I picked up my 5 year old son from daycare today and in the parent's mailbox there was a 2 page letter from a victim of an armed robbery. The writer is a father of one of the kids at the daycare, the child is also my son's classmate.
In his letter he said he was at a Petsmart at night with his boys, 8 and 4 years old. They bought a goldfish for a startup aquarium. As they got to their car in the parking lot, a man approached them and pointed a gun at the father demanding his wallet. As the father was trying to grasp the situation, his delayed response caused the gunman to turn the gun onto the 4 year old (when I read this I became violently inflamed!!!!) and repeat the demand. The father quickly handed whatever cash he had to the gunman. The robber quickly got into a getaway car, there was a person behind the wheel already, and sped off. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get a license plate number, but thank goodness him and his children were safe.
He offered his analysis of the situation. He felt that he was a prime target because he was occupied with his children while leaving. The robber turning the gun on the 4 year old bring out the reaction of the parent to protect the child. This exploits the child into getting what the robber wants.
He offered some advice as to what to do to minimize your chances of ever having this happen to you:
- Be constantly aware of your surroundings. If you feel uncomfortable, go back and seek help.
- If you feel unsafe leaving the store, ask an employee for an escort to your car. The policeman also said you can call the police to have an officer dispatched to you for an escort if you feel unsafe.
- Carry a dummy wallet with some cash and credit cards (closed accounts or fake cards).
I have taken martial arts and have learned numerous techniques for gun and knife disarms. However, one thing that my instructor has always reiterated was that if you are engaged by an attacker in this manner, give up the money and credit cards and save your life. If the threat escalates, then do whatever you can to keep you and your loved ones alive, but again only if the threat escalates.
I applaud this man and consider him very heroic for handling the situation the way he did. He still has his boys and the boys still have their father. As a father to 2 boys also, I have taken his advice to heart and understand the emotions involved when it comes to protecting your children.
Please stay safe everyone.