According to WSB 2 News, a man lost his life last week, when he chased after the person who disarmed him inside a Dunkin’ Donuts store. I think we can learn something from this tragic story.
DeKalb County, GA Shooting—
Witnesses said that around 9 AM, inside a Dunkin’ Donuts, the suspect noticed the victim, called Brian Dykes, carrying a firearm on his waistline. The suspect “grabbed it [the gun] from his [Dykes] pants.” The suspect ran out of the store, and Dykes chased after him.
Dykes caught the suspect outside the store in the parking lot and the two men wrestled over control of the gun. According to news reports, the suspect shot Dykes with his own gun, and then fled to a nearby hotel where he was staying.
After obtaining surveillance videos, police identified the 17-year-old suspect, and arrested him for the murder of Dykes.
A witness inside the Dunkin’ Donuts store when the incident took place told WSB 2 News:
I feel like we’re living in our last days. It’s just crazy, you can’t even get coffee. You can’t even get a sub sandwich. You can’t go to the mall.
Why I don’t Care For Open Carry—
It’s not my intention to blame the victim of this tragedy. However, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a criminal take a gun from an unsuspecting carrier. Consider the following:
- First, open carry is not the ultimate crime deterrent many think it is. It CAN dissuade SOME criminals. However, for other it may actually make you a target. And it’s these criminals that are often more violent and determined.
- Second, ineffective concealed carry may not really different greatly from open carry, practically speaking. In this story, like others, it’s not always clear if the person was purposefully carrying the gun openly, or the gun just wasn’t concealed well. Again, the intention of the carrier doesn’t really matter in these types of incidents.
- Third, fighting over a gun is an incredibly dangerous thing to do. While I understand the instinct to chase down the person who just took your gun, it might not be the wisest action in every situation. I hear the arguments that ‘you don’t know, the suspect could come back and shoot everyone.” Yeah, that is true, but it’s also a possibility that the suspect just wants the gun and want’s to get away. Ideally, you don’t want to be forced into making these split-second decisions, and properly concealing your gun helps you avoid it.
Besides the idea that an openly carried gun deters criminals, each time I talk about the downside of open carry, without fail, those who open carry site their right to do so as a reason. Okay, we all understand in many locations, open carrying a firearm is a right. I don’t much care for that argument.
Because in almost every context, concealed carry is the better option. If you simply must open carry, I implore you to use a holster that has retention and attaches securely to the belt. And even with this, a suspect could easily break a holster containing the gun off of a belt.
Finally—
What do you guys think about this story? Do you open carry? If so, have you thought about these types of incidents? Let us know in the comments below. Also, if you want to leave a comment accusing me of blaming the victim and giving the suspect a pass, go ahead. However, that isn’t even close to what I’ve presented in this post.
If you have difficulty concealing your gun, I highly recommend checking out this online course called Holsters, Concealment and Carry Positions. This course is the most thorough walkthrough of how to select the most comfortable holster and carry postion.
