Crime happens everywhere. It was near midnight on a Saturday when two men were attacked as they sat in their car on a North Philadelphia street. The attacker pulled open the car door and put a gun in the victim’s face. As shocking as that sounds, it happens several times a day in Philadelphia. This time at least one of the intended victims was armed.
The news story isn’t clear if the two men, ages 26 and 29, had just walked to their car or if they had just pulled the Honda Civic into a parking place. A 17-year-old pulled open the car door and pointed his gun at the face of the driver and the passenger. As they were getting out of their vehicle, one of the two victims presented his legally carried firearm and shot the armed attacker several times.
The armed defenders stayed at the scene and called 911, asking for help. The police received that call at 11:01. Both victims gave a statement and showed their identification to the officers when they arrived. It is unclear if the attacker left his gun at the scene or if he took it with him as he ran.
Police found the armed attacker a block away. He was bleeding from gunshot wounds to his chest and right shoulder. Emergency medical services transported him to Temple hospital in stable condition.
The 17-year-old criminal was on probation from Montgomery County, the county adjacent to and north-west of Philadelphia. The firearm used in the crime was registered to the attacker’s father. The 17-year-old criminal was charged with two counts of robbery, one count of attempted carjacking, and with weapons charges. In many states, the criminal would be charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. He would also be charged with armed burglary since he opened the door to the car during the commission of a crime.
The defenders were not charged.
There were over 1,300 carjackings in Philadelphia last year. Many of the robbers are armed. More of the intended victims are getting their licenses and going armed daily.
This story is one of many that go under-reported by the mainstream media because it shows a positive image of a law-abiding gun owner defending their life and their family. It is our responsibility at AmmoLand to report these stories to you. While we will continue to report these stories, groups like the Crime Prevention Research Center, led by Dr. John Lott, are fastidious in studying the use of firearms for self-defense. Stay up to date with all news on self-defense by following CPRC and Ammoland.
About Rob Morse
Rob Morse writes about gun rights at Ammoland, at Clash Daily, at Second Call Defense, and on his SlowFacts blog. He hosts the Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast and co-hosts the Polite Society Podcast. Rob was an NRA pistol instructor and combat handgun competitor.
