Members of the anti-gunner lobby love to claim that situations involving “good guys with guns” don’t happen. Yet, local news outlets seem to report daily on stories in which law-abiding citizens use firearms to defend themselves or someone else.
The latest occurred in Nashville, Tennessee, when a store clerk was forced to use a gun to defend himself from a would-be robber. This is another situation demonstrating how important it is to be armed, especially in major cities. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (NPD) issued a press release explaining how the situation went down:
Homicide Unit detectives are investigating a self-defense claim following Saturday’s 3:30 a.m. fatal shooting of DeCarlos Groves, 25, inside the Corner Mart, 2600 Clarksville Pike.
A review of the store’s video surveillance shows Groves producing a handgun during an apparent robbery attempt. Groves then jumped over the counter, landing on top of the store clerk, Peter Fang, 20. Fang retrieved a weapon from his shirt pocket which discharged as Groves landed on him, striking Groves. As the struggle continued, additional shots were fired from Fang’s gun and Groves fell to the floor. Fang called police. Groves died at the scene.
This investigation is continuing and will be staffed with the District Attorney’s Office at the conclusion.
This story further highlights the need for lawful Americans to own and carry firearms for personal protection. Despite being initially overpowered, the clerk managed to retrieve a firearm from his shirt pocket and defend himself. This case highlights the need for carrying a firearm as a means of self-defense in potentially dangerous situations. Had the clerk not been armed, he may have been at the mercy of the robber, risking his own life and the safety of others present in the store. Unfortunately, this hypothetical is precisely what the anti-gunner lobby promotes when they pass laws making it difficult for everyday Americans to keep and bear arms.
This scenario plays out all across the country, often with more tragic results because the victim was not armed. Those pushing gun control could have robbed this individual of his ability to defend himself, especially because most guns used to commit crimes are obtained illegally.
In fact, NPD issued another press release explaining this very issue:
So far this year, 676 guns have been stolen from vehicles in Nashville, 22 were taken from autos just last week. The total number of guns stolen this year in Davidson County is 852, which means that nearly 80% of guns stolen so far in 2023 have been taken from automobiles. At this time last year, 766 guns had been stolen from vehicles.
Going hand in hand with vehicle burglaries is vehicle theft. Too many automobiles remain easy targets because keys are carelessly left inside or made available to thieves. Just like guns taken from vehicles, these stolen autos are also routinely involved in criminal activities, including carjackings and robberies.
In 2022, there were 471 shootings in Nashville, 87 of which were fatal, according to city data. Also noteworthy is that there were 4,158 violent crimes that involved the “threat of firearm.” With these numbers, it is not difficult to understand why someone might choose to carry a gun.