There are several points to be made about this story.  Let me start with saying that I’m glad that the female victim is alive, and the bad guy is in police custody.  The reason the female victim is alive is that she was carrying a firearm.   There’s no dispute about that.  No matter how much the anti-gun extremists claim that concealed carry rarely ever saves a life, especially for women, the facts tell a different story.

Having said the above, what can we learn from this?  The two main areas I’d like to examine are situational awareness, and having the right firearm and being able to trust your survival to it working when you need it.  In no way do I wish to unfairly criticize the victim.  There are, however, some things that need to be discussed.

Regarding situational awareness, we could assume that the victim was unaware that she was being followed.  According to the news story, when the perpetrator entered the elevator, “The victim asked the suspect what floor he needed, and the victim described the suspect as being out of it, possibly high or drunk, but when he said the sixth floor, the victim stated she became nervous,”

If you are waiting for an elevator and someone approaches making you feel uncomfortable, let them get on the elevator first and tell them you forgot something in your office, car, store, or whatever you wish to say.  Either walk away or wait for another elevator.  If you, like this woman, enter the elevator and someone follows you in, you can use the same excuse and get out of the elevator before the doors close.  If the other person goes along their way, fine.  But what if you are the target?  Now we get into the discussion of the firearm.

The woman kept her firearm in her purse.  There’s differing schools of thought about this, but that’s for another time.  My issue is that the woman either did not have easy access to the firearm, or she wasn’t prepared to draw her weapon to defend herself.  The attack began, the woman was being injured, and the attacker brandished a knife before she was able to use her firearm in self-defense.

If a woman wants to purse carry, she must be able to gain access to the firearm immediately, without searching.  This comes with practice, having the firearm in an area of the purse easily accessible with nothing else in the compartment in which you store the firearm.  Purses are made specifically for concealed carry, but can be expensive.   Using a pocket holster with the outer area made of a rubberized material will allow you to draw your firearm and keep the holster in the compartment.

What happens if you don’t have time to draw?  In this case, the woman should have at least had a hand on the handle of the firearm.  If she had access to the trigger, she could have fired through her purse.  Yes, you ruin a perfectly good purse.  They can be replaced.  Your life is more important than a Coach, Louis Vuitton, or Gucci purse.  My point is that, in a critical situation, or even a potentially critical situation, is your firearm available if you need it?  If your hand is on your firearm in your purse, nobody knows but you.

The second important aspect of this story is that it seems that the woman pulled the trigger and nothing happened.  “The gun, … didn’t fire at first and the attacker hit her in the face and held a hand over her mouth with one hand and was moving the knife toward her with the other.  ‘Fearing for her life, the victim kept pulling the trigger of her gun, which finally fired, and struck the suspect in the neck.’”

There’s nothing worse than when a gun goes click when it should go boom, and when it goes boom when it should go click.  In this instance, the gun apparently went click several times.  Carrying a firearm that doesn’t fire is as useful as the proverbial screen door on a submarine.  If you are going to carry a firearm, it needs to be ready to fire if and when you need it to save your life.  This means practice time on the range, drawing from your purse or from a concealed holster.  This also means keeping your firearm clean, and using proper self-defense ammunition.

The news story shows the woman’s firearm.  I can’t tell the brand or age of the firearm.  Nonetheless, if you are going to carry a firearm and depend upon it to potentially save your life, you need to evaluate whether what you have is sufficient, or if you need to go shopping for a new firearm.

UPDATE:  The weapon is a Beretta; appears to be an older weapon.  Here’s another news report of the incident:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKsqIoyAr-k

As I mentioned from the start, I am glad that the victim is alright, and the attacker is in prison.  I know, however, that we can learn from these types of situations.  There are several resources available to learn more about situational awareness and sites dedicated to teaching shooting tactics.  There are many  such resources on our website.  Carrying a firearm is a serious decision.  You need to be prepared to save your or a loved one’s life.  When you need to use a firearm is the wrong time to think about getting more training.  Be prepared now.

Tom David
Shield Defense Firearm Training
shielddefensetraining.com

The post Lessons Learned from a Real Life Self-Defense Shooting appeared first on Shield Defense Firearm Training Wisconsin.

I’d like to tell you why Shield Defense Firearm Training is different than other training groups.  Shield Defense is locally owned and operated.  Tom and Paul are not just trainers; they are enthusiasts for concealed carry, firearms safety, and the protection of you and your loved ones.

I have recently spoke with people who already have their CCW permits, but don’t feel totally comfortable carrying concealed on a regular basis. When I inquired as to why, the main reason was lack of training. One person told me that his CCW class consisted of an instructor putting in a video that lasted about an hour, did minimal class instruction, and did all this for $300.

Another person with whom I spoke told me that they got their CCW permit using their Hunters’ Safety Certificate. They didn’t know the basics of carrying concealed, use of force, or the legal implications of CCW.  He was interested to find out that Shield Defense does more than just basic CCW classes.  In fact, one recent student was a Hunters’ Safety Course instructor who admitted that a Hunters’ Safety class alone is not enough to learn about carrying concealed on a regular basis.

Yet another person took a different CCW class based upon price alone, and was very disappointed.  When he sat in on our class with his wife, who was getting her permit, he was surprised at how much more we taught, how we used real world scenarios, situations, and video clips.  He was surprised we allowed students to actually safely handle, load and unload firearms using simulated ammunition, and how thorough we were in emphasizing safety and personal protection.

At Shield Defense Firearm Training, we understand the importance of not just obtaining your CCW permit for self defense, but having the knowledge and confidence to carry concealed on a regular basis.  We also stress the importance of continuing your training after you get your CCW permit.  We provide advanced training courses as well as one on one instruction. Our CCW Resource page is updated often, and provides valuable information for concealed carry news, training, and legal issues.

Check out our course offerings today. Stay trained. Stay prepared.

Go to our customer review page and see why many customers recommend us for their firearm training.

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Both of these articles gives some good advice regarding awareness.  Our CCW Resources page also has some great articles on Situational Awareness.

Be careful while in your vehicle.  If you need further training for handling your firearm in different situations, contact us for available classes.

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If this is your first gun, are you ready to handle it?  This person in St. Louis sure wasn’t.  This is a great example of how NOT to handle a new firearm.

If you’re not completely familiar with how to handle a firearm; including safe handling, loading, unloading, and understanding the use of force, and proper gun storage, than you need to contact Shield Defense for quality, professional firearm training.

The article linked above is an extreme example of irresponsible gun handling, ending in a tragic result.  Owning and carrying a firearm is a great responsibility that cannot be taken lightly.

Are you ready for it?  Get training, practice, and carry safely.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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There are, however, instances when deadly force should NOT be used.  When a threat of great bodily harm or death is no longer in place, you most certainly need to maintain a state of readiness.  You may need to call 911.  You may want to take the opportunity to remove yourself from the area.  It depends on the situation.

The following links are to stories where an individual used deadly force in instances where, in my opinion, such force should not have been used.

Concealed carry shooting reignites debate

Compare these instances with the shooting at the Clackamas Town Center outside of Portland, OR.  Here we have another instance of when NOT to shoot, and good judgement.

Remember the four rules of gun safety, and when you can and cannot use deadly force.  Review this information regularly.

Be safe.

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Home Defense: Harden the Castle or Train the Knight?

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The instructors at Shield Defense have spoken with many people who have obtained a CCW license using certification of a hunters’ safety course, a DD214 from prior military service, or an approved CCW license class, but feel that they are still not comfortable carrying a firearm concealed.  Often, individuals rarely practice with their firearm at a firing range, much less know how or when they could use a firearm for self defense.  It is for these individuals in mind that Shield Defense Firearm Training came to be.  Our goal is to promote the safe and legal carry of handguns for personal protection and the protection of others.

The classes that Shield Defense offers, beyond the basic Concealed Carry License class are meant to further an individual’s comfort level handling a firearm, as well as teach an understanding of defensive firearms use.  Feel free to take a look at the courses offered, and contact us with any questions.

Shield Defense Firearm Training

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USA Carry has a map which shows the states that honor Wisconsin’s CCW license.  You can also add Arizona or Florida to see in how many more states you can carry. Note: on the USA Carry website, start with AZ or FL first, as you will be asked if you are or are not a resident. Then add Wisconsin.

Currently, with a WI CCW permit, you can legally carry concealed in:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia

If you also obtain an AZ CCW permit, you can additionally add:  Delaware, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, West Virginia, Wyoming.  Note that Florida is not included.  A Florida CCW permit will allow you to carry in the same additional states as AZ, but will include Florida as well.

The instructors at Shield Defense can give you more insight about obtaining on out-of-state CCW license.

Contact Shield Defense Firearm Training with any questions.

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The news story about this study can be found here

The study itself can be found here

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