Lashawn Gates gave his 17-year-old girlfriend a gun and told her to rob his intended victim. (Photo: Wisconsin Department of Corrections)
A Milwaukee woman carrying a concealed handgun shot and killed a 17-year-old girl who had tried to rob her at the request of the girl’s 26-year-old boyfriend. The boyfriend, who had previously been convicted of soliciting a child for prostitution, has been charged with felony murder.
Lashawn E. Gates gave a .40 caliber handgun to his girlfriend and told her to rob a woman of a laptop computer and an Apple watch, local media reports.
Gates had contacted the intended victim and arranged the fake purchase on the website “letgo.com.” He told the woman that he would have his girlfriend make the purchase, so the victim would feel more comfortable.
The pair targeted the wrong woman. When the girlfriend entered the woman’s vehicle, pulled the gun Gates gave her, and announced a robbery, the woman fought back. The women struggled over the gun until the girlfriend exited the vehicle while shooting at the victim.
The woman, who held a valid concealed carry permit, retrieved her own firearm and shot the girl multiple times, according to a complaint obtained by local media. The girl died, but Milwaukee police have said the shooting was an act of self-defense.
This isn’t the first time Gates has attempted to rob unsuspecting people in this fashion. On January 17 of this year, Gates and another man robbed someone of an Xbox Battlefield V video game system by setting up a bogus sale on “letgo.com.”
Gates was also convicted of a 2013 robbery he arranged through Craigslist as well as an additional robbery in 2012.
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According to Trust Pilot, Gates isn’t alone in his preferred selling app. A review of “letgo.com” from five days ago reports, “Worst selling app ever. Full of scammers who waste your time and try to steal your goods by offering fraudulent cashiers checks.”
Another review from six days ago says, “I’ve had a few people that said that they wanted to purchase my merchandise but never came through. They will message you and rope you into a conversation just to go ghost. I recommend CAUTION when using this app because there’s some sketchy things that people will try to pull as well.”
For those hoping to stay safe during online meet-ups, Craigslist offers some advice:
- Insist on a public meeting place like a cafe, bank, or shopping center.
- Do not meet in a secluded place or invite strangers into your home.
- Be especially careful buying/selling high value items.
- Tell a friend or family member where you’re going.
- Take your cell phone along if you have one.
- Consider having a friend accompany you.
- Trust your instincts.
If this incident is any indication, carrying a means of self-defense should also be added to this list.
Gates was in custody Monday in the state’s Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility.
In Sunnyvale California, the local public safety department designated two parking spots on their parking lot for exchanges such as this. Much safer that way!
🎶Another one bites the dust and another one gone another one bites the dust🎶
I am stunned that this attack occurred, and was apparently performed by a normally peaceful and tranquil sub saharan nubian youth. Believe me….this will be a rare occurrence, for sure.
Alright, who’s responsible for letting this animal out multiple times? What’s the point of arresting these thugs only to let them out. Looks like the courts should be held accountable, but they won’t. How does this punk have a gun?
Insist on a public meeting place like a cafe, bank, or shopping center.
Do not meet in a secluded place or invite strangers into your home.
Be especially careful buying/selling high value items.
Tell a friend or family member where you’re going.
Take your Springfield XDS along if you have one.
Consider having an armed friend accompany you.
Trust your instincts.
GO HEAVY!
I say invite them to the local LEO station or close proximity to make your exchange. See how many willing participants you have. If they are unwilling participants it may be they aren’t on the up & up.
So do something about it. All elections are important, especially local ones. They bring elected officials and judges into office who want to pass more laws limiting our Constitutional rights, but let offenders out on probation or protect them from any jail time. Our 2nd Amendment (And 1st Amendment) is toast unless we vote AND get all other like-minded Patriots to show up and vote in elections. Many conservatives are too naive or just plain apathetic, thinking that gun confiscation, universal background checks, gun registration, and mandatory gun buy back programs will never happen. Even some conservative politicians are compromising their constitutional rights for the almighty Grail – re-election. It is time for all Patriotic Americans to stand up and let our voices be heard. Visit, call or write your elected officials, talk to your neighbors and friends. Semper Fi.
A fitting end for this criminal, and I hope this coward of a boyfriend ends up being some ones bitch in prison.
The left continues to disarm the law abiding but won’t contain these animals in jail. They are responsible for the victimization of the innocent by allowing proven felons back on the streets. Thugs are counting on their victims to be unarmed and democrats are insuring that’s the
case. Empowering criminals and creating an unintended victim pool is the result of disarming the lawful and releasing career criminals. Politicians should be held responsible for their part in this.
The wrong criminal ended up dead
This woman is a hero in my eyes…she just got two criminals off the street.
I have a minor question for those of us watching ………….
What is a convicted , felonious , element of human debris , doing with a
.40 cal. handgun ? Is he not prohibited from possessing said ordnance by
law upon his release? Is this not a violation of parole?
More firearms laws , anyone ?
How absurd this whole debate has become .
Amen…the lack of any kind of common sense put forth, by what seems to be the vast majority of Liberals, is mind boggling. They have a real lack of comprehension.
Which just goes to prove what ought to be obvious to everyone: Criminals don’t care one damn about gun laws. The fact is, they love the laws that only serve to restrict the law abiding members of society. Gun laws provide safer targets for lawbreakers. Folks, BE PREPARED, ARM YOURSELVES!
A plumber wouldn’t arrive at a jobsite without his tools. Weapons are the tools of the sociopath.
Gun was probably stolen or one of his thug buddies gave it to him.
The woman who shot the girl did the world a favor, including the future offspring of this couple from hell, one down, one to go. This punk is unlikely to survive long in prison, big mouth with get him killed. How hard is it to clean up you act, stop being a punk and get a job? Bet his mommy’s proud.
I sold some motorcycles on Graig’s list. I had to have the buyer come to my home. However, when I met them to look over the bikes I carried openly my 45 acp. so they could see it easily. I may have lost a little advantage on a really desperate person, but for the majority I felt it was a deterrent to stupid human tricks.
Unfortunately these kind of scum knows how to work the system and remain free to cause more harm to an innocent public.
They should be put down like the stray dog they are. Sorry dogs for involving your name in this.
That s an insult to stray dogs”
So let me get this straight, a repeat felon, convicted of multiple robberies and pimping, was free on the streets to re-offend again? Why? Are we so over-crowed we can’t keep our habitual criminals locked up anymore? Though the girl got what she deserved, he should be put down for the animal that he is, as he has no intention of ever going straight.
Our shitty court system!
And he had a gun! So much for the effectivness of gun control laws. Adding more laws won’t stop criminals from getting guns. They’ll just make it harder for honest folks to defend themselves from crooks like him.
If he’s in jail he can’t vote. Simple.
Hopefully… (shrug)
Yeah, unfortunately there are a lot of sick people in this world. The girl was stupid enough to go along with this coward’s plan. I’m sure he probably forced her too.
This scum is no better that the insurgents that use women and children for suicide bombings. I hope he gets taught what getting taken advantage of feels like in prison.
Robbery was all fun and games…until it wasn’t.
What a sack of shit.