Needed it, I didn't have it.

[jgue]

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 went in and the lady at the counter wasnt even aware of what had just happened.She was wondering why we went out the back. Apparently she had been stocking shoes and had not seen the men come in.Seems that for whatever reason the guys changed their minds and just left quietly.The cops took quite a while to assess the situation before even making contact with the store.I thought that when I pushed the fire door open it would of notified everyone,but I guess not.Whats funny is while we were waiting for the cops,my wife continued shopping for shoes. . 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?

[brianko]

I was in a similar situation a few years ago in Dallas. I made the mistake of changing lanes in front of someone who was going much faster than I thought he was...he cut in front of me, slammed his brakes on and jumped out of his car. I was pinned in (this was on a 4-lane road during rush hour), and perceiving an immediate threat, I reached for my gun...and then remembered I had taken it out of the truck for one reason or another.

Talk about a sinking feeling (probably the same feeling you got!)...I waited until the guy had reached my door, then sped off around him.

That one incident was all it took to convince me that I needed to carry whenever and wherever possible.

I'm glad things turned out OK for you and your wife.

[nils]

Glad to hear that you and your wife made it out OK...on a related note, I'm going to cut and paste your story and send it to my wife....I'm trying to convince her that nothing good comes from shoe shopping...

[Excaliber]

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 went in and the lady at the counter wasnt even aware of what had just happened.She was wondering why we went out the back. Apparently she had been stocking shoes and had not seen the men come in.Seems that for whatever reason the guys changed their minds and just left quietly.The cops took quite a while to assess the situation before even making contact with the store.I thought that when I pushed the fire door open it would of notified everyone,but I guess not.Whats funny is while we were waiting for the cops,my wife continued shopping for shoes. . 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?

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.

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."

[smyrna]

Not a good situation at all. I think you did good though, especially being aware enough to remove you and your wife to the rear of the building. I think going out that fire exit would have been my first choice though. You kind of pinned yourself in by going into the bathroom with no exit. You would have been easy pickings for an armed robber holed up in there unarmed.

I'm not so sure you would have wanted to do anything different had you been armed (except head out that fire exit). Drawing in the robber's presence without retreating first would have most likely casued a gun battle to erupt. That's a deal breaker unless I am the one being robbed and I feel I have no choice but to draw.

Similar situation...I was once in a pawn shop and I'm quit sure I witnessed a robbery about to unfold...details here...
http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... op#p168823" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jgue]

[quote="nils"]Glad to hear that you and your wife made it out OK...on a related note, I'm going to cut and paste your story and send it to my wife....I'm trying to convince her that nothing good comes from shoe shopping... [/quote]

Now thats funny! .

[jgue]

Not a good situation at all. I think you did good though, especially being aware enough to remove you and your wife to the rear of the building. I think going out that fire exit would have been my first choice though. You kind of pinned yourself in by going into the bathroom with no exit. You would have been easy pickings for an armed robber holed up in there unarmed.

I'm not so sure you would have wanted to do anything different had you been armed (except head out that fire exit). Drawing in the robber's presence without retreating first would have most likely casued a gun battle to erupt. That's a deal breaker unless I am the one being robbed and I feel I have no choice but to draw.

Similar situation...I was once in a pawn shop and I'm quit sure I witnessed a robbery about to unfold...details here...
http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... op#p168823" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks, I seem to remember thinking of a fire exit but thought to my-self it could be blocked(not sure why).I dont remember seeing the exit before we got to the bathroom.I think I focused in on the bathroom.
Everything happened very fast.

[fm2]

Good job using movement, to get you & yours off the X.

[CHLSteve]

Need it, and didn't have it.. Hrmmm, by "it" I'm assuming you meant your cell phone, right?

I'm glad you guys are OK, but I agree with the other poster that I didn't see a time for you to draw your weapon in this case. I certainly would have felt better with one, but your lack of cell phone hurt you more in this particular situation.

[TexasComputerDude]

who robs a shoe store? I thought most women paid with credit cards.

[pedalman]

You'd be surprised. The Payless Shoe Source here in New Braunfels was recently robbed around 11 AM.

[AggieC05]

this is exactly why when my close friend question me why I always carry my pistol and almost always have it within arms reach away.... i don't like to take chances with my life, unless I am on a m/c or skydiving