Violent criminals, sometimes desperate and other times simply heartless, don’t schedule their criminal attacks. That’s why it’s prudent for good people to carry the tools necessary for self-protection regularly, every day. A case in Panama City Beach, Florida illustrates that point perfectly.
Cops there believe a 19-year-old transient killed and robbed two Georgia men who were renovating a house in a botched burglary. Law enforcement’s investigation led to the arrest of Ruez Hicks, 19, a transient.
Investigators had him on tape using one of the dead men’s credit cards. And when they located Mr. Hicks, they reportedly found the rest of the contents of one of the victims’ wallets.
Apparently the Georgia men didn’t have Florida carry licenses in those wallets (although Florida recognizes Georgia carry permits). Or a gun handy while working on the house. Frankly, it’s a shame. After all, the story would likely have had a much happier ending if the robber had met his maker instead of two productive people.
From The Panama City News-Herald…
During a Bay County Sheriff’s Office press conference on Monday, officials said suspect Ruez Hicks, 19, planned to burglarize the home on Delmar Drive when he encountered Robert Keith Gilmore, 51, and Robert Shawn Fowler, 48, before he shot and killed them. Investigators revealed new details about the case and the victims on Monday, just days after arresting Hicks, a transient, and charging him with murder.
Meanwhile, a second teenager, Quantavious Dion Burns, 18, of Panama City Beach, was arrested Monday and charged with accessory after the fact to premeditated murder. A press release states Burns was a close friend of Hicks, held onto the firearm used in the killings for Hicks, then lied to investigators during interviews.
During the press conference, Sheriff Tommy Ford said the victims were related and visiting Panama City Beach from Georgia. The two were believed to be in town renovating the Delmar Drive home, owned by Fowler.
Make carrying your self-defense tool part of your everyday carry routine. Your family and friends love and depend on you and you’re an important part of their lives. Honor them by protecting yourself – and them when you’re in their company – from violent criminal predators like Hicks.
Even better, teach those friends and family members to carry a firearm themselves, so they can protect their own lives, too.
By John Boch via TTAG and republished with permission.