I think you did very well with the circumstances you were faced with and the equipment you had available. The proof of the pudding is that you and your wife are both still alive and healthy.jgue wrote:Hello everyone, I dont post much but I visit often.
This morning my wife and I are out shopping when she decides she needs some shoes.We all know 120 pairs aint enough, right. While I am sitting on a bench in the middle of the store,two guys walk in wearing hooded sweatshirts.One of them goes immediatly to the left, out of my view.The other puts a bandana over his face,gives me the shhhh! sign,turns around and locks the door. When he turns back around I see he has a small handgun in his right hand,at about this time my wife notices him and asked me "whats up with that guy" I think she realized what was happening as she finished her sentence.I pushed her to the back and into a bathroom where I locked the door.At this point I am kicking myself for not carrying. We heard the door chime but I never heard any other noise.I told my wife we should wait until we heard police before opening the door.We heard someone approaching ,then knock on the door, but we did not open or make noise. I usually carry my cell but I forgot it this morning and my wife didnt have hers either.I felt very helpless.I havn't been carrying because I put on some wieght and havnt updated my wardrobe for c.c.
We waited a little longer, then heard the door chime a couple more times,then we heard a baby and a woman so I opened the door, looked around and saw a fire exit, My wife and I went through it and into the back.
As we went around the building I saw someone and asked them to call the police.We went to the front of the store and noticed there was the woman and baby at the register PAYING FOR THEIR PURCHASE. I on the other hand had a big knot in my stomach and felt very sick.
The worst feeling was being in that bathroom and thinking there was almost nothing I could do.Thinking of my kids and wondering if this would be our last day on earth.I can assure you that I will be carrying always no matter what.
By the way this was at the Payless on Hulen st. across from Wal-Mart in Fort Worth.
If you have any questions please ask. What would you have done? What should/could I have done?
You're fortunate that the bad guys weren't the types that hurt people just to get high by the thrill of exercising power over the life and death of others. There are plenty of those guys around.
Your experience also serves as confirmation of the maxim "Carry 24/7 or guess right." I never could get the hang of the guessing part. On my first day as an LEO, I came home to my New York City apartment, put away my newly issued and purchased guns, and went to the store - to find I had missed walking in on a nasty armed robbery by about 3 minutes. Thinking about the what ifs brought the realization that the middle of a robbery is not a happy place to be when you have a badge in your wallet and no gun.
I may not be the brightest bulb on the string, but I knew how that situation would have played out had I been in the store when the takeover style robbery went down, and I've been a 24/7 advocate ever since. Afterwards, when people who knew what I did for a living would ask a family member if I was carrying, they'd reply: "Is he in bed or in water? If the answer to those questions is no, the answer to your question is yes."