Last week, when a brazen speeder flew through a residential area in Norfolk, Virginia, two men flagged him down, telling him there were children around. In response, the indignant driver pulled a U-turn, and left his car to address the men who wanted him to reduce his speed. In a fit of road rage, he pulled out a concealed pistol and began gesturing angrily with it. At some point in his irate gun waving, the man accidentally pulled the trigger and fired… into his own groin.
Watching this story unfold in the news report (embedded above), I noted three important takeaways important for concealed carriers.
1. Guns and anger are a bad combination.
A concealed carry permit is not a “get out of jail free” card. Those who carry take upon themselves a massive responsibility. Therefore, the means to potentially end someone’s life, should a conflict escalate to mortal danger, should never be taken lightly. The Virginia man’s rash decision to act upon his “road rage” and draw his gun resulted in inflicting severe harm upon himself. However, his actions could have easily ended in greater tragedy; there were children playing only a few feet from where the man shot himself.
2. Carry as often as possible. You never know when you may need it.
The news report of this incident opens stating how these neighbors never thought they’d be “dealing with blood stains on their streets, and neighbors who wield guns near their kids.” Living in a “nice neighborhood” is not a guarantee that no danger will ever befall you. Carrying whenever possible improves the odds that, should the worst happen and you find yourself, or your loved ones, in mortal danger, that you may be able to defend against that threat.
3. Trigger discipline is crucial.
I think it’s safe to say that the angry motorist did not intend to perform an impromptu auto-vasectomy. However, his negligent handling of a potentially dangerous tool had obvious negative consequences. Complacency can be just as dangerous. If you’re not prepared to shoot, get that finger out of the trigger guard and away from the trigger, because accidents happen, and not just to irresponsible road-raging concealed carriers.
Thankfully, no one but the road rage shooter was harmed. But, his story carries some important lessons for anyone who carries. Concealed carry is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. If you’re the type of person likely to fly off the handle and resort to violence to resolve conflicts, carrying a firearm may not be for you. Those who disregard the weight of carrying a potentially lethal tool may have serious consequences for their actions, morally as well as legally (and, in the case of the Virginia man, physically). But, for those who are willing to accept the responsibility of carrying a concealed firearm, carry whenever possible, because danger may present itself when you least expect it. And, always remember the basics of safe firearms handling, because a round fired can’t be taken back. Our Norfolk Road Rager has learned the hard way that negligent discharges can have very painful consequences.
GeorgeBlake Some states, like the one I am in, does not require any training…. Honestly, some people don’t need additional training ( like ex-military, especially retired ex-military ); what I think needs to be taught instead is emotional self-control !
I see a lot of comments about his responsibility to carry, etc. I see it as a troubled individual that should have seen a shrink ( or doctor) for his problems- because it’s far deeper than knowing how to act when concealed, or a lack of training on how to use a gun. The guy really lacks self-control. Nope- he should not be carrying- let alone be driving- but he should be also seeking help from someone that can help him root out his issues. Who knows- this might be a medical issue- where he’s taking blood pressure medicine and it’s messing with his mood (mood swings can happen with certain drugs- even simple drugs like blood pressure meds… ) Don’t get me wrong- he should be able to identify it, or hopefully someone points it out to him & does not get shot for it. Should doctors know about you carrying ? Perhaps they should-so they can warn you ahead of time… Should it be annotated in your records ? Perhaps not. Considering lots of doctors offices and hospitals are no weapons zones- they may not know- even though in some circumstances they should. The pharmacist should be the second line of defense too- but who wants to hear the “counseling” from the pharmacist ? Perhaps concealed carriers should OWN up and insist on counseling- every time they pick up a drug prescription ?
Mad_Dawg GeorgeBlake I wasn’t specifically talking about training, just that it was not this man’s concern. I also commented that he might not have had a carry permit since the story didn’t say he did. I agree that there are many, many people who should not be carrying a weapon of any kind! Whether trained or not, this man obviously did not have emotional stability.