So, I've been an LTCH holder for about six years now. I obtained my first LTCH after feeling threatened by my employer when I submitted my resignation (a story for another day).
At that time I was a bachelor, working my first real job and fresh out of my small town liberal arts education. Living in Broadripple, I felt on top of the world and probably still had a little of my youthful invincibility. Anyhow, I purchased a solid piece of crap for too much money from Don's guns. After working through about 50 rounds, my sweet Jennings Nine it promptly broke. I purchased my Glock 19 shortly thereafter.
I had never had any firearms training in my childhood. We had a couple of guns in the house (shotguns), but I was never introduced to them. I just wanted something in the house in case my previous boss actually went over the deep end. Shooting at the range was fun. I developed into an "OK" shot, at least while standing still with no pressure. Having read (and re-read) the Indiana firearms laws, I understood that I should get an LTCH, so this was completed.
Fast forward about two years. I am eating dinner with my (then) girlfriend. She knows that I have a gun, and she doesn't like it. I take it with me when I go to stay at her place, but I leave it in my bag so she doesn't know. Never does the thought cross my mind to carry this hand cannon on my person when going about my daily business (let alone carrying with one in the chamber). So anyway, we are eating dinner at Fazoli's one evening around 8:30 here in Indianapolis on Keystone Ave. About half way through the meal, things take a turn for the worse.
Two younger men come walking in the door. I notice panty hose on their heads. Not my style, but who am I to judge. Just about the time I realize that these guys aren't there for the unlimited breadsticks, I notice the table of middle school aged kids jumping over tables on their way out the door on the other side of the restaurant. I remember wondering about the older couple that was eating at the same time. They must have left moments earlier because they certainly were there anymore.
So one of these panty hose guys heads for the cashier. The other is walking straight for my table. The one going for the cashier has a gun in his hand, the other has his hands in his sweatshirt pockets. He ordered my girlfriend and me up and to the front. We capitulated. While he was directing us to the kitchen, I was sizing up my options. The guy walking behind me was about my size, perhaps a little bigger... He had panty hose on his head, so one up on me there. I had a gun at home, so probably had him one up (but not much good was gong to come of that). I could see his buddy in the back, he was distracted, but had a clear line of site to shoot me if he just turned around.
On our way across the front of the store, I noticed the third man (also with a gun) already in the kitchen. When we entered the kitchen, we were ordered to the floor. There were four of us with our heads down and one of them with a gun pointed at us. The other two were working on the safe with the store's manager (I assume). Just a few minutes (seconds, hours, hard to tell really) and they were running for the exit. Nobody hurt. My money was still in my pocket. My food was getting cold on the table.
We stayed in our positions in the kitchen until the police arrived. To the best of my knowledge, they never got these guys (for this robbery). I had nothing to tell the cops... I knew how tall the first two guys were, but doubted I could pick them out from a lineup. I remember the gun was shinny and probably a larger caliber (.45 would be my guess), but who knows. While the cops were going about their interviews, I finished my dinner. My girlfriend didn't eat anything for at least another day.
The biggest thing I took away was that I could have stopped this. I had time. I saw them coming. I could have stood up, drawn my weapon and quickly taken the first guy (and perhaps the second). I could have taken cover in the back or tried to fight my way out the front door.
Over the next few weeks I started second guessing myself. Could I have drawn in time? What would have happened if I had started shooting? What about the guy in the back of the store? What about the get-away driver (who, if he existed, would have been looking in the windows from the outside, watching me shoot his friend). After spending hours, days, weeks, months, and years running this in my head over and over, I have decided that I don't care about all of those what if's. If I am being attacked, and see it coming, I WILL draw. I WILL shoot. I will be able to do this because I WILL have my gun on my person. It WILL be loaded. The possibility exists that that evening would have had a much worse end if I'd have taken action, and I'd have to live with that. The possibility also exists that that evening would have had a much worse end even though I didn't take action. I can not live with that.
This is my story. This is why I carry. Hopefully somebody else will read this and realize that this can happen anywhere, anytime.
At that time I was a bachelor, working my first real job and fresh out of my small town liberal arts education. Living in Broadripple, I felt on top of the world and probably still had a little of my youthful invincibility. Anyhow, I purchased a solid piece of crap for too much money from Don's guns. After working through about 50 rounds, my sweet Jennings Nine it promptly broke. I purchased my Glock 19 shortly thereafter.
I had never had any firearms training in my childhood. We had a couple of guns in the house (shotguns), but I was never introduced to them. I just wanted something in the house in case my previous boss actually went over the deep end. Shooting at the range was fun. I developed into an "OK" shot, at least while standing still with no pressure. Having read (and re-read) the Indiana firearms laws, I understood that I should get an LTCH, so this was completed.
Fast forward about two years. I am eating dinner with my (then) girlfriend. She knows that I have a gun, and she doesn't like it. I take it with me when I go to stay at her place, but I leave it in my bag so she doesn't know. Never does the thought cross my mind to carry this hand cannon on my person when going about my daily business (let alone carrying with one in the chamber). So anyway, we are eating dinner at Fazoli's one evening around 8:30 here in Indianapolis on Keystone Ave. About half way through the meal, things take a turn for the worse.
Two younger men come walking in the door. I notice panty hose on their heads. Not my style, but who am I to judge. Just about the time I realize that these guys aren't there for the unlimited breadsticks, I notice the table of middle school aged kids jumping over tables on their way out the door on the other side of the restaurant. I remember wondering about the older couple that was eating at the same time. They must have left moments earlier because they certainly were there anymore.
So one of these panty hose guys heads for the cashier. The other is walking straight for my table. The one going for the cashier has a gun in his hand, the other has his hands in his sweatshirt pockets. He ordered my girlfriend and me up and to the front. We capitulated. While he was directing us to the kitchen, I was sizing up my options. The guy walking behind me was about my size, perhaps a little bigger... He had panty hose on his head, so one up on me there. I had a gun at home, so probably had him one up (but not much good was gong to come of that). I could see his buddy in the back, he was distracted, but had a clear line of site to shoot me if he just turned around.
On our way across the front of the store, I noticed the third man (also with a gun) already in the kitchen. When we entered the kitchen, we were ordered to the floor. There were four of us with our heads down and one of them with a gun pointed at us. The other two were working on the safe with the store's manager (I assume). Just a few minutes (seconds, hours, hard to tell really) and they were running for the exit. Nobody hurt. My money was still in my pocket. My food was getting cold on the table.
We stayed in our positions in the kitchen until the police arrived. To the best of my knowledge, they never got these guys (for this robbery). I had nothing to tell the cops... I knew how tall the first two guys were, but doubted I could pick them out from a lineup. I remember the gun was shinny and probably a larger caliber (.45 would be my guess), but who knows. While the cops were going about their interviews, I finished my dinner. My girlfriend didn't eat anything for at least another day.
The biggest thing I took away was that I could have stopped this. I had time. I saw them coming. I could have stood up, drawn my weapon and quickly taken the first guy (and perhaps the second). I could have taken cover in the back or tried to fight my way out the front door.
Over the next few weeks I started second guessing myself. Could I have drawn in time? What would have happened if I had started shooting? What about the guy in the back of the store? What about the get-away driver (who, if he existed, would have been looking in the windows from the outside, watching me shoot his friend). After spending hours, days, weeks, months, and years running this in my head over and over, I have decided that I don't care about all of those what if's. If I am being attacked, and see it coming, I WILL draw. I WILL shoot. I will be able to do this because I WILL have my gun on my person. It WILL be loaded. The possibility exists that that evening would have had a much worse end if I'd have taken action, and I'd have to live with that. The possibility also exists that that evening would have had a much worse end even though I didn't take action. I can not live with that.
This is my story. This is why I carry. Hopefully somebody else will read this and realize that this can happen anywhere, anytime.
Last edited:
.
