal his Oxycontin.

None of these stories merited the attention of the national media.

The coverage given the sniper was justified. It?s a huge story.

However, when other stories which show the benefits of guns are suppressed by the national networks, our views on gun control are distorted.

No doubt, the Philadelphia woman who shot Daniel Wesley saved dozens of women from the trauma of sexual assault. Due to the rapist?s violent nature, it?s also likely that several lives were saved. While it is difficult to numerically assess the benefits of her heroic actions, Charmaine Dunbar may have saved as many lives as the Beltway Sniper murdered. Indeed, Police Chief Robert W. McNeilly, Jr. said, ?We took this just as seriously as the shootings down in Washington. D. C.?

Unfortunately, the average American will never know because the national media did not report it.

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Robert A. Waters is the author of “The Best Defense: True Stories of Intended Victims Who Defended Themselves with a Firearm