EZCHL & Eagle Defense Featured in Star Telegram Covid-19 Story

Run on guns, ammo sparked by ‘growing panic’ surrounding coronavirus outbreak in Texas

Curtis Van Liew, owner of Eagle Defense Solutions, says since March 13 he ammo has been difficult to come by due to coronavirus fear. He runs a Texas License to Carry a Handgun (LTC) class that rents ammo and handguns to students. 

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First it was toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Now, as the coronavirus continues to spread, Texans are making a run on ammunition and guns, leaving some store shelves bare.

“It’s a growing panic,” said Kenny Frazier, owner of the Crazy Gun Dealer in Alvarado. “As people find box stores out and small dealers out, the fear seems to be growing.

“We stock deep so we are fine, but are limiting ammo to go with matching gun purchase only,” he said. “I think this is (a) short term scare but (it) really will depend on if (the) virus truly gets really worse or dies down quickly.”

Some people are stocking up out of fear that supplies will dwindle as more COVID-19 cases are identified. Others are first time gun owners who want to make sure they have a sizeable stockpile.

Political fears also play into sales, gun owners say, as some fear that officials — particularly if a Democrat is elected to the White House later this year — will try to limit or restrict access to firearms.

Curtis Van Liew, an instructor and owner of Eagle Defensive Solutions, has been among those searching for ammunition.

“We have students who rent guns and ammo from us,” he said. “I have to be able to provide it to them.”

0320 ammo01.JPG
Curtis Van Liew, owner of Eagle Defense Solutions, stacks boxes of 9mm ammo that he purchased as backup for his Texas License to Carry class. Van Liew said coronavirus fear is causing ammo to be difficult to find. He had to go to four different stores over the weekend to stock up on ammo. Amanda McCoy AMCCOY@STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

In one class, Van Liew said, a group of 10 people generally will use 200 rounds of ammunition each.

He has been able to buy ammunition recently, but he found several stores that were sold out.

“Toilet paper, hand sanitizer and ammo — they are all gone,” he said.

STRONG SALES

Jesse Molina, manager at Purple Heart Pawn and Guns, said gun sales are strong.

But he said they generally are right now, when people get tax refunds. That’s when they usually come back and pick up items they previously pawned.

“This time of year, it’s hard to say whether (sales are strong) because of coronavirus or because they got their tax refund,” he said.

But Terry Holcomb, a pastor and executive director of Texas Carry, said he’s seen and heard about the panic — and the panic shopping for guns and ammunition.

“There’s a lot of fear going around right now,” he said. “Typically it’s people who aren’t prepared. We saw the same thing with food and toilet paper. People are just reacting. The stores are empty now.”

Holcomb urged gun owners to remain calm.

“A lot is general fear of the unknown,” he said. “No supply lines are disrupted. This isn’t like a hurricane. They’re going to keep stocking.

“Everyone needs to calm down, be a community, work together to get through this and help your neighbor.”

Brady United Against Gun Violence officials say they are concerned about the uptick in gun and ammunition sales.

“People aren’t just stocking up on handguns or hunting rifles — they’re buying deadly AR-15-style assault weapons,” according to a fundraising email the group sent this week. “But extensive research shows MORE guns don’t make us safer. This is especially true during a time of anxiety around COVID-19.

“New and inexperienced gun owners, unsafe storage, and hysteria — all while being confined to the home — are a disturbing mix that can lead to a rise in gun-related injuries and deaths,” the email stated.

The Brady group is urging passage of “lifesaving gun safety legislation” and working to raise $30,000 “to fund our COVID-19 response and mitigate gun violence during this crisis.”

POLITICS

Sales of gun and ammunition have gone up in recent election years, particularly in 2008, before and after Democrat Barack Obama was elected president.

Sales also spiked in 2012, when Obama was re-elected, and in 2016, when Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump were running for the White House.

“People are afraid Democrats are going to get back in control as president,” Van Liew said, adding that ammunition and guns likely won’t be fully stocked until after the November general election.

So he recommends that Texans start looking early if they need ammunition or guns. And he recommends people buy it when they find it.

But they don’t need to have “a panic response” and stockpile far more than they’ll need.

For now, he said, “supply and demand isn’t keeping up.”

“Coronavirus opened a lot of people’s eyes,” he said. “If this can happen, what else could happen?”

 

Original Story From: Fort Worth Star Telegram

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit our class schedule page to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free to contact us at 817-247-2990.

texas a&m commerce

Texas A&M Commerce Shooting Leaves 2 Dead

Texas A&M University-Commerce announced Monday evening classes would be cancelled through Wednesday following the deadly shooting of two women at a residence hall on the southwest corner of the campus around 10:00 a.m.

A 2-year-old child was also injured in the shooting but was later treated and released to family.

“The health and safety of our students is always our top priority at A&M-Commerce. Therefore, all classes, programs and events on our campus will be cancelled on Monday, February 3rd; Tuesday, February 4th; and Wednesday, February 5th. This includes all remote locations and online,” the University said in a statement.

On Tuesday, the university identified the two women as sisters Deja, 19, and Abbaney Matts, 20. Deja was a student at the school while Abbaney was not.

Officials also said the child belonged to Abbaney.

In a statement, officials said the shooting appeared to be a “targeted, isolated” incident between the two sisters.

Police said there was no immediate threat to other students after a shelter in place was lifted about two hours after the shooting was reported.

The Texas A&M University-Commerce Police Chief Bryan Vaughn read a statement on Monday but would not answer questions.

“The health and safety of our students is always our top priority at this time for university has lifted the precautionary shelter in place recommendation due to the ongoing investigation. Pride Rock Residence Hall and the surrounding areas of our campus are still blocked off,” said Chief Vaughn.

The dorm where the shooting happened is called Pride Rock, which is usually reserved for freshmen.

The Texas A&M System tweeted a statement about the shooting, saying, “Texas A&M System & Chancellor (John) Sharp share their condolences to those affected by the tragedy that happened today at @tamuc in Commerce, TX. We thank the A&M-Commerce leadership & authorities for their timely communication and resources offered for their community to heal.”

CBS 11 talked to some students who didn’t see or hear the shooting, but received that alert on their phones about police activity.

They later returned to find their dorms taped off and have not been able to get back inside.

“It felt chilling like, this is not supposed to happen here,” said student Esme Galvan who said she saw police outside Pride Rock as the alerts appeared on her phone.

“Shelter in place. Shelter in place. Shelter in place,” she said.

Students explained, it takes a key card to get inside the building and on the elevator and then into a room.

Despite that, some said it’s hard to feel safe now.

Several students have talked about how difficult this is in light of a deadly shooting about three months ago at an off campus party in Greenville that hundreds of people, mostly students attended. Two people died and a dozen others were injured and that is all still very fresh in their minds.

“You didn’t have to be there to be traumatized,” said student Jordan Polk. “You could have seen the videos or knew somebody and they told you about it. (Andrea Lucia asks) So you feel traumatized by what happened in Greenville? (Polk answers) Definitely. Definitely. And then having this happens right here? It’s a lot going on.”

Counselors were available in Rayburn Student Center conference rooms on campus for those in need of help coping with the situation.

Texas A&M University-Commerce is about 60 miles northeast of Dallas.

Original Story From: CBS 11

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit our class schedule page to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free to contact us at 817-247-2990.

TX LTC

Texas LTC Parishioner Kills Church Gunman

A man shot and killed two people during a church service in White Settlement, Texas, on Sunday morning before two members of the church security team shot and killed him, authorities said.

City Police Chief J.P. Bevering said the shooter entered West Freeway Church of Christ and sat down in the sanctuary, then stood, pulled out a shotgun and shot two parishioners.
“There was a security team inside the church and they eliminated the threat,” Bevering said.
Matthew DeSarno, the FBI agent in charge of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, didn’t identify the shooter, but said he was “relatively transient with roots to this area” and had been arrested multiple times in different municipalities.
The shooter was not on any sort of “watch list,” DeSarno said, but investigators will try to determine whether he was driven by any sort of ideology. Authorities said the motive is unknown, and nobody knows yet whether the shooter targeted the victims.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the incident was over within six seconds thanks to the quick response of the security team members. Recent changes in Texas law allow licensed gun owners to carry firearms into houses of worship.
“Two of the parishioners who are volunteers on the security force drew their weapons and took out the killer immediately, saving untold number of lives,” he said.
The shooter and one of the victims died on the way to the hospital, said Macara Trusty, spokesperson for Medstar Mobile Healthcare. The second victim flatlined, was revived and later died, authorities said.
Authorities have not identified the shooter or victims yet.
A video livestream from the church, seen by CNN, appears to show how the shooting unfolded. The entire incident, from the time the shooter pulled out his gun until he was shot, took six seconds.
Lisa Farmer, the wife of the West Freeway Church of Christ Minister Britt Farmer, was not inside the church at the time of the shooting but said the video shows the inside of the church building.
The video, obtained by CNN affiliate KTVT, shows the shooter seated in a pew toward the rear of the church during the service. The shooter, dressed in dark clothes, approaches someone in the back corner and appears to talk to them. That individual gestures toward the center of the church.
The shooter pulled out a long gun and opened fire on the man before shooting a second man.
It appears that a man, toward the left of the screen, draws a handgun and fires. The shooter falls to the ground immediately. Three muzzle flashes are seen on the video.
The YouTube video has since been made private.
The two people who returned fire against the shooter were members of the church and part of the church’s security team, but were not hired by the church, Regional Director of Texas Department of Public Safety Jeoff Williams told reporters Sunday night.
“The citizens who were inside that church undoubtedly saved 242 other parishioners,” Williams said.
Texas recently changed its firearms laws in response to the 2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting that left 26 people dead.
Lt. Gov. Patrick said the state now allows licensed handgun owners to legally carry weapons into places of worship. Another law allows churches to develop, train and plan for their own teams to provide security

 

Original Story From: CNN

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit our class schedule page to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free to contact us at 817-247-2990.

deep ellum dart station

Man Shot at Deep Ellum Dart Station

A man was shot dead at a DART light rail station early Monday.

The fatal shooting happened overnight, about 12:20 a.m., at the Deep Ellum Station off North Good Latimer.

Dallas police say there was some kind of argument on the train involving several people and things ended up spilling outside once the train stopped. At that point, police say someone pulled out a handgun and shot a man in the head multiple times.

Officers found the victim dead, lying on the station’s platform when they arrived on scene.

Police are looking for the group of people involved in the argument that led to the shooting.

Dallas police and DART police are investigating the shooting. There are surveillance cameras at the station platform, which could prove helpful.

The victim’s name has not been released, but police said he is between 18 and 21.

Original Story From: Fox 4 News

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit our class schedule page to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free to contact us at 817-247-2990.

Concealed Carry Permits

1.4 Million More Concealed Carry Permits Than 2018

New Concealed Carry Report For 2019: 18.66 Million Permit Holders Despite 16 Constitutional Carry States, Over 1.4 Million More Than Last Year

The number of concealed handgun permits has increased for the third year in a row. The figure now stands at over 18.66 million– a 304% increase since 2007.  It’s also an 8% increase over the number of permits we counted a year ago in 2018. Unlike gun ownership surveys that may be affected by people’s unwillingness to answer personal questions, concealed handgun permit data is the only really “hard data” that we have. Sixteen states are missing from the data because people there don’t even need a permit to carry.

Among the findings of the report:

  • Last year, the number of permit holders continued to grow by about 1.4 million.  Despite expectations that increases in permits were primarily driven by fears of Democratic presidencies, the growth has continued at a similar pace after the November 2016 election.
  • 7.3% of American adults have permits.  Outside of the restrictive states of California and New York, about 8.75% of the adult population has a permit.
  • In thirteen states, more than 10% of adults have permits, down from just fifteen last year.  Arkansas, Oklahoma, and West Virginia fell below 10%, but they are now all Constitutional Carry states, meaning that people no longer need a permit to carry. South Carolina’s concealed carry rate has now risen to above 10%.
  • Alabama has the highest concealed carry rate — 26.3%.  Indiana is second with 17.9%, and South Dakota — another Constitutional Carry state — saw its percentage decline to 16.02%.
  • Four states now have over 1 million permit holders: Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Texas.  Florida is the first state to have over 2 million permits.
  • Sixteen states have adopted constitutional carry, meaning that a permit is no longer required. Because of these constitutional carry states, the nationwide growth in permits does not paint a full picture of the overall increase in concealed carry. But some residents still choose to obtain permits so that they can carry in other states that have reciprocity agreements.
  • In 2019, women made up 26.5% of permit holders in the 12 states that provide data by gender. Eight states had data from 2012 to 2019, and permit numbers grew 101% faster for women than for men.
  • Three states that have detailed race and gender data for at least a decade show remarkably larger increases in permits for minorities compared to whites. In Texas, black females saw a 3.6 times greater percentage increase in permits than white males. North Carolina had black permits increase twice as fast as whites. In Oklahoma, the increase for American Indians was twice the rate for whites and for blacks it was 66% greater than for whites.
  • From 2012 to 2018, in the four states that provide data by race over that time period, the number of black people with permits increased almost 20% faster than the number of whites with permits.  Asians appear to be the group that has experienced the largest increase in permitted concealed carry, growing 29% faster than whites.
  • Concealed handgun permit holders are extremely law-abiding.  In Florida and Texas, permit holders are convicted of misdemeanors and felonies at one-sixth of the rate at which police officers are convicted.

Original Story From: Crime Prevention Research Center

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit our class schedule page to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free to contact us at 817-247-2990.

Fort Worth Shooting

2 Injured in Fort Worth Shooting at Peewee Football Game

The gunman, whose age was not immediately available, was on a small hill overlooking the field and fired between 10 and 30 shots, witnesses said.

An argument at a peewee football game in Fort Worth, Texas, led to a shooting in which two people, including a child, were injured Saturday afternoon, police say.

The shooting happened just before 4 p.m. EDT, during the third quarter of a football game between the Fort Worth Longhorns and the 81G Bulldogs, a witness told NBC 5. The teams were playing on a field at Eastern Hills High School.

Witnesses said the mother of one of the players became upset when a fight broke out between some of the players on the field.

The woman then called her older son, who arrived with a gun and started to shoot, police said.

“Everybody in the bleachers, they dropped in the bleachers and everyone ran everywhere,” said Damber Walker, whose son plays for the Lomghorns. “Kids on the field were running. Coaches were running.”

The gunman, whose age was not immediately available, was on a small hill overlooking the field and fired between 10 and 30 shots, witnesses said.

“He was shooting at our sideline. He was standing at the top of the hill. You could see him pointing down shooting directly at the kids,” said Jonathan Cunningham, one of the Longhorns’ coaches. “So we checked on our players, our kids, making sure everyone was OK. That’s when we noticed one of our parents was shot.”

A woman was struck in the leg and a girl under 18 years old was grazed in the back, police said. Both were transported to an area hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life threatening.

Police said they have not located the shooter.

Original Story From: NBC DFW 5

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit our class schedule page to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free to contact us at 817-247-2990.

Texas Gun Laws

New TX Gun Laws as of September 1, 2019

Texas has passed more than 800 new laws that have gone into effect as of Sunday, September 1, 2019.

Granted, you might never know about some — and you might never need to know about them.

People under 21, for instance, will no longer be able to buy tobacco products, including cigarettes and e-cigarettes. And those under 18 will no longer be able to buy cough syrup if it contains a certain ingredient some teens use to get high.

Nearly 1 million Texans will be able to get their driver’s licenses back when the state’s driver responsibility program ends.

At the same time, gun owners will be able to carry their weapons in more places, and anyone who owns tomahawks, brass knuckles and security keychains will be able to legally carry them.

And lemonade stands, once and for all, will be legal for kids to operate.

“Many Texans will learn about changes to laws that affect them the old fashioned way — by experiencing it,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. “At this point, Texans are more concerned with back-to-school activities than when laws passed months ago actually go into effect.”

The new measures are among the hundreds of new laws the Texas Legislature passed earlier this year with Gov. Greg Abbott’s approval. Some laws, such as banning red light cameras, already have gone into effect.

New Laws For Texas Gun Owners

Before the Odessa and El Paso mass shootings this year, lawmakers passed several new laws expanding where, when and how Texans can carry firearms.

Now, anyone who can legally own a handgun will be able to carry it on their person for a full week after a natural disaster is declared. At all other times, only those with a special license to carry, which requires firearms training and a background check, can legally tote pistols.

It will also be legal to carry a gun into a house of worship unless expressly forbidden by the faith leadership, a change made in response to the 2017 mass shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. Finally, lawmakers lifted the cap on the number of trained employees, known as “school marshals,” who are allowed to have guns on K-12 campuses.

Several new laws relating to firearms were passed in the 86th Texas Legislature (2019).

Note: Each of the new laws listed below will take effect on Sept. 1, 2019.

Original Story From: Dallas Morning News

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit our class schedule page to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free to contact us at 817-247-2990.

personal defense

Personal-Defense Preparation Scenarios

For many people who are taking up concealed carry, the first thing I suggest is to consider the worst-case scenario. If we had to define what a worst-case scenario would look like, start with being surprised. If that wasn’t challenging enough, you could start from positional disadvantage, such as on your back, or simulate being injured to further complicate the situation and add more realism. What are the advantages to considering the worst-case scenario? First, it brings about a certain type of urgency—one that might change the way you look at your training, practice and equipment. An additional reason is overcoming fear. The more exposure to stress and fear you get early on, the more familiar you become and the better you handle them. For me, however, the biggest reason to consider the worst case is to avoid complacency and thereby forge a winning mindset.

Managing potential threats is best done before they get within “contact” distance, and ideally when they’re still well-within the “far” area to give yourself better options.

A surprise attack has all the characteristics of a worst-case scenario. You didn’t see it coming because you were preoccupied or not paying attention to your surroundings. As a result, the initial contact puts you at a disadvantage through reduced options, possibly injuries and likely positional disadvantage. The event happened so quickly, your brain has a hard time processing in real time. It is even possible to create a false reality to cope with a sudden, unexpected attack, further complicating matters. Training and practicing are the rungs on your ladder to climb out of the surprise-attack pit.

Between a surprise and planned attack, the surprise attack is where I prefer to start in a training package. If you can manage the surprise attack, working from the time disadvantage to create a positive outcome, you will better manage just about any other type of attack. At the core of a surprise attack is lack of awareness. The first obstacle to overcome is acknowledging a surprise attack can happen to anyone—even the best in the business cannot maintain high states of alertness for extended periods. With this acknowledgment, you can work to reduce or limit distractions. When you can filter out those distractions, like your smartphone, music in your earbuds or even daydreaming, you will see your environment more clearly. That will allow you to break down your defensive zones.

Think of defensive zones as concentric bubbles around you, where distance is referenced in ranges from far, close and contact. At the far range, the potential attacker(s) is far enough away that it would take significant movement and time for them to reach you. This could be across the street or down a grocery aisle. At close range, the suspect is near enough that within a few quick steps, they could be upon you and able to assault you with a knife or impact weapon. This could be from the other side of your car or a few yards down the road. Contact range implies the potential attacker(s) is within arm’s reach, if not already physically in contact with you. In a surprise attack, you can expect close range at the farthest, but contact range is most likely. The problem we face is that, as we are social creatures, people will move in and out of these zones constantly throughout your day.

Another way to consider these zones is in your ability to respond with your concealed firearm. If the suspect is close, you may need to think about creating distance—and therefore time—before you can produce your firearm. Someone at close or contact range makes gaining access to your firearm a risk. The drawstroke is a series of movements that begins with the movement of your hands and ends with the presentation of the gun. Each of these movements must be performed to a minimum standard at maximum speed. Adding an obstruction, such as your cover garment, adds time. The ultimate goal for the concealed-carry practitioner should be the fastest drawstroke with fewest errors, and this requires practice.

Even if you had a lightning-fast drawstroke, however, you are still starting after the suspect has initiated the attack. The judicious use of deadly force has strict criteria to be met before you can draw your firearm, much less use it. The time disadvantage in determining whether or not you can legally go to your gun is but one factor that forces the armed citizen to play a game of catch up in a surprise attack. Training and practice will give you the means to improve your drawstroke. Learning the fundamentals of a fast drawstroke from concealment should be your top training priority for dealing with a surprise attack. Your next task is to practice from as many different types of cover garments as you might wear. Once you have achieved a high level of proficiency with your drawstroke, you need to work from positions of disadvantage and under stress. This type of programing will expose weak areas you can improve. Even if you haven’t performed the exact movement or technique required in a given attack, you will likely have performed something similar enough to adequately fill the gap under stress.

Though you may achieve a high level of competency, the high stress of an attack combined with working from a disadvantage will still degrade your skills. How much degradation is hard to quantify and differs from person to person, but what’s guaranteed is you won’t perform as well while being attacked as you will on a square range. Stress is wicked, and it affects each of us differently. The more stress you are exposed to in training, the more resiliency you can expect if you are attacked. Stress inoculation is hugely important for two main reasons. First, it gives you a chance to see how your skills could degrade, motivating you to shore up those weak areas. The other reason to work under stress is to build confidence. The confidence you gain from some knowledge of how you may react to stress can help you better cope with and handle a real situation.

Drawing from concealment— whatever that cover garment might be—is an essential skill that all concealed-carry permit holders must practice to the point of mastery.

While the worst-case scenario is a surprise attack, proper awareness may help you turn that surprise attack into what I call the planned attack. A concealed-carry practitioner with basic skills has a better chance to prevail in a planned attack because they should see the pre-fight indicators or cues. The planned attack may be visible earlier, making you able to pick it up at farther ranges because you are paying better attention. In reality, even a surprise attack is ultimately a planned attack from the attacker’s point-of-view. The suspect has obviously planned to attack you, but you were not able to see his nefarious actions until he was upon you. At its most-basic level, this is the biggest difference between the two types of attacks—one you can see coming, partly at least, while the other you could not.

When you can see an attack coming or have a little warning, you have many more options at your disposal. It all starts with an assessment of your environment. You should be looking to see what belongs there, so you can understand what doesn’t belong. Your next step is developing an escape plan. Part of your escape plan is looking for cover, exits and even weapons of opportunity. As distance starts to shrink, consider the suspect’s actions. If you are moving to your exit, have they vectored in on your movement? Are they communicating with you and if so, what is their tone? If they are not communicating with you, pay attention to their hands. Remember, it is the hands that cause harm, so where are they and what are they doing or holding? Even a benign item such as a cell phone can be an impact weapon if wielded with enough force. Lastly, what are they looking at and how intensely? If you see them looking around for potential witnesses, you might want to move quicker to your exit. If they are fixated on you and only you, it might be a good time for assertive and firm verbal commands.

Verbal commands are an important part of your defensive repertoire. An easy way for your commands to have the best chance of being followed is to keep them clear and concise. Avoid vague or long-winded phrases. Keep it simple, to the point and make them action related. It is advisable to rehearse your contact phrase in advance. This is a great time to bring a family member or friend into your training. The more you practice your contact phrase—with both positive and negative outcomes—the better you will be able to handle a real-world scenario. Arguably, the most important point to consider is not to give a new command until your previous command has been followed. If you fail to establish control through your first command, it is unlikely future verbal commands will be of significant value. All the more reason to role play. The most-important consideration when it comes to verbal commands is to not give a verbal command unless you are fully committed to carrying it out. You need to think first before you commit yourself to something that could be inappropriate, unsound or unlawful.

Even the best-trained, most-experienced operators get caught off guard. The best you can do is to limit your distractions to pay attention to what matters. You will be reactionary, so learning to play catchup on the resultant time (and likely distance) disadvantage is important. Your skill level will decrease under stress, so train and practice as often as possible. Set goals for developing a smooth, fast drawstroke to deliver first-round hits. As you start to understand range bubbles, push out to the far range and routinely assess your environment. It is easy to be surprised, so you should train to minimize the occurrences in a self-defense setting. That will create the winning mindset we want.

Original Story From: NRA Shooting Illustrated

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit our class schedule page to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free to contact us at 817-247-2990.

dallas gunman

Gunman Killed After Opening Fire on Federal Courthouse In Dallas

A man in a mask and combat gear was fatally shot Monday morning in downtown Dallas after he opened fire with an assault weapon outside the Earle Cabell Federal Building. No one else was injured.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno identified the gunman as Brian Isaack Clyde, 22, at a news conference on a street corner near the federal building. Clyde died at the scene and was taken to Baylor University Medical Center, officials said.

Neither DeSarno nor Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, gave any indication why Clyde targeted the federal building. They also did not say who shot Clyde after police responded to an active-shooter call.

“We’re looking into motive,” DeSarno said at an afternoon news conference. DeSarno said the FBI had not investigated Clyde before the shooting and he was not on any watch list. Investigators were “aggressively pursuing” his social media presence, the agent said.

Dallas Morning News photographer Tom Fox saw Clyde fire outside the building on Jackson Street and took photos as the shooting occurred.

Fox said Clyde fired from the parking lot across the street toward him, another man, a security guard and a woman who was walking a golden retriever.

The windows in a revolving door and two side doors at one entrance were broken. It was unclear whether Clyde or law-enforcement personnel had shot the door.

Fox’s photos show authorities surrounding Clyde as he lay in a parking lot where he’d run and fallen after the shooting.

In one photo, a Homeland Security agent wearing blue latex gloves is hovering over Clyde. In others, Clyde is shirtless and law enforcement officers, including the agent, kneel around him. On Clyde’s left arm, he had a red heart tattoo with the silhouette of a cat inside it.

Fox, who was questioned by the FBI, said he had been outside the building when Clyde parked on the corner of Jackson and Griffin streets. Clyde ran and then stopped on the sidewalk to pick up a loaded magazine he had dropped.

He then began shooting at the courthouse along Jackson Street as security personnel on the first floor pushed people to the ground. At least two bullets ricocheted off the building, spreading clouds of dust and debris.

The federal building houses federal courts, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of Texas, a passport office and the U.S. Marshals Service. Streets around the courthouse will be closed for several days, Dallas police said.

Nearby El Centro College was also placed on lockdown during the day.

The shooting happened a block from where the July 7, 2016, ambush occurred during which four Dallas police officers and a Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer were fatally shot.

In that attack, the gunman entered El Centro and fired from a window at the fifth officer who was killed. The shooter, Micah Johnson, was killed with explosives delivered by a police robot.

Dallas police detonated a suspicious device about 10:40 a.m. that was found in the 2003 Nissan Altima Clyde had driven to the courthouse. The blast was strong enough to shake sapling trees blocks away.

DeSarno would not confirm Monday afternoon whether law enforcement found explosives inside the car.

Police also checked downtown for other suspicious devices, and many buildings downtown were locked down or evacuated.

The investigation

DeSarno said more than 200 FBI agents and other law enforcement personnel are investigating the shooting. Investigators expect they will have multiple videos from several angles to watch as they determine what happened.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is tracing Clyde’s assault weapon, DeSarno said. Clyde had more than five 30-round magazines, he said.

The FBI searched Clyde’s apartment in Fort Worth but did not provide details about what was found.

Joycelyn Mendoza, who lives in the apartment directly above Clyde’s, said FBI agents removed a large black box from the complex. The FBI also questioned her about what she knew about Clyde, she said.

“I told them honestly, it smells like marijuana around there most of the time,” she said.

Other people seemed to live in Clyde’s apartment or visit frequently, she said. A woman from his apartment sometimes complained when Mendoza’s 2-year-old son ran around upstairs. Mendoza said she last saw the woman two weeks ago.

She said the FBI showed her pictures of two men, only one of whom she recognized.

Ed Modla was working from home Monday morning at SoCo Urban Lofts, near the federal building, when he heard at least 10 gunshots. He looked outside and saw the gunman running.

“As soon as I saw the shooter, I got the hell away from the window,” he said.

He took another peek from his third-floor window a few moments later and saw officers “zeroing in” on Clyde across the street, he said.

Dallas police evacuated the apartment building about 10 a.m., going door-to-door to make sure everyone got out.

Don Miles heard 10 to 15 shots as he walked up to the Commerce Street entrance of the federal building for a 9 a.m. appointment.

“I just ran,” Miles said.

Herman Turner, 50, had taken the day off work to run errands. He was on his way to get a cashier’s check when he saw Clyde race from the courthouse door near Main and Griffin streets, plant himself in the middle of the street and begin firing his rifle back at the building.

Prior courthouse shootings

Monday’s shooting wasn’t the first near a North Texas courthouse.

In January 2013, a masked gunman fatally shot Kaufman County prosecutor Mark Hasse in a courthouse parking lot in Kaufman.

Over Easter weekend of that year, the gunman, Eric Williams, later killed Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, in their home.

Williams remains on death row. He killed the district attorney and prosecutor in a revenge plot for prosecuting him for stealing county property. Williams’ wife, Kim, testified against him and is in prison for her role in the murders.

In January 1993, Hai Van Huynh opened fire in the hallway of the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building in Dallas, fatally shooting his wife, Ly Dang, and wounding a bystander. He later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

On July 1, 1992, George Lott opened fire inside the Tarrant County Courthouse, killing two lawyers, seriously wounding two appellate judges and grazing another attorney. He died by lethal injection two years later.

Lott had been indicted a few months earlier on aggravated sexual assault charges stemming from allegations that he had sexually abused his son at a motel in Peoria, Ill., according to police and court records. He was scheduled to be tried July 24 on the more serious of the charges, said prosecutor Jim Owens in Peoria, where the son lived.

Original Story From: Dallas News

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit our class schedule page to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free to contact us at 817-247-2990.

Child Finds Gun

Boy Finds Gun & Accidentally Shoots Mom

A college baseball game was postponed in Tennessee on Tuesday evening after an 8-year-old boy allegedly shot his mother in what police are saying was an accident, according to reports.

The unidentified woman was transported to a hospital in critical condition but her condition was later upgraded to stable, FOX 13 of Memphis reported.

The owner of the gun has been detained and police are conducting an investigation to determine if they will press charges, authorities said.

The shooting happened at USA Stadium in Millington, where the University of Memphis Tigers were playing the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Police said the child found the gun inside an antique car being displayed at the stadium and accidentally shot his mother during the first inning of the game, around 6:45 p.m.

“The juvenile believed it was a toy gun. He picked the gun up, pulled the trigger, and accidentally shot his mother,” Millington police Chief Mark Dunbar said, according to WMC-TV in Memphis. The game was then halted, according to FOX 13.

The University of Memphis issued a statement after the incident.

“We are saddened by the unfortunate accidental shooting at the baseball game at USA Stadium in Millington,” the university’s Athletic Department said in the statement, according to the Commercial Appeal of Memphis. “The University of Memphis is cooperating fully with authorities in the investigation. Our deepest thoughts are with the family.”

Original Story From: Fox News

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit our class schedule page to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free to contact us at 817-247-2990.

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