Child Shot as Father Intervenes in Robbery

[BarryLee]

A person Police are calling a Good Samaritan intervened to stop a mugging in front of a Chase Bank in suburban Atlanta. During the confrontation the robber pulled a gun and fired into the Good Samaritan’s car striking his two year old son. The son was transported to Children’s Healthcare where he underwent surgery and is in stable condition. The robber fled the scene on foot and Police are following leads including video footage. There was no mention of the Good Samaritan being armed or who the original victim was.

We’ve discussed in the past whether we should get involved in random disputes we may encounter. There are a lot of variables that come in to play when making that decision. However, one consistent point I’ve heard many people make is that your first priority has to be the safety of your family/friends.

Now, I am genuinely not judging the Father for assisting another person in need. Also, since information about the original victim is missing it could have been a child or an elderly person he was assisting. However, this should send a clear message to everyone how quickly things can turn and how your actions may put your loved ones in danger.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/police-investigating-shooting-at-dekalb-kroger/nYWws/

 

[NESHOOTER]

Would never put my family in any type of chance of danger the father was foolish.

 

[WNY_Whitetailer]

I'm sorry, my family's safety comes first...If I was alone, sure...but, with three kids, I am rarely alone.

 

[Pond James Pond]

I admire the man's willingness to help those in need, but as a new father, I can't imagine putting my daughter in harm's way like that.

However, I say that with 20-20 hindsight and being the person I am, not the person he is: Perhaps the father did not own a gun and therefore did not consider the possibility that there might be one at the scene. Perhaps he also thought that being in a car made him much safer: being able to drive away at speed if danger arose.

Either way, the fault is at the robber's feet: I hope they catch him.

 

[Patriot86]

Confronting someone who is armed while you are not armed is foolish period. I admire the spirit of civics at work here but its just downright foolish IMO. Maybe the father didn't know the guy was armed, like has been said hindsight is 20/20.

Personally, I am not a street fighter, I wouldn't go confronting even an unarmed attacker during a robbery unless it was some poor old lady or little woman in mortal danger, especially if I had my child in a car nearby.

 

[Dashunde]

I'm not clear whether the gun was out and being used for the original mugging or not?

If no weapon is in play during the original mugging its best to let it run its course rather than being the 3rd party who escalates it to a deadly situation.
We're not the police with the right tools (taser & handcuffs) to deal with a seemingly unarmed attacker.

I will not defend an adult stranger unless I'm trapped and likely to be their next target.
In most places they had the right and opportunity to get their own ccw and training, but chose not to...they must live, or not, with that decision.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Mas once had a story of an off duty cop with kid who intervened in a gang incident in a mall. He thought he stashed his kid safely. However, in the gun fight, the kid was shot.

 

[Dr Big Bird PhD]

Because of my youth my decision would be vastly influenced by not having any significant others. However, I would wager that my willingness to be a good Samaritan in this case would be hinged upon having a firearm to counteract the burglar.

In my opinion, if the father was unarmed with a child it was fairly reckless.

 

[olddav]

I can't believe so many think the father was foolish! Should he have just turned his head and rode past! What are we teaching our children if we walk past or turn our heads when we see someone in need? Yes you should protect your children, but should we not teach them the value of our fellow man, teach them to help others who are unable to help them selves, or perhaps to be brave even when victory is not assured.
Be carefull what we teach our children, they will learn from us and they will be the leaders of tomorrow!

 

[Pond James Pond]

Be careful what we teach our children,

I feel that what is being taught in this instance is keep your family safe, at all cost.

I don't think people are berating the man for trying to intervene, just for doing so whilst he was acting as guardian of his child. If he had known that his child was even at risk of getting shot, I don't believe he'd ever have done what he did.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Two year olds aren't capable of learning much from such an incident.

 

[BarryLee]

UPDATE: http://www.ajc.com/news/news/breaking-news/police-release-photo-of-suspect-in-kroger-toddler-/nYXgW/

Ok, Police have released a little more information. Apparently the Father witnessed the initial incident where the shooter stole a chain from someone. Then the Father saw the guy in front of the grocery store exited his car and attempted to apprehend him. The shooter then broke away and fired 12+ rounds into the Father’s car. The Police believe the shooter shot into the car knowing full well the child and Mother were in the vehicle. One can only speculate if this was done I as an act of reprisal or to distract the Father and allow the robber to escape.

I truly feel for the Father who was apparently attempting to do the right thing. However, whether we are armed or not we need to be very careful when/if we intervene.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I'm sorry - starting such an incident over a chain (not to save even a life) is not a sensible judgment. Of course, it is tragic for all involved as victims but in a complex world - it was not a sensible evaluation and the moral element was not compelling.

He could have been a good witness. One does not want to second guess or blame the victim reflexively but this was an incredibly bad idea.

It also speaks to legit scenario training if you can afford it or at least some careful reading of relevant literature on self-defense.

 

[Dashunde]

^ I agree - it seems that the good Samaritan's actions lacked any sort of common sense.

He challenged a criminal who so far had only stolen a chain and due to the unprofessional, untrained, and unprepared challenge managed to escalate the the event to a almost deadly level.

There is a common axiom used by industry that applies here too - "If you don’t know what your doing.. DON’T!"

 

[BarryLee]

Here’s a cell phone video of the shooting involving the 2 year old. The video does not show the actual shooting, but covers some of the before and after.

A few observations:

How quickly and unexpectedly this happened.

How loud it seemed. Yes, I shoot a good bit, but something about hearing gunshots in an unexpected environment and obviously with no hearing protection.

How people reacted. Some folks ran way, some folks ran toward the incident, some people scream and others laugh.

http://www.ajc.com/videos/news/warning-graphic-viewer-video-of-shooting-at-dekalb/v5QQd/

 

[SgtLumpy]

I can't tell a darn thing from that video.

15 rounds, sounded like coming all from the same gun.

Why does the video have that odd three pane thing with the edge panes blurred?


Sgt Lumpy

 

[BarryLee]

15 rounds, sounded like coming all from the same gun.

Why does the video have that odd three pane thing with the edge panes blurred?

Yes, I believe there was only one shooter.

I think the video looks that way because the person held their phone in the vertical instead of the horizontal or you might say portrait instead of landscape.

 

[Alabama Shooter]

I am not playing Wyatt Earp with a two year old and baby mamma in tow. It makes no sense to put them at risk.