The fact that armed citizens use their legally owned firearms to protect themselves in every part of the country, despite continued efforts in liberal enclaves such as Seattle, has to be frustrating—not just to criminals but to those who want to see guns banned.
Following are several episodes in which Seattle residents saved their own lives and/or the lives of others over the past several years.
Robert Moore was working a shift at the Morning Star Mini Mart in Seattle, Wash., when a pair of masked criminals entered, brandished what appeared to be a gun, and attempted to rob the store. Moore responded by retrieving a revolver and telling the criminals, “I have a bigger one than you do.” Moore’s actions caused the robbers to flee the store to a waiting getaway car. (KOMO, Seattle, Wash., 11/24/13; Seattle Police Blotter, Seattle, Wash., 11/24/13)
The owner of Frager Farm Stand and Fruit Tree Nursery in Kent, Wash., was about to go to bed when he heard a suspicious noise at his business, which is right next to his home. The owner retrieved a shotgun, went to investigate, and discovered a pair of intruders inside the farm stand’s office. The owner shot and killed one of the criminals and held the other at gunpoint until police could arrive. The break-in was the second in several days for the farm stand. An investigation revealed that the surviving burglar was facing a domestic violence charge and had a recent history of drug use. (The Seattle Times, Seattle, Wash., 10/2/13)
A homeowner, who had been the victim of a burglary the day before, was at his house in Renton, Wash., when there was a knock at the door. Shortly after the knock, the homeowner heard someone inside the home, retrieved a gun and waited upstairs. When the home invader approached the homeowner’s position, the homeowner fired three times, causing the intruder to flee. When interviewed by local media, the homeowner had a message for the would-be criminals, stating, “They need to watch out. They need to stop what they are doing. If they want to earn some money, find a job … They are playing with life or death for them.” (KCPQ, Seattle, Wash., 4/11/12; Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle, Wash., 4/11/12)
A man was exhibiting strange behavior, hurling insults and threats randomly at passersby. Police say he then began focusing on a single pedestrian. He threatened the man’s life, then pummeled him with a volley of punches and kicks until the man fell injured to the ground. The assault victim, a concealed-carry permit holder, retrieved his handgun and fired once at his assailant, who died at the hospital. “He was down there, minding his own business. There is nothing to think he was anything but a random target,” said Seattle police spokeswoman Deb Brown. (The Seattle Times, Seattle, Wash., 10/8/06)
When his wife woke him to report that their two dogs were barking at something on a hill near their ranch outside Loomis, Wash., Lamoyne Wahl grabbed his rifle and went to investigate. He found the dogs fighting with a bear. “So I shot the bear once, and he turned around and charged me,” said Wahl. “Then I shot him again. I knew I wasn’t going to get a third shot off, so I turned and ran.” Wahl took about 10 steps and the bear bit him in the calf. He put the barrel to the bear’s neck and pulled the trigger, dropping the animal in its tracks. Wahl was treated at North Valley Hospital in Tonasket and released. (The Seattle Times, Seattle, Wash., 6/19/05)
The only crime jewelry storeowner Gilbert Dorland previously experienced in his shop was the occasional shoplifter trying to steal an antique watch. But he reacted quickly when two armed men attempted to rob his store. The men, wearing bandannas over their faces, entered Western Jewelry and Coin at 4:19 p.m. Both drew guns and called out, “Nobody move.” Dorland didn’t heed that warning and drew his own gun, firing at the masked bandits and injuring one. Dorland and a friend who was in the store at the time of the robbery attempt were not injured. The would-be robbers fled in a dark green Jeep Cherokee. Police said that a man suffering from a gunshot wound later pulled into a local hospital in a vehicle matching that description. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle, Wash., 2/21/04)
When a West Seattle, Wash., woman heard someone knocking on her door just after 6 a.m., her male roommate approached and asked who was there. Receiving no response, he refused to open the door unless the individual identified himself. Just then the intruder, armed with a gun, kicked in the door, according to police spokesman Duane Fish. As he chased the male resident through the apartment and then began beating him, the victim called out for help. That’s when his roommate grabbed her handgun and fatally shot the assailant. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle, Wash., 4/26/02)
A 13-year-old Vancouver, Wash., boy was severely injured by two pit bulls before a family friend ended the attack with a pistol, killing both dogs. The dogs belonged to the boy’s aunt and were being kept in a kennel in the back yard. It is unclear how the dogs got loose, said Clark County Animal Control Officer Dennis Davidson. The boy was in serious condition following surgery to repair bite wounds to his neck and arm. (The Seattle Times, Seattle, Wash., 12/29/01)
Washougal, Wash., resident Gloria McCourt was working in her garden one evening as her 5-year-old daughter played nearby. Suddenly, a 250-lb. bear emerged from the woods and fixed its gaze on the little girl. “I looked at that bear as it was looking at my baby, and something happened. I turned into the mamma bear,” said McCourt. She was convinced the bruin posed an immediate threat and resolved to protect her family. Grabbing a .357 Mag. handgun, McCourt “got a bead on [the bear] and hit him in the neck.” Then, with the assistance of two workers from a local fish hatchery, she trailed the animal into the woods. The posse soon found the beast expired. Capt. Murray Schlenker of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife later explained that, like most “nuisance” bears, the one McCourt dispatched was probably nosing around because it “had become addicted to garbage.” (The Seattle Times, Seattle, Wash., 5/4/00)
