PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA — Two armed teenagers attempted to mug a concealed carrier while he was withdrawing cash from an ATM. Now, both of them are in the hospital. This is one citizen who refuses to be a victim.
According to a Pittsburgh police statement given to WPXI News 11, the man had a permit to legally carry a concealed handgun and used it to shoot both 16-year-olds. They both had on masks and brandished firearms.
“The victim happened to have a weapon that he is licensed to carry and he used that to defend himself in this situation,” police spokesperson Sonya Toler said.
Both teenagers were taken to the hospital in stable condition and no further word on either’s status. They are both expected to make a recovery and be charged for the attempted armed robbery.
This entire scenario played out at approximately 1 a.m. at an ATM located near a bank. It shouldn’t matter what hour a person goes to get cash, though, because the same amount of situational awareness applies at 1 a.m. as 1 p.m. This permit holder did quite a few things right, in addition to the defensive gun use.
First, he came prepared. It’s game over otherwise. If you have two aggressive teens with guns and masks, that’s like handling two baby rattlesnakes. They don’t know how much venom is enough. You’re the unfortunate person caught being that life lesson for them.
Second, he only used as much force as he needed to. After the teens were neutralized, he stopped. Knowing when to engage deadly force and when enough is enough are two very important distinctions any concealed carrier should be able to make.
And lastly, arguably the most important, he employed situational awareness. The act of passively scanning around you can, indeed, save your life. He knew there was a threat because it presented itself and he detected it. If he hadn’t, those two teens could have put themselves in a much better position to do him harm.
This is a great case where the good guy wins, the bad guys lose, and the good guy gets to go home afterwards. Let’s keep it up by carrying your concealed handgun every single day, everywhere you are legally permitted to.
