Florida: men followed, robbed after leaving range

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:15 pm

Two Florida robberies on consecutive days. Robbers apparently browsed in stores with attached public ranges, waited for shooters to leave, followed them home, and robbed them at gunpoint.

Must be quite a feeling, to be relieved of your guns at gunpoint, right after leaving the range.

Some good lessons to be learned here. First, never shoot all your ammo at the range: always carry home your full carry complement, ready for use.

Second: situational awareness! It sounds like the robbers' car would have looked out of place in the upscale neighborhoods where the robberies took place.

http://www.wftv.com/news/10963235/detail.html

Men Followed From Shooting Range, Robbed Of Guns

POSTED: 11:45 am EST February 8, 2007
UPDATED: 5:34 pm EST February 8, 2007

OVIEDO, Fla. -- Oviedo police think two people may have been followed home and robbed after they left a local gun range. The man and his friend were robbed in the driveway of a home on Lullwater Drive in the Kingsbridge West subdivision on Sunday.

Police agree the attack was brazen, because it seemed planned and it means two more powerful handguns are on the street.

Neighbors were still talking, Thursday, about Sunday afternoon's brazen driveway robbery. (more at link)

http://www.local6.com/news/10973320/detail.html

2nd Robbery Occurs Following Gun Range Visit
Police Investigate Whether Incidents Related

POSTED: 12:37 pm EST February 9, 2007
UPDATED: 12:58 pm EST February 9, 2007

LEESBURG, Fla. -- For the second time this week, a Central Florida police department is investigating an incident of people being robbed of guns at gunpoint after leaving a gun range.

Leesburg police responded to a 911 call on Monday about 6:30 p.m. from an unknown amount of victims who said they were robbed by four armed young black males.

The victims told police that they had just arrived home after leaving the Shoot Straight gun range in Apopka when they were confronted.
The assailants pointed their guns at the victims, police said, and demanded that they opened the trunk of their vehicle, where the victims had placed their personal firearms after leaving the gun range.

Police said the possibility that the victims had been followed to their home after leaving the gun range has not been ruled out. (more at link)

kauboy · Post by **kauboy** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:24 pm

Thank goodness I have a CHL and don't have to worry about my gun being "on or about" me.

On a side note, if these gunmen are getting out of a car, presumably parked behind the victims or even if not, throw it in reverse and RAM THAT THANG. Destroy the front of their vehicle with the rear of yours and you'll still be able to drive off. Its better than possibly losing your life to men approaching with guns. Intentions are unknown at that point, but your life is already in danger. Use that ton of steel you are in control of to your advantage and get away from there A.S.A.P. Hopefully their vehicle is now useless and they are stranded in unknown territory. Plus, that vehicle is most likely registered since they didn't intend to actually use it in the crime, and wouldn't worry with stealing one.
That should make it easier for the policia to find em.

Venus Pax · Post by **Venus Pax** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:31 pm

Good point.
I always leave the range with a loaded gun on my hip. My main reason for doing this has always been to defend myself from some wild critter while shutting the range gate, but I guess we all have to be reminded from time to time that some critters walk on two legs and look a lot like the rest of us.
It's kind of a shame-- most of us are only on the lookout for accidents when going to the range.

Post by **carlson1** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:29 pm

I always field strip my pistol. Wipe down, re-oil, and re-load. I may not always go straight home.

Post by **Skiprr** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:44 pm

This just doesn't seem to be a robbery strategy destined for success.

"Let's target this guy because we know he's carrying multiple guns."

Even I can see faulty logic in that.

glocklvr · Post by **glocklvr** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:57 pm

These guys better be at peace with their maker because it is a matter of time before they try to rob someone who puts their loaded pisrol in their holster instead of unloading and putting it in their case. These guys obviously don't realize that CHL holders tend to be regulars at the range.

Mithras61 · Post by **Mithras61** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 7:45 am

They took some nice pistols in both of these incidents. IIRC they got a $1200 Kimber on the first of these incidents so someone is

.

As I posted over on PDO, this is primarily a failure of situational awareness. Pay attention to what's going on around you. Don't go somewhere that you are setting yourself up for trouble when someone is following you. Go somewhere that you will find police and don't forget to call 911 on your cell phone while you are going there.

You're all right, though in that this is likely to end up with one or more BGs being ventilated. I just hope that when it does go bad that the good guys don't collect some lead too.

longtooth · Post by **longtooth** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 8:24 am

Your last statement is very correct.
When someone does this they have come prepared & to stay for the fight if there is one.

Piney · Post by **Piney** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 8:50 am

Greetings--

I *always* have a carry gun on my person (pocket or IWB) when out at the range. When I pack up to go, I always re-load several magazines to complement the ones I keep in the car :-).

Its a good idea to remind folks to keep an eye on what is going on around them at the range and on the way home. I'll be sure to mention the FL incident at the next matches.

The range I shoot at is a private, gated facility. But, it is out in the boonies a bit. I'm frequently the only one out there during the day. I haven't heard of any incidents in volving robery or harassment out there. There has been, however, some incidents at night where non-members hop the fence and go shoot after hours. The SO took care of those.

AV8R · Post by **AV8R** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 5:01 pm

Too bad they hadn't read longtooth's signature line.

G.C.Montgomery · Post by **G.C.Montgomery** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 5:40 pm

Skiprr wrote:This just doesn't seem to be a robbery strategy destined for success.

"Let's target this guy because we know he's carrying multiple guns."

Even I can see faulty logic in that.

There's a flipside to it. The potential gain justifies the risk depending on your state of mind. Never under estimate your enemy. Calculated decisions are made about which shooters to go after. Having worked in a range I can tell you that many gun owners are still little more than armed sheep. And the equipment they own has nothing to do with their mindset. I've seen quite a few guys show up with lots of high-speed, low-drag gear only to realize they were little more than low-speed, high-drag posers with too much money and time on their hands.

Also, I've been behind the counter to see a group of three or more guys come in to size up the showroom. Fortunately, when I've been there to see such behavior, we've had observant guys behind the counter and the BGs decided there were easier targets elsewhere. With some of the more recent staff, idunno. I have difficulty having faith in the observation and gunfighting abilities of a guy whose preocuppied with all the hot chicks and looks like a cross between Drew Carry and Garefield the cat with a Nintendo Game Pad for a belt buckle.

quidni · Post by **quidni** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 9:08 pm

G.C.Montgomery wrote:I have difficulty having faith in the observation and gunfighting abilities of a guy whose preocuppied with all the hot chicks and looks like a cross between Drew Carry and Garefield the cat with a Nintendo Game Pad for a belt buckle.

Thanks... you owe me a new keyboard.