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As reported by the Orlando Sentinel:
Gun permits rise as some fight back against crime
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Dennis Wall, Orlando Sentinel, June 20, 2007
Len Morris of Orlando practices on the gun range at Shoot Straight in Apopka on Wednesday, June 20, 2007. More people are seeking concealed weapons permits and there is a growing tendency by crime victims to fight back.
April Hunt | Sentinel Staff Writer
June 21, 2007
Marc Thom drew his 9 mm pistol on two shotgun-wielding men who confronted him and a woman outside his MetroWest apartment early Sunday.
One of the robbers ducked when Thom pointed his weapon, which allowed him and his friend to run to a business and call police.
Thom, who has a concealed-weapons permit, is among a growing number of people in the Orlando area who are confronting rising violent crime by carrying guns.
Nearly 20,000 people in Orange County are legally carrying concealed guns, records show. The number of licenses for concealed weapons in the county has jumped 20 percent in the past year and has risen 57 percent in the past five years.
And more are on the way. The state Division of Licensing has sent out nearly a quarter-million applications for permits statewide this year, a 33 percent increase from five years ago.
"Having a concealed-weapon permit for most people is peace of mind," said Larry Anderson, who manages the Shoot Straight gun shop and firing range in Apopka. "If someone is prepared for the worst-case scenario, they're better off.
"We all have insurance for our cars for that same reason," he added.
No permit is required to carry a weapon openly in the Sunshine State, though to carry a gun on your person requires a concealed-weapon license.
As violent crime spiked across the nation, Florida in 1987 joined 34 other states in allowing residents who take a safety class and pass a background check to carry a hidden gun.
'Wicked conundrum'
Research shows that some form of resistance, including use of a weapon, does help thwart criminal attacks, said Lonn Lanza-Kaduce, who heads the criminology department at the University of Florida.
But it also increases the risk of injury or death to the victim.
"That's the wicked conundrum," Lanza-Kaduce said. "You can't have too many of these incidents before someone gets hurt."
Cops agree. When victims resist, that's often when something happens, Orlando police Sgt. Barbara Jones said.
At the same time, though, police understand that people want to defend themselves, Jones said.
"Obviously, the public is concerned about crime and they have to do what they need to," Jones said. "It's just a reaction when this happens."
Two days after Thom chased away the two armed men at MetroWest, Eaion Connor fought back another way.
Connor didn't have a weapon when a gunman tried to carjack him as he left a 7-Eleven early Tuesday on the city's south side.
So he reached for his assailant's .40-caliber handgun, which went off as he wrested it away. No one was hit, but the shot startled the gunman so much that he lost his slippers and hat as he ran off.
"That's good news," said John Harvey, owner of the Oak Ridge Gun Range in Orlando. "If you're attacked and you don't fight back, you're going to be attacked more."...
The complete story can be found at; http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...07jun21,0,1800798.story?coll=orl_tab01_layout
- Janq
Gun permits rise as some fight back against crime
Dennis Wall, Orlando Sentinel, June 20, 2007
Len Morris of Orlando practices on the gun range at Shoot Straight in Apopka on Wednesday, June 20, 2007. More people are seeking concealed weapons permits and there is a growing tendency by crime victims to fight back.
April Hunt | Sentinel Staff Writer
June 21, 2007
Marc Thom drew his 9 mm pistol on two shotgun-wielding men who confronted him and a woman outside his MetroWest apartment early Sunday.
One of the robbers ducked when Thom pointed his weapon, which allowed him and his friend to run to a business and call police.
Thom, who has a concealed-weapons permit, is among a growing number of people in the Orlando area who are confronting rising violent crime by carrying guns.
Nearly 20,000 people in Orange County are legally carrying concealed guns, records show. The number of licenses for concealed weapons in the county has jumped 20 percent in the past year and has risen 57 percent in the past five years.
And more are on the way. The state Division of Licensing has sent out nearly a quarter-million applications for permits statewide this year, a 33 percent increase from five years ago.
"Having a concealed-weapon permit for most people is peace of mind," said Larry Anderson, who manages the Shoot Straight gun shop and firing range in Apopka. "If someone is prepared for the worst-case scenario, they're better off.
"We all have insurance for our cars for that same reason," he added.
No permit is required to carry a weapon openly in the Sunshine State, though to carry a gun on your person requires a concealed-weapon license.
As violent crime spiked across the nation, Florida in 1987 joined 34 other states in allowing residents who take a safety class and pass a background check to carry a hidden gun.
'Wicked conundrum'
Research shows that some form of resistance, including use of a weapon, does help thwart criminal attacks, said Lonn Lanza-Kaduce, who heads the criminology department at the University of Florida.
But it also increases the risk of injury or death to the victim.
"That's the wicked conundrum," Lanza-Kaduce said. "You can't have too many of these incidents before someone gets hurt."
Cops agree. When victims resist, that's often when something happens, Orlando police Sgt. Barbara Jones said.
At the same time, though, police understand that people want to defend themselves, Jones said.
"Obviously, the public is concerned about crime and they have to do what they need to," Jones said. "It's just a reaction when this happens."
Two days after Thom chased away the two armed men at MetroWest, Eaion Connor fought back another way.
Connor didn't have a weapon when a gunman tried to carjack him as he left a 7-Eleven early Tuesday on the city's south side.
So he reached for his assailant's .40-caliber handgun, which went off as he wrested it away. No one was hit, but the shot startled the gunman so much that he lost his slippers and hat as he ran off.
"That's good news," said John Harvey, owner of the Oak Ridge Gun Range in Orlando. "If you're attacked and you don't fight back, you're going to be attacked more."...
The complete story can be found at; http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...07jun21,0,1800798.story?coll=orl_tab01_layout
- Janq
