As reported, 41 year old Loucinda Carroll and a friend went to the Sunfresh store to shoplift meat, and that the manager caught them in the act. The manager is said to have followed the shoplifters to the parking lot to get their license plate, while yelling at them to stop and for someone to call the police. Police say that Carroll drove the vehicle into the manager, striking her in the legs and pinning her to the hood of the car. Fortunately for the manager, William Miller was nearby, and had a concealed carry permit. Miller used his truck to block the parking lot exit, drew his handgun, and repeatedly told Carroll to get out of the car, according to police. Fearing for his own life and the life of the manager who had been attacked with the car, Miller fired at Carroll, striking her in the shoulder, and putting an end to the violent attack, police say. The local prosecutor has indicated that Carroll will be charged once she is released from the hospital, and that Miller will face no charges for his lawful and heroic actions.
Firstly, the value of concealed carry should be apparent yet again. Had there not been an armed citizen in the area, this manager could have been crushed or dragged to her death. Fortunately for the manager, there was an armed citizen nearby, and tragedy was averted. Armed self defense works, as both the statistical and anecdotal evidence makes clear.
Secondly, I would like to point out a problem with the KMBC-TV coverage of this self defense shooting. The title for the KMBC-TV story was “Bystander Not Charged In Shoplifter Shooting” and blurb below that tile was “Loucinda Carroll Accused Of Stealing Meat From Independence Grocery Store.” This title and accompanying text are grossly misleading. The title starts by focusing on the fact that the concealed carry permit holder was not charged for firing in self defense and defense of another, which is neither surprising nor newsworthy. Miller’s actions in self defense and defense of another were completely lawful, so of course he won’t be charged. The title also refers to Carroll as a “shoplifter,” suggesting that Miller opened fire to stop her from allegedly stealing some meat from a grocery story. Instead, Miller shot Carroll because Carroll was allegedly running down an innocent person, posing a deadly threat to that person and to Miller. Similarly, the blurb below the title reinforces these inaccuracies. While it is good that KMBC-TV covered this self defense shooting, as such cases receive too little media coverage, the misleading title and blurb are unfortunate.