By now you’ve probably seen the headlines. A man open carrying inside an AutoZone was shot and killed with his own gun—ripped off him by some unstable lunatic acting erratically.
Tragic? Yes. Shocking? Definitely. But let’s get one thing straight: this isn’t an indictment of open carry. It’s an indictment of criminals.
Colion Noir laid it out perfectly in his video takedown: open carry comes with risks—but so does everything worth doing. If you’re going to carry in the open, don’t do it half-assed. Use a proper retention holster. Be situationally aware. And train for the worst-case scenario.
Because guess what? You just became a walking billboard. If someone’s looking to steal a gun, yours is the easiest to see—and maybe the easiest to grab. You’re not in Call of Duty. There’s no respawn.
Weapon retention training isn’t optional. It’s survival. Open carry responsibly or don’t open carry at all. That means level two or three retention gear. That means staying sharp. That means knowing how to fight if it ever comes to that.
Let’s also drop this nonsense that the lawful gun owner is to blame when a criminal attacks them. If someone hotwires your car and plows it into a crowd, do we jail the car owner? No. So why are people suggesting open carriers are liable when a thug steals their weapon? That logic is pure trash.
Yes, seeing a gun on someone’s hip makes some people uncomfortable—especially in places like Nevada where open carry is legal but feelings run hot thanks to all the recent California transplants. But rights don’t come with emotional disclaimers. It’s not my job—or any gun owner’s job—to comfort you with disarmament.
SEE ALSO: Santa Monica Store Owner Fatally Shoots Robber in Self-Defense
And if you’re one of those people saying we need to ban open carry because of this one rare incident? Let me remind you: there are only two documented open carry homicides in recent years. Two. Yet the media acts like it’s a daily occurrence.
The real story isn’t about whether people should open carry—it’s about why so many people have to. Concealed carry permits can be expensive, bureaucratic, and in some states, nearly impossible to obtain. For many Americans, open carry is the only legal option left.
You want less open carry? Then stop gatekeeping concealed carry. Make it more accessible. More affordable. Less political. But don’t punish people for using the only legal means they have to protect themselves.
Colion said it best: “Your rights don’t come with prerequisites, but your survival just might.” So carry however you choose—but don’t confuse being armed with being prepared. And don’t let rare tragedies fuel anti-gun hysteria that punishes the law-abiding.
Because the problem isn’t the guy legally carrying. It’s the lunatic who stole his gun and pulled the trigger.
Let’s stop confusing the two.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
Experience:
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I wonder why police and military’s don’t cc, with all the comments made be the professionals are stupid for oc.
Very true about who is ACTUALLY responsible for this tragedy, however this is why I think allowing anyone to carry openly with NO handgun training can be dangerous….
if you are going to carry in a state that has open carry do not use a holster that is not equipped with a safety retention device…… if you can pay and get the training for a gun license, then you do not need to show your weapon in plain site…. I have been trained by the Military , Police training, and also a Civilian Security training school.. With all of these they all have stated that if a person that wants to do harm see’s you with a weapon that you are the FIRST TARGET that need’s to be removed so they can complete there objective……
That is a tragic tragic event. I have said on one of my YouTube videos that situational awareness is far more important than the caliber you carry, the capacity of your gun and/or what type of handgun {semi-auto/vs revolver}. People will argue those 3 points to death on the internet but very few talk about how situational awareness is DRASTICALLY more important. If you’re paying attention to your surroundings and one guy seems like he’s gonna come at you, you can be prepared with a 2 shot Derringer. However, if someone gets the drop on you first, it doesn’t matter if your gun holds 50+ rounds, if you go for it, you’re dead. As much as I thought I’d never say this when I was a kid, but, Indiana is GREAT! Almost no gun laws and almost no weapons laws. No blade length restrictions on knives, you can carry manual open, spring assisted or even automatic knives including switch blades! You can open or conceal carry in Indiana now, without even needing a permit. I got my lifetime permit about 16-17 years ago anyhow, but I don’t even need it! I keep it anyways but if I decided to throw it away, I’m, still good so long as I can legally possess a firearm which I can and do. I have never been a fan of open carry {provided concealed carry follow the same requirements as I didn’t know some states allow open, but not concealed carry} because of things like this being possible but also if someone is going to say rob a store you’re in and they see your gun, they’ll disarm you or even kill you first thing and also, if they didn’t happen to notice the gun on my hip, I don’t want some dumb ass yelling, “use your gun in them!” and giving me away. I’m almost always armed, but I always keep it hidden that way if sokething ever goes down, I can make the choice about whether I want to intervene or not.
No, open carry is, in my opinion, foolish. Criminals operate by relying on the element of surprise. Open carriers advertise they are armed. Bad guy comes in intent on doing evil, who’s the FIRST person he’s going to take out? The THREAT, of course. Whether he uses the open carriers gun or his own doesn’t matter, the open carrier will never know what hit him.
I agree with all here. Open Carry is the Dumbest thing you could do to try to protect yourself. This is not the wild west. You are not the man with no name. And most certainly not Doc! I carry everyday concealed and have a CPL from my home state of Michigan. I don’t agree, and think that all Americans should be able to carry however they wish,whenever they wish, with no permits issued. But this is the America we live in, so go through the crap and pay the hundred and thirty dollars. It is not that hard or limiting. Here in Michigan we are a shall issue state. No problem with a CPL unless you are a Felon, Mental, Drug addict ETC…. My Wife and Son are also CPL holders.I feel sorry for the guy and his family. I never let em get the upper hand, and keep my secrets secret and my lips tight! People talk and brag to much now, including showing off how big and powerful they are with this big gun. Not smart people. And gives us a bad name. Nobody knows i’m armed more than John Wick. NOBODY!!! Except my Wife! And the Damn Government! PERIOD AND POINT BLANK! Stay Frosty People! One Last thing… Owning Firearms is the most heavy responsibility of an American Patriot. You not only have to protect your firearms, but the people and lives that could and may be affected by those Firearms. This is no game and there are no respawns!
“If someone hotwires your car and plows it into a crowd, do we jail the car owner? No. So why are people suggesting open carriers are liable when a thug steals their weapon? That logic is pure trash.”
I see problem as, that our present society rewards, “straw grasping”, by douche-bag Democrats who will use literally over-reach any excuse to enter any “Hail Mary” legal argument before the court system in the hope it can and it will gain legal traction and momentum to sustain every Blue State’s gun control narrative and goal to infringe on the Second Amendment.
I live in California and have had my 2A Rights infringed upon for decades. Meanwhile, California which regards itself as a sanctuary state is an abortion destination for any and for all who wish to visit. In California, there is no 10-day wait to receive an abortion like waiting to buy or transfer a firearm, no background check fee, no 11% special excise tax, no state sales tax, and no state residency requirement to murder innocent fetuses.
Does this make sense? It honestly doesn’t make sense to me either, which is why I refer to them now more than ever, as douche-bag Democrats.
For open carry, a proper security holster is an obvious necessity. The wild west quick-draw days have been replaced by a huge population of mentally ill and unstable individuals who are present everywhere. Now more than ever, whether carrying or not, your situational awareness has to be adjusted to its highest setting.
For this very reason I have always said that open carry is asinine and stupid!
People who do that have the big balls mentality, oh I’m bad, look at me I’m carrying a gun, will look where it got this person, dead, because I’ve always said that somebody will run up behind you knock you in the head take your gun and kill you with it or use it to kill somebody else, again open carry is stupid in today’s environment which, is much more deadly than the “Wild West”, like all the communist progressive criminals would like you to believe!
I got it and agree, but must add the following: Other than your state laws that prohibit CC but allow OC, why would you OC if allowed to do either…? Seriously. Understand it’s an individual choice for all sorts of the many reasons mentioned/cited here, both of the law and your own preference/comfort and abilities, and I’m not criticizing anyone who opts to OC. But, as there are just so many more mentals and other scum/hoodlums and crooks out there today, I, personally, don’t want to offer-up an attractive hazard or curiosity for them. I’ll remain concealed here in Indiana (which allows both).
I respect the right of free citizens to do all manner of ill-advised things–wear a $75k Rolex in Compton at 3am, leave a Bentley unlocked and running to pop into a border town convenience store, ride a motorcycle on I-95 in S. FL without a helmet, wear a halter top, Daisy Dukes, and knee-high leather boots in Chicago’s South Side after midnight, or open carry a gun in an urban environment. That doesn’t mean any thinking person -SHOULD- do any of these things.
One correction, riding a motorcycle on ANY part of I-95 in Florida with or without a helmet is risking your life.
“And if you’re one of those people saying we need to ban open carry because of this one rare incident? Let me remind you: there are only two documented open carry homicides in recent years. Two. Yet the media acts like it’s a daily occurrence.”
I carry OWB because of my body type and wear a loose-fitting t-shirt over it. If someone can tell or not, I’m hyper focused if I’m carrying or not cause the left has manufactured these lunatics.
I live in South Carolina with open carry. As a retired LEO I rather anyone not know I’m carrying a weapon. It gives me a better advantage, my personal opinion.
First, i dont like “open cary for obvious reasons ! Second, a proper holster and training may have prevented this. And finally, situational awareness is very important IF your going to open carry !
situational awareness X 10.
Would never open carry unless I was out in the woods.
Open carry is dumb, full stop. Just makes you a target. It doesn’t make me uncomfortable that other people do it. I own guns sometimes I carry concealed. Open carry is mostly to make guys feel like a big man because they have a gun. Other people knowing you’re armed turns even the slightest incident into a life or death situation. I feel for the guy and his family. But seriously carry concealed or don’t carry at all
Your one sided, generalized statement is plain stupid and also entitled. The 2A was not created in a time when gun were concealed. People had respect and the law was quick and easy. Also, anyone that would do this would be hung by the neck next day, so prople behaved. There are states that do NOT allow concealed carry or make it almost impossible, but allow open carry. You can not try to control HOW people carry just because of your strong baseless opinion. You are possibly a leftist, because they are the ones that want to dictate the rights of others based on criminal activity. You are blaming here the law abiding citizen just because felons exist. The felon should be hanged by the neck like they did in all times, immediately. Not send to prison for the next 60 years getting paid free food with my tax money. You make NO sense.
Open carry is the dumbest thing, because it’s usually done by idiots in the 2A community who carry their guns in the cheapest, least secure holster on the market and pay no attention to their surroundings because they think that having that gun in their hip is a big deterrent.
Sad news but not surprised. Don’t know the details of this incident but I’ve seen too many open carriers walking around seemingly in a daze with a gun on their hip stuck in a flimsy holster with zero retention device. All that is missing is a “potential victim” sign hanging around their neck.
So many experts
I’ve been saying for years that this exact scenario would happen with open carry. It’s tragic but still completely avoidable by concealing your pistol and if you can’t legally conceal it, then don’t carry it. If I were going to rob a convenience store the first thing I would look for would be an open carry person, which would be obvious, and take them out first. Carrying a gun doesn’t make you cool and it certainly doesn’t make you tough or any smarter in this kind of situation.
I worked retail firearms for years, and I always told the open carry guys that my only advantage over a bad guy is him not knowing I am armed.
It’s a good line and 100% true. I honestly don’t understand why anyone would open carry. I can only think it makes them feel cool or badass.
Aaaaand that’s why I’ll never open carry.
Terribly tragic. May he rest in peace and my sympathy for his family. Hopefully, some justice is served. I would like to say that many well trained, on-duty, in-uniform police officers are attacked, disarmed and usually wounded or killed with their own weapons. Several such cases in the last few weeks. So be situationally-aware and do your best to get a permit for concealed-carry.
Which states is Larry Z referring to, that have barriers to obtaining a carry permit but where open carry is legal and practiced by folks that can’t get carry permits? Hadn’t heard of such situations before…
North Carolina is one.
I’ve lived in NC for 66 years and had no problem getting a CCP almost 30 years ago. Yes, there’s paperwork, just like any other state that allows you to get a CCP, which takes time.
Until recently you were at the mercy of the sheriff in your county to handle the paperwork without stall tactics, but even then they couldn’t LEGALLY stop it, delay it maybe, but not stop it.. But thanks to the work of the GRNC and other pro-2A groups that problem has been resolved and that bottle-neck removed.
Still it’s a barrier to have to do it AND pay for it.
No more so than any other state. I’m a former FFL, I know our state laws quite well. Yes, you have to pay for getting a CCW. Nothing is free these days… Do you live in North Carolina?
I live in NC where you don’t pay a fee to legally open carry, so, yes, it’s free. Paying a fee for CWP is a “barrier.” Going to the sheriff’s office, filling and filing forms, etc., are “barriers.” What is it that you don’t get about this? The OP for this thread asked which states allow open carry, but have barriers to getting “carry permits.” I responded and seemingly triggered you.
Came here to say exactly this. I am unaware of any state with an intentionally burdensome permitting scheme, but where it is also perfectly acceptable to carry openly without any permit. The only thing close are open carry states, like VA, that won’t issue permits to 18-20 year olds, so they must open carry in order to carry legally. But that’s really the scenario addressed.
*But that’s *not* really the scenario addressed.
You added “burdensome,” which is subjective. What “burdens” one may seem trifling to another. It is a fact that one can open carry in NC without fees nor mandatory appearance nor background check, therefore the only burden is in acquiring the weapon which is not imposed by the state.
Decades ago, a friend advised me “If you open carry, you’re telling the thief he’ll have to kill you to get your money.” I took that to heart. I support open carry and those who practice such, but it’s not for me. Stay safe. j
Most people are unqualified to open carry– they don’t maintain situational awarness
I would say there are quite many people out there that aren’t qualified to carry period. I really think the states should offer, or require, courses in order to be able to get your CCW. Just because someone knows how to shoot and maybe even shoot well, doesn’t mean they are tactically aware. I have found in casual conversation that everybody’s an expert These days. I love hearing the line “well if that happened to me I would do this”, makes me crack up every time I hear it.
Here in New Mexico, in order to carry concealed you must take a 15 hour course, 10 in class & 5 on the range. Dps also charge’s 60.00 for prints, 100.00 for background check and price varies between the instructors anywhere from 100.00 to 300.00 for the 15 hour course. We are a OC state but I wouldn’t recommend it, I’d rather pay for a CHL.
From what I understand, New Mexico is not a gun friendly place to be unless you’re a criminal. I agree with some of those items but certainly not all of them. $60 for prints= BS, $100 for background check on NICS= BS, clash price sounds about right and at least someone who takes that course, I would assume, they come out of their knowing a little more tactical awareness than when they went in. But at least everyone that carries then has a decent start as most people do not. If I were gonna rob a place, the first thing I would do is find the open carry guy and rob him first. Two guns are always better than one lol!
I live in a Constitutional Carry state, but maintain my concealed carry permit. There are many other states where I can carry concealed due to reciprocity. While I absolutely recognize someone’s right to carry openly, in my mind I’m always thinking that if something goes down… that guy’s getting shot first.
Open carrying absolutely screams “please shoot me first”
These anti gun freaks are gone crazy. Tennessee where almost everyone carries a gun, gun killings went down to a very low percent. Also why would you open carry when if you pulled your shirt over your gun, crazy’s wouldn’t know you carry one and use it to kill you. Instead of illuminating guns(Toy guns), You should teach your child to handle one and get them prepared for the future. Never know when you would need to use one. If you are so worried about guns, then you should put a sign up in front of your house telling people you don’t have guns. LOL.
well if he was carrying like the guy in the picture then i would say he was telling bad guys to take his gun…..
Pretty sure thats a woman in the picture…
now-a-days it could be either or but it would be better to call it a woman…..