Mom shoots man who tried to take car with her kids inside

[old lady new shooter]

This took place at a gas station. She had just gassed up and went to the cashier to pay the bill, when she saw the BG starting to drive her car. She yelled at him to stop, to no avail. She jumped into the back seat where her 2- and 4-year-olds were, reached over the center armrest to get her gun out of the glove box, and fired one shot that hit the BG in the face, causing him to crash the car shortly thereafter. Thankfully neither she nor the children were injured. She had only recently acquired the gun and did not have a carry license but in TX it's apparently legal to have a handgun in the glove box. All things considered I think she did a good job. Wondering whether gas stations should have a way to pay without exiting the vehicle, to avoid such a situation in the first place.

http://www.fox4news.com/news/mom-shoots-man-who-tried-to-take-car-with-kids-inside

 

[Wisco]

Good for her. One less scumbag on the streets.

BUT...What a total failure of situational awareness and personal security to get to the point you have to shoot a guy in the face because you left your children in a running car with the doors unlocked.

I say this as a person who lives in Mayberry and relies on the good will of my fellow country bumpkins to not commit crimes against me. What I don’t do in the city or a town in which I don’t live is leave children or vehicles or valuables unsecured.

Yikes.

 

[1911 guy]

^^THIS^^

Very glad she and her kids are unhurt. But...
I'm a dad. As in I have children. Had them late in life and they're still young. People my age have grandkids, mine are eight and thirteen.

When they were much smaller, either my wife or I would stay with them or if alone take them with us when we left the vehicle. Now, if I have to leave them for a *VERY* short period of time (single digit minutes and never out of sight of the vehicle) I lock the doors and they can unlock from the inside. I leave my keys in the car so they cannot be used to open the vehicle. They have clear instructions and understand that we (wife or myself) of a uniformed police officer are the only people they unlock for. Anybody else, family included, can pound sand. This applies in my blink-and-you'll-miss-it hometown. Anywhere else, they still go with me when I leave the vehicle.


ETA: Wisco is spot on about the unsecured gun and the kids. I hadn't even thought about it, since off body carry is abysmally second rate in my opinion and hadn't registered in my thoughts.

 

[Wisco]

Oh, and her kids were in her unlocked car with her unsecured gun...that’s a crime where I live if the kids were to touch it.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Yeah, she should have locked the car and took the kids and her gun with her to pay for the gas.
If I were on the grand jury, I would vote no bill against the lady.
If I were on a trial jury, I would vote acquit.

 

[redbone]

One does what one needs to do. She did.

 

[Slamfire]

She did just fine. Saved her kids, who knows what Ricky Wright would have done to the kids. Based on his criminal record, he is a dangerous person.:

Dallas police: Woman shoots man trying to take SUV with kids

http://cbsaustin.com/news/local/dallas-police-woman-shoots-man-trying-to-take-suv-with-kids

Wright is charged with two counts of unlawful restraint and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Court records show he has a long list of charges including assault and family violence, arson, theft, making a terroristic threat, resisting arrest, and drug charges. Police say he’s in serious but stable condition.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Agree 1000% with everybody who said she should not have left her kids in an unlocked car that apparently had the key in the ignition. I wouldn't even leave my CAR in that condition, never mind with kids inside!!!

But very happy she did a good job of shooting the scumbag.

 

[MedWheeler]

old lady new shooter writes:

Wondering whether gas stations should have a way to pay without exiting the vehicle, to avoid such a situation in the first place.

Kind of have to exit the vehicle to pump the gas, don't you? I don't remember the last time I saw a "full-serve" station.

At any rate, virtually all gas stations offer pay-at-the-pump options. I don't know what more they can do without taking away from their customers every bit of need to think for themselves.

BTW, when is it gonna be "old lady, seasoned shooter"? I think it's gettin' to be long enough, don't you?

 

[RPZ]

Yeah, she should have locked the car and took the kids and her gun with her to pay for the gas.
If I were on the grand jury, I would vote no bill against the lady.
If I were on a trial jury, I would vote acquit.

Without a License to Carry she could not legally remove the gun from the vehicle, and go to pay for gas.

Agree with the other stuff 100%

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

Obviously glad it worked out for her and her kids, they're extremely lucky.


No doubt an example of what not to do.

 

[RPZ]

Just some observations.

I see this kind of thing alot. Women getting out of their cars to walk up to a bank ATM, into a convenience store etc leaving kids - young and not so young - in the car. Engine running (it's hot in Texas). It is bad practice even if they lock the doors - it takes a second to smash a car window.

All that aside, what impresses me most about this lady is that she was able to think on her feet and act decisively when literal split seconds count. If there is anything to take away from this that is it.

Did she have any training? Possibly, but I doubt it. She did everything right. She made her wishes known right off telling him to stop. Then she acted with decisive force right away. The right time; if you are kidnapped or taken hostage the sooner you take action either to escape or otherwise the better. The longer you wait the less chance you have of pulling it off.

 

[old lady new shooter]

BTW, when is it gonna be "old lady, seasoned shooter"? I think it's gettin' to be long enough, don't you?

Well, still valid is that I started shooting when I was already an old lady... so I think I should keep it, maybe it will inspire other old ladies!