Open-Carry Guy Robbed of His Gun
Russ Chastain 10.11.14
Carrying a gun openly may seem like a good idea, but giving away your secrets is almost always a bad move. William Coleman III of Gresham, Oregon learned that the hard way when his openly-carried–and newly-purchased–pistol was stolen from him at gunpoint.
Coleman was reportedly loitering and talking with a cousin around 2:00 AM when he was approached by a tall, thin, black male who asked him for a cigarette. After asking Coleman about the pistol on his side, the man pulled a gun from his own waistband and said, “I like your gun. Give it to me.”
Coleman handed over the Walther P22 pistol that he’d bought earlier that day, and the robber fled in his flip-flops.
If Coleman had been carrying concealed, he would almost certainly have never been approached and would still have his pistol. The point of carrying a gun is to create safety and security, not to attract attention. Carrying openly attracts unwanted attention and ensures that anyone approaching you will know that you are armed and take precautions against that, like pulling their gun first and potentially taking yours.
Carrying concealed keeps people guessing. A potential robber or thief has to wonder, “Is that person armed? Can I get away with attacking or robbing him or her?” It also means that if they approach thinking you are unarmed and without wielding weapons of their own, you have an advantage.
Open carry also makes many non-gun people uncomfortable, while concealed carry provides the benefits of having a handy firearm without stirring up fears and emotions.
There are many reasons to carry a concealed firearm. We can’t examine all of them here, but one of the top reasons is that nobody is likely to approach you, pull a pistol, and steal your gun. That has got to ruin your day.
