Mississippi Gun-Store Owner and Son Die in Shootout with Customers

This really bugs me. I'm a gun nut I suppose. I carry one 98% of the time and have for over a year. No one knows it's there, no one sees it, I never want to use it on anyone, it's legal, I have a permit, I don't go to gun free zones unless I absolutely have to. i know there are people that shouldn't carry guns, like the Home Depot lady that was mentioned earlier. The problem is who gets to decide who can and can't? No one wants criminals to have guns, especially people like me. We want to have them for a multitude of reasons and jackasses like this just make it more difficult, they add to the fear of guns. I always say never touch a gun out of anger, the tool is simply for defense.

originally posted by: introvert

originally posted by: TheBulk

originally posted by: introvert
a reply to: DAVID64

I am very pro-2nd amendment and believe it is a vital part of what made this country's system great, but I can't help but notice that the gun culture in the US has become a bit loony.

The 2nd amendment is no longer about arming ourselves to protect this country from tyranny. It's more akin to a culture of fashion and bravado. Similar to middle-aged men that like to show off their new sports cars.

The gun nuts in this country are going to ruin our 2nd amendment rights if they continue to go down the path they are currently taking.

Its so interesting to me how guys like you make broad generalizations like this, yet change the subject to Muslims and your opinion turns on a dime.

I understand that all gun owners are the same and I did not generalize all gun owners.

I missed my chance to edit this post and I meant to say that all gun owners are NOT the same.

a reply to: chefc14

From reading your post, I wouldn't call you a "gun nut" at all. There are responsible people who carry guns in a responsible way. I actually like the idea of them walking around in public. I would never want to take that right away from you and I believe it's people like you who are the ones you hear about actually stopping crimes and saving people's lives. That's much different from someone who carries because they want to show off and get their way.

"Gun nut" is not synonymous with "firearms enthusiast" or someone who owns and/or carries a gun. It's those people who think that carrying a gun gives them some kind of power to have things their way, or who carry it for political purposes, or for attention, thinking that being a jerk is somehow exercising their second amendment right, who are reserved for that term, in my dictionary.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic
Thanks for the kind words. I say "nut" because I do love them. I love going to the range with my wife and daughters and shooting the steel gong. I'm proud and saddened that my straight A students can outshoot me when someone calls a competition. I hunt with my 15 year old daughter and she has brought home a deer and a few squirrels. I trust them with my life, yeah I am a nut.

a reply to: Blackmarketeer

Let's keep things in context here. Violent crime is lower today than it has ever been throughout history. A lot of people are armed in this country and carry their guns around with them every day, yet this type of crime (murder or injury by firearm) is actually pretty rare.

What seems to be a fairly consistent occurrence is the media putting stories like this where gun owners occasionally have a bad trip on full blast, while the constant consistent occurrence of gun owners saving lives and de-escalating crimes is continually ignored by these same media outlets. When is the last time those media outlets ran a story on the thousands of lives that are saved and crimes prevented every year by regular armed citizens? I bet it's been awhile. If they've ever run one that is. I kinda doubt it.

I personally feel safer in areas that have less restrictive gun laws. There seem to be less thugs around.

This place is turning into chaos.

I keep telling everyone we have a culture issue and we need to start rebuilding communities and families.

We're too disconnected from one another the television has us at each other's throats.

I also thought I should add my opinion that it's highly unlikely that the gun store owners were the first to draw their weapons. Gun store owners and employees generally aren't the type of guys to go waving their piece around on a whim. Poor guys. Shoulda worn the body armor to work that day, I guess. To those who aren't US residents, brandishing a firearm (waving your gun around) without good cause is a serious felony offense in this country. Any responsible gun owner knows this.

a reply to: onequestion

Agreed, in that we seem to be developing a serious lack of community in this country. We don't talk to each other like we used to just a few years ago. It seems the divisive tactics being brought to bear against us are working. It's sad. You're on the west coast? I'm in the midwest. It's that way here, too.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Not surprising but somewhat ironic, obviously the amount of guns present didn't prevent this..in a weaponless situation maybe same result with the perps getting away..or maybe it would of never went that far?
I think the problem is a bad guy has intension and knows what he is about to do and in that sense has the drop on most unsuspecting citizens..it takes serious training to respond effectivlly. Im not pro or against, society seems broken and I don't know how it's fixed.

a reply to: butcherguy

That's just about the most intelligent outlook on it possible.

Last year, on my fiftieth birthday no less, I was mugged. Dude had a knife, wanted my money. I handed over the twenty bucks in my pocket, if not cheerfully, at least willingly...that was a big ass knife. Even had I been carrying at that time, I wouldn't have shot him. Over twenty bucks? Not a chance in hell, nothing except the life of my family and myself are worth killing, or even injuring, someone.

I had to grow up some time, right?

When he then tried to stab me? Oh, yeah, I'd have shot him...twice. As it was? I'm not nearly the helpless victim some seem to think. But had he just left, I probably wouldn't have even called the cops, because our local PD are just about useless. I wonder if he thought the broken bones he got worth the twenty spot?

a reply to: DAVID64

You're the only one saying that so far....

originally posted by: Blackmarketeer
Mississippi Gun-Store Owner and Son Die in Shootout with Customers

Hahahahaha!
Just gotta love the irony!

More guns is definitely the answer!
Maybe arm the mice that live in the store... for protection!
When some fool pulls a gun, the mice will shoot him dead before he can do damage.
Uh, oh, what about cats with guns?

originally posted by: vonclod
a reply to: SlapMonkey

Not surprising but somewhat ironic, obviously the amount of guns present didn't prevent this..in a weaponless situation maybe same result with the perps getting away..or maybe it would of never went that far?
I think the problem is a bad guy has intension and knows what he is about to do and in that sense has the drop on most unsuspecting citizens..it takes serious training to respond effectivlly. Im not pro or against, society seems broken and I don't know how it's fixed.

Sure, but the amount of weapons during war doesn't guarantee victory or no lives lost on our side either.

It's impossible to play the what-if game and still remain logical in this discussion, but it's easy to prove that the vast majority of attempted robberies (or assaults with deadly weapons) at gun stores do not end well for the perpetrator. I think the thing is that most gun store employees are relatively well-trained, but often times, so are the customers. This particular instance is just a sad happening all the way around--no one deserves to get their life taken over $25, or, IMO, over any amount of money.

I don't think that society is broken as much as what I've said many times on ATS: There appears to be a degrading valuation of human life by individuals. I don't necessarily see it as a societal problem as much as a cultural problem. Maybe that's just arguing semantics--I don't know, but that's just my assessment of things.

originally posted by: seagull
a reply to: butcherguy

Last year, on my fiftieth birthday no less, I was mugged. Dude had a knife, wanted my money. I handed over the twenty bucks in my pocket, if not cheerfully, at least willingly...that was a big ass knife. Even had I been carrying at that time, I wouldn't have shot him. Over twenty bucks? Not a chance in hell, nothing except the life of my family and myself are worth killing, or even injuring, someone.

I had to grow up some time, right?

When he then tried to stab me? Oh, yeah, I'd have shot him...twice. As it was? I'm not nearly the helpless victim some seem to think. But had he just left, I probably wouldn't have even called the cops, because our local PD are just about useless. I wonder if he thought the broken bones he got worth the twenty spot?

You have the perfect mentality for someone to appropriately carry a deadly weapon.

I always tell people that the reason that I carry is for that miniscule chance that at one time in my life (hopefully not more), I have nothing left at my disposal to protect my life or my family's lives--that is when I would reach for my firearm. In reality--if it ever comes to that--I hope I live up to my own expectation of myself.

If the store owner hadnt have been armed this thread would have been full of people claiming this never would have happened if he'd had a gun. This just proves that argument is not valid.