Rob- Introduction- Welcome to episode 248 of Self-Defense Gun Stories. We’re glad you found us if you’re well trained.. and also if you are new to self defense. I’m Rob Morse and we’re joined this week by firearms instructor Michael Woodland. How have you been, Michael?

<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_1142" style="width: 433px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-1142">Michael Woodland</figcaption></figure>

Michael- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been training and teaching.

Rob- No one commented or gave us a like on iTunes last week and our download numbers fell. (Is 248,140). Dwayne commented on facebook. Yes, I was bit by a dog, but the good news is that the wound is closed and I’m healing up. We also dodged hurricane Ida, so that is good news.

Please go to the iTunes store where you subscribe to podcasts and let new listeners know why you listen.

Michael- Here in the United States, we defend ourselves with a firearm tens of thousands of times each week. We’ll look at a few recent examples and see what we can learn. We give you the links back to the original news articles on our podcast webpage.

Our first story took place last week in California, Maryland.

Rob- First story- Do you have a firearm nearby at night?

It is almost midnight when you hear your roommates call out. Someone is trying to get into the house. They heard someone at the windows and at the back door. You get your gun. A few seconds later, a stranger kicks through the front door. He rushes in and you try to push him back outside. He fights you. You shoot your attacker until he stops.

You back up and call 911. You put your gun away. EMS tries to life-flight your attacker to the hospital, but bad weather keeps the aircraft on the ground. You and your roommates give a statement to the police. Your attacker is transported to the hospital where he dies. In the news article, you notice that your attacker already has a mugshot.

Michael- The one thing I am glad to hear is that the occupants Owned a firearm. When danger was present the firearm was accessible and in the care of someone who sounded like they knew how to handle it. It was Stored in a condition so it could  be quickly accessed. The occupant Stopped shooting when the threat stopped. Called the police and they all gave a statement when the deputies arrived.

Rob- You make that sound simple. When would new gun owners learn about storing a firearm, about how to shoot, about when to stop shooting, and about what to say to the police?

Michael- Not all at once. First,you make the decision to get a firearm and from there everything is a building block. How to clean it, how to hold it, leading up to recommended ways of storing it. Second, now you learn how to shoot it, and over a period of time your skills will advance where you learn to make sound decisions like when to stop shooting when you are defending your life …

Rob- Is there anything else you’d like your students to do if they were in a situation like this one?

Michael- I would like to see everyone armed, but we already know a firearm is not for everyone and your beliefs are those, but if you decide to own a firearm and in a similar situation Have a plan, get training and with the training you might open your mind to added accessories that might help under different conditions like having a flashlight on your firearm  

Rob- What might be in a security plan?

Michael- A security plan can cover Who, What, When, Why and How… Who is doing what in the situation, What areas are you covering, When will certain things take place like moving from one location to the next… When to call the Officers, and How is communication going to take place without being too wordy to distract you from defending your perimeter… And it is important that if you injured someone regardless of the situation that we perform medical assistance.

Rob- I shot the bad guy. What do I do with my gun?

Michael- If the threat is not present anymore and he did not run away, you want to make sure they are not armed or in any position to cause any harm. Get all possible tools that can cause injury away from them. After it is safe ask questions as to what is hurting and at the same time make the determination if you render assistance if you can be overwhelmed or just wait for Officers to arrive.

Rob- Anything else?

Michael- That is enough for now. Our second story happened in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Rob- Second Story- Were you trained to use a firearm?

You hear banging on the front door. You get up. It is 3am Sunday morning and your aunt is already up to answer the door. It is your 28-year-old  cousin at the door. Your cousin has mental problems. Your aunt won’t let him inside. He gets angry. He grabs your aunt and hits her in the head. He throws her to the ground and hits her in the head again. He kicks her head and stomps on her.

You grab a gun and shoot her attacker until he stops. He turns and runs outside. You drop the gun and call 911. Now, you put the gun away so the other kids don’t get it. Police arrive and you say your aunt needs help.

EMS finds your cousin down the street. They take him to the hospital where he died. Your aunt wishes your cousin took his medications like he was supposed to. You talk to the police. You’re a teenager.

Michael- This is a sticky situation where it is family and a family member has mental health problems. So medication is a factor along with a firearm where the aunt owned one. She shared with one of the teenagers residing with her where the firearm is stored and how to use it. The non issuing teen recognized a lethal and unavoidable threat to his aunt. He retrieved the firearm and stopped the threat until the cousin ran off and he stopped shooting. He did not chase his cousin the attacker but he did call for help and gave information to the officers.  

Rob- We leave teenagers alone. What should they know about armed defense?

Michael- That a firearm is not a toy and only used when you feel your life is in danger.

Rob- When do they learn things like that? (In what class?)

Michael- Any firearm instructor should constantly be preaching that regardless if it is a Concealed Weapons Class, Intro to firearms, even the sales person at the store selling the firearm. 

 Rob- It sounds like there were several children living in this home. That tells me their families had problems or the children had problems. Tell me about storing my gun safely. 

Michael-  Every family situation is different and depending on the factors that had this family member stepping up and raising the children, the one thing that stood out was that the aunt did explain to the one teenager where the firearm is stored and how to use the firearm.  In the event you have children living with you it is very important to have some form of a safe that can prevent the child from getting to the firearm and doing unnecessary harm. 

Rob- Where are we headed next?

Michael- Our third story happened in Syracuse, New York.

Rob- First this message from Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership.

<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_1160" style="width: 1013px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-1160">http://jpfo.org/</figcaption></figure>

Rob- Third story- Are you armed in public?

There are a lot of people on the street. It is the middle of the afternoon when a man in his twenties starts shooting at the crowd and at you. You own a gun. You have your New York Concealed Carry License. You shoot back. Your attacker stops shooting and so do you. You call 911.

Emergency Medical Services declare your attacker dead at the scene. You manage the property for the owner. You give a brief statement to the police. The county district attorney said you saved several lives by shooting back.</sp