Rob- Introduction-

Welcome to episode 186 of Self-Defense Gun Stories. Perhaps you’re well trained. I’m Rob Morse, and even if your only curious about self defense, I’m glad you found us today. We’re joined this week by self-defense instructor Amanda Suffecool. I know you’ve been busy. What have you been up to?

Amanda- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been working and shooting and… CPAC, EotT, Republican party county chairman stuff including a congressional debate that made Youngstown TV,  2 new Taurus art-deco pistol – the spectrum – very under rated

Rob- We received two more ratings on iTunes this week (138/83). Please go to the iTunes store where you subscribe to podcasts and let new listeners know this show is worth their time.

Amanda- We talk about recent examples where gun owners were in a life threatening situation. Were they lucky, or did they have a plan? We give links back to the original news article in our show notes. Our first story took place last week in Chicago, Illinois.

Rob- Are you armed at home?

It is cold and dark outside. It is 6:30 in the evening when you walk out of your home. A stranger comes toward you as you get to the sidewalk. The stranger draws a firearm and tells you to give him your purse and your phone. You have your Illinois concealed carry permit. You’re armed. You move, draw your handgun, and shoot at your attacker. He shoots back.

You retreat to your home and call the police.

Amanda-  carry permit, armed, NOTICED and REACTED, moved, presentation from concealment, retreat, called police

Rob- That is a lot to get right. I think our defender practiced. 

Amanda-  There is more. Try doing that while you’re wearing a heavy coat or purse – and what are you carrying.  I leave my house like a pack mule, I need this, and that, and Steve Martins red thermos… 

Rob- If the shooting range where you practice won’t let you draw while you’re wearing a heavy coat, then you’ll have to dry practice while you’re wearing that coat at home.

Amanda- You might want to practice in the basement, or at least draw the curtains.

Also, try that while you’re wearing winter gloves, a scarf, and carrying a purse and other things. But yeah – dryfire practice is GREAT. 

Rob- Amanda keeps it real here on the SDGS podcast.

Amanda- I live in Ohio. It is still too darn real outside.

Rob- What else did you notice?

Amanda- Don’t take your gun off at home. A gun in her dresser drawer would have been useless.

Rob- Anything else our defender did correctly?

Amanda- Our defender got to safety rather than chase the bad guys down the street. She stopped shooting when her attacker ran away. Also, most men are bigger,  stronger and faster than most women, so I’m glad she was armed.

Rob- Anything else you want to cover?

Amanda- The bad guy shot at her, so even though she escaped without a scratch, she could have been killed. Her shots missed, and that let her attacker shoot at her. Practice, practice, practice 

Let’s leave a little for the other stories. Our next story happened in Austin, Texas.

Rob- Second Story-  Are you armed at home?   

You and your roommate are at home on a Tuesday night. It is late at night when you hear someone banging at your front door. The strangers shout that they work for the city of Austin and to open the door. You come out of your room and see your room mate open the door. A moment later your roommate is pushed back into the room by a man wearing a hard hat, a construction vest, and holding a gun in his hand. The stranger puts his gun to your roommates head. Your attackers shoot at you, and you duck back into your room. You grab your gun and shoot back until the intruders run away.

Your roommate isn’t hurt. You call the police. They find your three wounded attackers outside. One of them is taken to the hospital where he is arrested for two counts of felony murder and held for a quarter million dollars bond. He has a criminal record. The other two attackers died at the scene.

Our defender had a defensive tool, but there is more.

Amanda- Lots more. He wasn’t carrying his gun on-body at 10:30 at night, but his firearm was nearby and loaded. Our defender was familiar with his gun so he could use it quickly. He recognized a threat. He didn’t freeze. He defended himself and his roommate while he was being shot at. He faced multiple armed attackers and convinced them to leave. He stopped shooting when the threat ran away. He called the police and gave a statement.

Rob- What would you like us to do if we were in that situation?

Amanda- I suspect our defender was shooting from cover. He could be at the back of his bedroom in the dark. That means the attackers didn’t have a target to shoot at. The only thing the bad guys could hit was the muzzle of his gun and a thin slice of his face as he looked around the door jam, down the hall, and into the front room. Shooting in the dark and using a wall to keep you from being shot are real skills. Get some low light training and learn to use cover. Then, practice at home.

Rob- I have a mirror I use to practice shooting around cover.

Amanda- You need a plan. Talk to your roommate about what you’re both going to do if you hear a knock at your door late at night. Don’t let uninvited strangers into your house, particularly late at night. Get and use a camera doorbell so you can see the people stacked up outside the door. 

Rob- Amanda, I think that drugs were involved. The news reports said the two roommates had recently bought some marajuana. The police aren’t prosecuting that as a drug crime, but it comes with some risks.

Amanda-  Even if you are not dealing drugs, simply buying drugs makes you a target for the bad guys. You bought drugs with money, so they want your money. You might have drugs, so they want to steal your drugs. You’re at risk.

Rob- What else did you notice?

Amanda-  Hostage situation. Multiple attackers. Rapid shots. Transition from one threat to the next.

Rob- Not the usual slow fire at a bulls eye target. Where can i go to learn to shoot like that, and to practice shooting like that.

Amanda-  Look up instructors in your area.  Interview them. See who has a shoot house,  who has a move and shoot range. If they are renting and training at a range with a single lane they have for the hour- that is not your training.



Our third story happened Greensboro, North Carolina

Rob- First this message from BFF.

Rob- Third story- Are you armed when you buy cigarettes?

It is before noon. You’re a customer in a tobacco shop/convenience store when you look up. The two clerks behind the counter have their hands up in the air. A guy with a mask over his face is shouting for all the customers to move behind the counter, and the robber is pointing his gun at you. You’re armed. You move behind the counter with the three other customers. An older lady walks into the store and the robber turns away from you. You grab your gun while the robber grabs the lady by her hair and drags her behind the counter. You shoot your attacker five times before he drops his firearm.

Everyone is screaming, but they are not injured. You call 911 and stay at the scene. EMTs transport your attacker to the hospital.

Rob- Our defender was armed. What else did our defender do correctly?

Amanda- Our defender avoided a reciprocal gunfight. Suppose you are in a store with your family and a robber points a gun at you. Even if you move and shoot, you invite the robber to shoot near you and maybe hit your loved ones. Our defender had tactical patience and waited his turn until he had an unfair advantage over his attacker.

Rob- I think I know what you mean, but please explain what you mean by an unfair advantage a little more.

Amanda- The attacker was distracted. His hands were busy grabbing another victim. The attackers eyes