If Only He'd Had A Gun To Defend Himself. Oh, Wait... (Deli Conceal Carry Robbery)

Many, many times I have blogged here with examples of "good guys with guns" who, despite having loaded guns readily available to them, they were nonetheless victims of shootings or even had their own guns turned against them.

And the gun lobbies love to push the idea that, if only a citizen had a loaded gun concealed on them,

The robber, armed with the victim's concealed handgun,
struggles with the victim (in green) (source)

they would be safe against criminals. Worse, even, that they could become heroes, gunning down the bad guys and robbers, vigilante-style (as some extremist lawmakers have suggested).

Well, here's a good example of how that mentality can go wrong.  A patron (in the green shirt) was in a Philadelphia deli when a man came up behind him and tried to rob him.  The robber was unarmed.  A fight ensued.  During the fight, a loaded, holstered handgun fell out of the victim's clothing.  It turns out the victim had a conceal carry permit and was carrying.  

From an article with news video:

Surveillance cameras captured the customer, who was armed and licensed to carry, fight off the robber. As the two men fought, the customer's gun fell from his hip. The two men then struggled over the gun until the robber was able to gain control. Police say he then fired one shot that narrowly missed the customer and struck the ceiling vent. The customer then chased the robber out of the store. The robber managed to escape however. 

The victim is lucky the robber missed.  And that the robber didn't try to shoot at him again after the victim chased the shooter.  But the point is clear.  Carrying the gun didn't stop any crime, and it almost cost him his life.

[this post is part of an ongoing series of people being shot to death despite being armed (and sometimes because they are armed)]