by Richard Cameron

Editor’s Note:  More stories of actual lives saved by people using their unalienable right to self defense, to protect themselves and even prevent violent crimes against others. The men and women I provide a narrative voice to, remain anonymous to protect their privacy.  – RC

I, gun owner –

am a woman from St. Louis who heard a piercing scream coming from the hallway of our complex. I was talking on the telephone when I heard the screams. I cracked my door and I saw this child butt naked and a man in the process of attempted child rape, only clothed from the waist up. I screamed at him to let her go, and he told me to go away.

She was screaming: “Please help me.”  I asked her how old she was. She said she was 12. I knew I had to do something. He was beating the devil out of that little girl. I told my son to go get the shotgun. I took it and pointed it at the rapist. I said, “get away from that girl or the first shot will be your privates”. He tried to run off, but I told him not to go anywhere. I knew I wasn’t going to let this guy get away.

I’ve got kids – and this girl could have been one of mine. I wasn’t going to stand back and let this man take this child and do awful things to her. I found out later that he was trying to drag her into his apartment, but evidently couldn’t wait to get his and her clothes off.

The arresting officer told me that the girl had been taken from the bus stop. She wasn’t nothing but a baby. If she were my child, I would hope somebody would be there to save her. I’ll have to move somewhere else. This bastard has a pack of friends. I don’t mind moving.

This sort of thing happens all the time around here, but it usually doesn’t work out as well for the victims as it did this time. Fortunately a local charitable group is helping with funds for a new start for me and my 11 year old son.

Even so, I’ll be taking the shotgun with me.

I, gun owner,

am a Uber driver in the city of Chicago and was able to legally obtain a concealed carry permit, thanks in part to recent court decisions such as McDonald vs.City of Chicago, where the Supreme Court overruled a lower court, deciding that Otis McDonald, a black resident of Morgan Park, was entitled to legally own a handgun for personal protection against high crime activity in his neighborhood.

I had heard about so many hold ups and felony assaults against Uber and Lyft drivers, both here and across the country, that I decided not to become another victim.

It was close to midnight in Logan Square, when I was stopped behind a pedestrian crossing, waiting for a large group of people to cross the street, when a man began firing into that crowd. I un- holstered my pistol and fired six shots back at the man, several of which, I’m told, hit him, which was obvious because he went down and was bleeding when Chicago PD arrived to arrest him and take him in custody to the hospital.

None of his intended victims, which could have included me, were seriously injured. Getting a gun and a permit to carry it, was the best decision I ever made.

I, gun owner,

was the victim of a home invasion. Two men forced their way into my house, beat me with their fists, tied up my niece, her boyfriend and my aunt, stole money and other valuables and as they were leaving, took my year and a half old daughter and left.

A friend, who happened to be in a back room listening to music in another part of the house, heard me scream and was able to take a gun I had in the house and go after these two. The man who had my baby, sat it down on the neighbor’s porch to fire at our friend, but was himself shot and killed instead.

I shudder to think, what they possibly wanted with my child, but I’m so thankful we had something to defend ourselves with. My daughter is alive because I had a firearm in the house and someone who knew how to use it. From now on, that will be me.