LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA — A woman returned home after picking up her son to a well-orchestrated ambush by two masked, armed men. WSB-TV 2 describes the harrowing ordeal this woman had to go through just to survive a brutal attack. She walked inside her home and the first armed robber immediately confronted her. A second burst in through the door. Both proceeded to hog-tie her in front of her son and stab her multiple times. They then played Russian Roulette with her son, asking her the entire time where she kept the money.
Gwinett County authorities are on the look-out for the two suspects.
The real lesson to be learned here is to always be carrying. The tactics used in this assault definitely smack of gang-style BS. Extortion, torture, ransom — all of these things are on the table. Why they targeted her specifically and why they decided to bring the full weight of it on her doorstep? No clue.
Carrying everyday doesn’t guarantee a thing in terms of results. Walking in through the front door, this lady got beat in the back of the head by a pistol or, as she described it, “felt more like a hammer.”
She got ambushed. And in an ambush, it’s hard to keep on top of the situation anyhow. Carrying everyday is a small piece of the puzzle. The second is detecting an ambush before it happens. That takes a lot of good observation skills, maintaining situational awareness, and never getting complacent with your surroundings.
For most of us, when we see home — we see refuge. This is our place apart from this crazy, sidewinder world. So we drop our guard. We get within reach of that front door knob and we’re ready to relax.
Unfortunately, that makes it a great place to get the drop on someone.
Everyone’s living situation is different. For detached dwelling with a yard, having a dog is actually a great thing. Dogs can be trained to be a “first line of defense” — not so much in their ability to neutralize an opponent but just in terms of sounding the alarm.
Don’t be paranoid. Be prepared.
You don’t have to be on constant high alert, head on a swivel. Let your senses drink up all that’s around you. You’ll be surprised when your brain begins to give you that uneasy feeling that comes with detecting something out of place.
Know your order of march.
When approaching an entry-way with a child or someone who can’t help you in a fight, put them in a position where you can keep track of them. That’s usually in front or to the side. If you have reason to believe you’re walking into a bad situation, put them behind you.
If you feel something is out of place, stop and identify it.
If you’re walking up to the front door and you see the front door is ajar or the door is unlocked — stop. That’s right. You can stop. Maybe you forgot to lock the front door. Maybe a family member or friend has stopped by. Stop and verify.
These are just a few ideas to keep in mind in addition to carrying every day and being aware of your surroundings.