Carjackers generally do not expect armed resistance. If they did, the incidents of such violent criminal behavior would not be skyrocketing in large cities across the country.
For one suspect in New Orleans, that mistake nearly proved fatal.
It was about 2 a.m. last Friday when New Orleans Police report 23-year-old Johnathan Edwards approached his intended victim’s vehicle. They believe the suspect attempted to open the driver’s door and demanded that the occupant get out.
The driver had other ideas. Described only as an adult male, he produced a weapon and fired several shots. The alleged carjacker was struck multiple times.
He was transported to a hospital for his injuries and is expected to survive. But that’s the only good news as he faces a charge of attempted first-degree robbery and likely others as well.
Police officials announced the intended victim, who was uninjured, will not be charged in the incident. Instead, he is to be applauded for being prepared for the unexpected.
Even at that hour of the morning, it must have been a shock to be approached by an alleged carjacker. No matter the neighborhood or setting, no one sets out thinking they will be the victim of a violent crime.
But the driver was prepared and kept his wits long enough to thwart the attempted carjacking. Not only did he keep the suspect from taking his vehicle, but he may also have saved his own life.
These showdowns occur more and more as Americans arm themselves against rampant violence. The stories need to be told to remind law-abiding citizens that a properly utilized gun is a potential lifesaver.
The right to keep and bear arms, in this instance and many more, saved a person from becoming just another victim.
