Orlando FL - Armed robbers target shooters

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I never pull in when followed

I live in a fairly quiet neighborhood and I recognize most of the cars. Whenever a strange vehicle follows me toward my house I just keep going and circle the neighborhood.

I've only had one turn out to be suspicious in all the years I lived there. They sped off after they realized what I was doing. I jotted down the license plate number but never saw the vehicle again. It was probably nothing.

I just want to make sure anybody who follows me doesn't learn where I live or have the ability to trap me in my driveway.

It's not much different than leaving enough space at the drive-through to make a quick exit. Why not keep things under your control?
 
Justification for high-cap magazines & practice

This is good justification for high-capacity magazines, and frequent practice engaging multiple targets as you move to cover. If accurately portrayed, all I can think is "deer-in-the-headlights" syndrome.

Especially when one drives back from shooting, or back from the bank, I say awareness, awareness awareness! If someone pulls in behind you, up to you etc. be at the ready. It isn't paranoia...it's preparedness.

That aside, if they were at a professinal range, there should be a video of the shooters. If there was, that seems a good starting point.

Doc2005
 
A similar thing was happening at an indoor range in Houston. A carload of thugs would case the parking lot whenever a CHL class was in session. They never followed anyone home, but would hit two or three cars at a time. We managed to get a description and patrolled the parking lot on a regular basis when I worked there. That just meant one of the staff would have a smoke break every hour or so with a long gun strapped to him.

The CHL instructors got wise and started having their students store their range bags and guns inside the classroom from then on. Losses soon stopped as the owners put up a video camera system in the lot.

For gosh sake's please check your six when driving home from the range, or even as you are manuevering the parking lot after shooting. Never know who's lurking in the shadows.
 
I'm new here, but have lived in Orlando since 1983. It has changed a lot and not for the better. I have also shot and purchased a few guns from the range in Apopka. More than once, I have had uncomfortable stares from others on the range. I make it a point to keep my SD magazine loaded. It is inserted before I leave the range. Against the rules, but never had a problem. I wasn't always as observant and have left the range completely out of ammo. I corrected this about a year ago. No easy target here, and 2 guys with baseball bats in front of me at a light would have been ventilated.
 
about being followed.....i always back my f250 into the driveway when I get home (too long for the garage). The street is kinda narrow and there are sometimes cars parked on the road making it hard to back out when I leave. So, I would think if a car load of thugs follows you home and you never notice but drive a few feet past your driveway then proceed to back up to back in, they would either leave or you'd have a good idea it's time to wake up.
 
Hopefully these guys pick on the wrong dude soon who is gonna be ready for them and put a hurtin on em.
 
I live near Orlando, and for some years lived in Orlando, and when not living there, spend tons of time there. The odd thing about Orlando to me is that it does not feel safe even in the nicest neighborhoods, even gated ones. Seems like you can leave your country club house and go half mile up the street to a store and feel unsafe. Not sure if it's valid, but that's the feeling I get there, and I've not really felt like that anywhere else that I can recall. Usually you feel relaxes in a nice side of town - but not in the big O. Good thing FL is bigtime RKBA-friendly.
 
I usually leave my SD ammo in my cup holder in the car while I'm inside shooting, then reload 2 mags while I'm driving (yes, while I'm drive with my knee :neener: ) on the way home. But I don't actually load the gun until I am parked. Sounds like I'll take the extra couple minutes and do it before I leave from now on.
 
No CCW?

It reads as though the victims did not have CCWs, as the handguns were "...stolen from the trunk". If they had had CCWs, I am certain bullets would have flown. When I leave the range, I am always packing...heavy.

Anyone want to bet that these punks watched for who packed their firearms away V. tucked away? Food for thought.

Doc2005
 
I don't know why poeple think having a gun makes them so safe. There are alot of bad guys that want to take your gun so they can brag to themselves and their friends.
I also can't imagine having 4 guys behind me in a car and not noticing. Thats rediculas.If your not going to notice that, no sense in being armed anyway. not trying to say that I can't be snuk up on but common?
I wonder if these two guys are good shots?
 
I'm quite sure those guys are shook up and embarrassed. I'm glad they weren't hurt.


I don't understand why folks think, when faced with a group of assailants, that they must be expected to win the fight with all of them to prevail. These guys were interested in a possession, and the thrill of robbing someone. They could have just as easily waited for him to go to work Monday and spent all day in his house taking all of them.

Nevertheless, their motivation isn't as compelling as one who is fighting for his life. Those not fully committed in such a fight tend to remember they were supposed to be someplace else at that moment.


In an encounter like that, we do hope to prevail. But, what difference does it make? If we must fight, then we must fight; and while we hope to survive it, that decision isn't dependent on making it through unscathed. Four guys, 10, 50, there are going to be men present that have no business being there. Military leaders today know it, and even ancient commanders knew who to leave with the horses and who to have on the front line.

Personally, I'm not going to fool myself into thinking I can prevent everything. But, I will most assuredly have some say in how it turns out.


I hope they catch these guys before they hurt anyone else. Barring that, I hope the next time they try this they encounter someone ready for them and save the state the hassle.
 
When I lived in NW Florida, I was a member of the Escambia River Muzzleloaders range (awesome range, BTW). It's in an extremely isolated area, and if you went on a weekday, you'd often have the entire range to yourself.

Someone was once there by himself, was downrange putting up targets, and a van pulled up to the empty firing line and tried to steal his guns (which were locked in the car, fortunately), and they took off when the would-be victim realized what was going on. It could've turned out much worse, if they had brought a rifle and shot him while he was downrange...

After that, I always CCW'd at the range, and when I was alone, I'd take a loaded carbine WITH ME when I went downrange to check targets, slung muzzle down on the off shoulder.

That's not a problem at my current range here in NC (always crowded, I miss ERML), but I am careful not to be followed home, and the car goes into the garage before the gun cases come out of the trunk.
 
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.
Click to expand...

Back into your drive way. Be ready to drive through your yard around or be ready to drive through them. Either way, hopping out of your car and drawing your gun against 4 armed individual's might work, or it might not work. Driving away from them gives you more options, and if nothing else if you have to ram them hopefully you hit them right to create a gap for you to get out, otherwise at least you've reset there OODA loop some.
 
>>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"<<

sounds like you got one helluva squirrel problem!:what:
lol..


all BS aside..
this sounds like an issue that could have been avoided by somone who had practiced common scence.. like anyone carrying a gun should..

bullfrogken, I fully agree with yer sentiment!

Ill add that these fellas were determined imo.. and were obviously doing some planning.. mabey crackheads who REALLY needed a swap..
determination and planning add up to a path of action..

making yerself a little less predictable can go a LONG way in such situations.
 
I live in orlando and the hollywood video and quiznos in my shopping center are robbed on a regular basis. I need to get a pps43 semi auto, that might work aganst these guys. Orlando has gotten worse and it will probably continue to. I think even multiple case of groups of robbers being killed will not stop it. Most of the people around here are trash. I always watch my six.
 
I hope I don't come across as an armchair commando, but this is one reason why I prefer to back into my driveway. If you are followed, then at least you're facing the situation. You can turn on your high-beams and maybe even make an escape. Either way, it beats having your back turned and your car pointed the wrong way.

It's also safer pulling into traffic head-on rather than backing out into it ;)
 
For the life of me I can't figure out why any gun savvy person who lives in Florida would not have a concealed carry permit. It's not that much for a permit and we have a shall issue type of license that's good for a number of years.

Oh I looked at the picture and I can definitely identify the bear.:D
 
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