By now many of you have seen the video of the Tulsa Oklahoma liquor store where 2 women (Mom & Daughter) fought off an attacker who was armed with a shotgun. What these women did was nothing short of heroic….and effective. Their lives were on the line and they protected each other, effectively ending the situation and coming out safe.
As with any confrontation, regardless of the outcome, there are always lessons that we can learn to help us better prepare and handle situations that may occur in our own lives. You never know when you may find yourself in a life-threatening attack, so having a plan and being as prepared as possible is the best way to insure you survive. I would like to look at the many things these ladies did right, then explore a few other lessons that we can take away from what happened that may make a difference, should something like this happen to us.
- First, these ladies both had firearms. Had they not, either or both may not be with us today. The guns were loaded and ready in the event of just such an incident.
- When the robbery began, the daughter first tried to get her gun, but upon realizing she wasn’t able, made an effort to de-escalate the situation and took a passive stance until she could. This was smart as she did not appear to be a threat and he turned his attention to the register.
- When opportunity arose, these ladies armed themselves. The daughter grabbed her Mom’s gun and handed it to her then later retrieved her own, while taking cover behind the register for safety. Support, teamwork, and action.
- When the chance arose, the Mom took direct action and fired. After firing at the attacker, who ran out, the Mom proceeded to lock the door so he could not get back in, rather than following him out. Unfortunately the glass was shot out and he was able to return, but this was the right thing to do.
- When the attacker tried to disarm the Mom, she made sure the barrel was pointed away from her daughter and continued to pull the trigger, insuring the gun was empty when the attacker finally wrestled this from her. During the struggle the daughter managed to wound the attacker trying to save her Mom. Had the Mom not had the sense to empty the gun, both could have been killed as he then attempted to shoot them with her gun.
- …and these ladies fought. They fought hard, and they kept on fighting until they had a chance to get away, which they did. They did not resolve themselves to be victims and are alive today because of it.
These ladies performed admirably and bravely, took action, and saved their own lives.
Let’s step back through now and look at a few other things we can learn that may help with any such situation. This is in no way a criticism of the actions these ladies took as nobody will get it all right once a situation starts and the adrenaline hits us…they survived and that’s as right as it gets!
By way of additional actions to consider:
- First, the guns were under the counter. Even though the daughter saw the attacker, she was unable to get to her gun right away. The best place to keep a firearm is on your person. When he turned his attention to the register she would have had the ability to take action quickly…and I have no doubt she would have.
- When calling 911, once they are on the line and have the location, it is better to put the phone down (don’t hang up) so both hands can be used on the firearm for better control and accuracy. Always use 2 hands where possible.
- When the robber came back he was still a threat and attacked the Mom. When a threat exists the most effective action is to fire on the threat repeatedly until the threat is neutralized. Very often people will fire then pause, or wait. The most effective strategy is to fire until the attacker is no longer capable of attacking. Notice how long this attack lasted…Despite being hit in the arm, leg, and chest, the attacker was capable of continuing. Repeated firing to center mass will end the attack as quickly as possible. Fire until they stop.
- When firing at an attacker, it is also most effective to close the gap and move closer, increasing the chance of an accurate hit. Under the effects of adrenaline, you will miss more often than hit. Closer means more hits…The daughter did this a few times actually, and that is when her shots were most successful.
- Training and practice: More is always better. The more you practice the better you will perform under pressure, the more accurate you will shoot, and your chances of coming out of such a violent confrontation will increase.
If you have any questions about this or anything else firearms or defensive shooting related, or are interested in training or the purchase of a firearm, please visit www.FemmeFataleArms.com or come see us at 4270 Minton Road, Palm Bay, Florida.
