Orlando FL - Armed robbers target shooters

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Orlando FL - Armed robbers target shooters
I was at the range tonight for a practice match, and heard something disturbing from the range officer who works at the range/store. Seems like a group of local hoodlums has worked out a system of 4 of them following a person home who's been shooting at the range. Last night this happened to a friend of the range employee - guy pulls into his driveway, and a car screeches in behind him blocking the exit. 4 young black males (could be teenagers or older), all armed, jump out and surround his car. They pat him down, take his wallet/keys/phone etc and also got several firearms that were in his car that he'd been shooting at the range. According to the way it was told, these criminals have it practiced down well, and knew to pat him down in all of the places where one might have a concealed pistol. Luckily they did not continue the robbery and force him into his own house as well. The way it was told, they followed this guy from Apopka to Casselberry, which is some distance through city traffic, so they went to some trouble to target this particular guy. A store/range employee may have had a run-in with the same bunch a week or two ago, when a car on a busy main road (Colonial Dr) stopped in front of him at a red light and two guys jumped out and advanced towards him with bats. The range guy apparently drew down on them, and the criminals jumped back in their car and sped off (through a red light to get away).

If you're in Orlando FL or in central FL, the car used last night was a green honda of some type (accord? don't remember and in any event this was 2nd and 3rd hand, and the car could easily have been dumped by now). So, be careful out there. The MO sounds a lot like the IHOP armed robbery that happened a week or two ago, with at least 4 robbers suddenly converging SWAT style on their target. It's hard for me to see how one CCWer could handle a bunch like this, unless you had enough warning to just avoid the situation. Once the 4 of them have the drop on you...
 
Well, you don't know that they don't plan to take you inside and have some special time with your wife and daughters (and maybe sons). I'd rather go down shooting. I'm willing to bet that I'm a better shot than they are, I'm taking at least one of them with me. When my wife hears the shooting, she'll shoot out of the living room window with her AR15 if she isn't there with me. I'm never unarmed or out of ammo either on the range or on the way back, just because of the possibility of this type of thing.

I don't know whether I'll survive... but I ain't dying on my knees. "They may kill me one day, but by G_d they'll find my body in a pile of brass."
 
Have you got a news report or some other verification? Not that I don't believe you, but there are all kinds of stories about crimes like that floating around that have little truth to them but are good stories anyway.

Even if it's not true, it's a good enough story to remind all of us about situational awareness.

Jeff
 
You would have to be very fast at "getting into action" to beat something like that.

Here in Nashville, a shopper was robbed at Hickory Hollow Mall...(where were the ninjas?!). Walking to his car, in the day time, car pulls up with five armed males. Reporter said all pointing guns at him. This was on channel four...wsmv.com .

Robbing a shooter as he gets home from the range would take nerve! After all...he's all warmed up!

Mark.
 
I guess they're figuring that numbers do it...

A friend and I got really creeped about 10 years ago at a public unsupervised range... enough that we packed early, and as soon as we were in the vehicle, loaded a coupla of ARs... Several folks had been staring _real_ hard at us...
 
Have you got a news report or some other verification? Not that I don't believe you, but there are all kinds of stories about crimes like that floating around that have little truth to them but are good stories anyway.

Even if it's not true, it's a good enough story to remind all of us about situational awareness.

Jeff
Click to expand...

Nope, I was kind of thinking the same thing. This info or misinfo came as a result of the store manager/owner guy gathering everyone together before the match. I think the victim a day or two ago was someone he knew well, plus he said (again I didn't hear of it in the papers) of another store employee's run-in on the road a week or two ago. I did however read about an armed robbery of an IHOP restaurant in our area last week or two that sounded kind of similar (at least 4 armed black males swooped in on a restaurant at night, robbed everyone, pistol whipped a couple of employees, tased a customer and shot a customer who swung a baby high chair at them to defend his family who were being beaten). The IHOP robbery was well-reported in our area of central FL.

Like you said, even if it's not true, it's worth thinking about. I'd hope that simple awareness and things like driving around the block and calling 911 if anything looks fishy would be a good preventative. Points well taken about going down fighting rather than let them at your family. But, I don't like my chances too well with me sitting in a car and 4 of them with the drop on me. Defending against a self-styled paramilitary gang is probably one of the worst-case scenarios for a private citizen that I can think of, especially when they pick a time & place to their advantage.
 
Thank you for posting this. I will be moving to Orlando soon and this is just another reminder that I will have to be much more vigilant than I am now.

As always is the case, you have to take the advantage away from the attacker and in this case you need to know that they are following you so you can set the time, place, and circumstances of the engagement. Hopefully that will involve calling law enforcement officers (911) and arranging a metting between the officers with you being the bait. Worse case, you have to engage to protect yourself.

Usually, I return home from the range with only one loaded magazine, having shot everything else. Given this information I will probably have a couple extra.
 
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This doesn't surprise me about Orlando. I have a number of friends there and they all tell me about the armed robberies and shootings that happen almost every day. There is a terrible gang problem in Orlando and if you live there you better be aware of your surroundings. Maybe take the long way home down backroads to see if you are being followed.
 
If you want to know if you're being followed, just make three turns in the same direction.

Biker
 
If I am having problems with a stranger the last thing I am going to do is lead them to my house. I am not worried about them getting me as much as I worry about them going to my house when my family is there alone or there is no one home. If they are bent on a criminal act against me I am ready to deal with that anywhere so taking them back to the house is not needed.

Be aware of your surroundings. Check your rear view mirror on a regular basis. Do not go to work or return the same way. Change up your pattern do not put yourself in a position where someone can set a clock by your actions.
 
True or not - you have to wonder. One one hand, thugs looking for weapons KNOW that folks leaving the range likely have guns they can steal.

On the OTHER hand, they also know there is a good chance the person they are robbing is armed, possibly trained to defend themselves.

Criminals favor opportunity but also easy victims. In this case, these requirements are conflicting. As a gun owner on the way home from the range, you present an opportunity to steal something valable. You're also not a likely (not as likely, anyway) to be an easy target.

Regardless - something to keep in mind. As a gun owner, you have something that criminals want. Your gun(s).

By the same token, I shoot at an unsupervised range. When I shoot indoors, it's mainly at night, and it's either me alone or with my 7 year old. We're typically the only persons there, and it's far enough removed (obsiovusly, it's a shooting range) that if something went down no one would hear anything unusal. Again, both a tempting target for ciminals, and a deserved moment of pause on their end as well.
 
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TNIETO2400- "You MUST be aware if someone is following .. stay aware."

Yep! You should always know if someone is following you BEFORE you turn into your driveway. That's what those rearview mirrors are for.

L.W.

L.W.
 
Some years ago, 2 people got murdered in Left Hand canyon near Boulder, CO when they were done shooting (Left Hand is a popular public shooting area).

The Miami robbers of 1986 (Matix and Platt) got ahold of cars and guns from killing shooter who were practicing in a quarry.

Because of these two incidents (plus the original poster's account), I always keep at least 1 handgun (usually my G17 or 92fs) fully loaded after shooting and in easy reach. If I am out somewhere remote (varmint hunting for example), I'll keep more firepower on hand.
 
makes me glad i live in a small town and i (such as i am ) am the most dangerous thing on the block....... these thugs must have balls of diamond to continue holding up people they know are armed!
 
The bad guys have figured out that not all people who shoot guns at firing ranges are "switched on" and ready to fight. They are willing to bet that they can punk out the victims by numbers and surprise.

Owning a gun doesn't make one a warrior any more than owning a paint brush makes one an artist.
 
When I am shooting or in the woods squirrel hunting or any other firearms related activity, I always have what I call a ready weapon. My train of thought on being a victim....."They may win the battle, but they will definately know I was there"
 
I live in Orlando, have for over 34 years. It has gotten nuts here. A couple of weeks ago there was an armed robbery down the street from me. The cops were all over the place, helicopters. It happened right before I got home and my vigilance was high, as was my neighbors. The perp was never caught.

Anyhow, attacking folks as they leave a range is a good idea. You get guns and the risk may not be as high as one would believe, the victim may not be armed with a loaded firearm. Most of the indoor ranges require unloaded firearms, your stuff is packed away, etc... You also just shot, so maybe you didn’t reload and left with an unloaded gun. I’ve done that before, though I usually reload my SD ammo before leaving my outdoor range.
 
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