I can't believe it! I got robbed today!!!

[Flatiron]

With all my training, practice, vigilance and making a point of ALWAYS being armed... some 20something gangbanger punk in baggy clothes got me!

I write my experience so that I may learn how to protect myself in the future and also to let others know never to let your guard down!

I was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight today at my storage facility in my neighborhood.

I was working on a deck I am building in my backyard. I am almost finished and I loaded up my truck with the tools and stuff I don't need anymore (shovels, sledge hammer, chopsaw, fold up saw horses etc.) and I head over to my neighborhood staorage facility where I have had a storage bin for a few years because I don't like the clutter at my house. Mostly tools, camping stuff, bikes stuff like that.

It is a big warehouse building witha bunch of roll up doors all around it. Inside it is filled with individual storage lockers. Mine is right by a door so I back in and I unlock my storage door and I am taking stuff out of my truck and carrying it in my locker. It is about 3:30pm and no one around.

I carry in a load and when I come out a young punk is standing there with a ski mask on, black baggy panys, black baggy coat and it actually takes me a few seconds to realize he has a 9mm black Glock pointed right at my chest.

I put my hands up and say "be cool bro" and at that he says "give it up" and I say "be cool" again at this point he starts getting all excited and cursing and say stuff like "you think I'm playing %$#@&"

I pull out my wallet and say this is all I have. He snatches it with the gun pointing at my face now.

Now I would like to point out that I am never unarmed and because I was working in my backyard I had sweat pants on and sweatshirt and hooded zip up jacket and I had my Kel-Tec .380 in a pocket holster in my right front pocket.

He is about about 3 feet from me with the gun now pointed at my chest. For one second I contemplated knocking his arm away and rushing him but you know what... when the gun is aimed at you it's a whole different story.

I decided not to chance it and I was studying what he was wearing and I thought that if he missed my .380 maybe I could pull it when he turned to run or so I thought. All this was going through my mind in one second.

The punk them says turn around and then thats when I started to get nervous. He said what else do you got and I said thats it and I felt the gun poked in my right back just over my kidney. I was thinking that would be a real bad place to be shot. He reached in my pocket and pulled out my .380 and my freakin keys and he started to get real excited again and said "oh so you gonna smoke me?"

He started cursing something and then he pushed me and told me to start walking towards the back of the warehouse and I thought oh %$% the punk is going to shot me in the back of the building.

I said "come on man be cool don't do something we're gonna regret"

He said start walking and pushe me down to long walkway with the closest corner to turn about 15 feet down the hall. He said to me to keep walking and count to 30 and if I turned around he would shoot me.

Well I took off and turned the first corner I got to. I stopped and hugged the wall and listened I didn't hear anything. I peeped around the corner and half expected the punk to be still standing there aiming at me. I nervously walk up the hall and peered out into the main area where the door was and my truck is parked. He was not there. I ran to the door and looked out and I could not see anyone up or down the street.

Thats was it! It was over with in 5 minutes. I was filled with so much rage. I would have emptied a full magazine into that punk if I could had caught him which was a futile because this kid was gone.

I didn't know which direction he went in, I didn't even know if he had a buddy sitting outside in a car.

I called 911 and they said they would send a car over and they did... 20 minutes later a squad car shows up.

I called my sister who had an extra truck key of mine. I called the bank and put a stop on my credit cards.

I am still mad about it but the storage manager and the LEO said that the important think is the punk didn't shoot me in the back.

I keep thinking back today. There was nothing I could do at the time. I really wasn't frozen with fear or anything but I did shake a little a few hours later.

I wish somehow I could have done something. He got keys to everything I own including two vehicles and my wallet with every scrap of ID I have.

The LEO's said that 99% of the time the robbers get around the corner and grab the cash (I had $400.00 in my wallet just cashed a check!) and they toss the wallet or purse down the sewer or up on a building. If you are lucky it might get tossed on a street and some good samaritan will return it but not usually. The LEO said he took my keys so I couldn't follow him.

But they said I could change my house locks and buy a couple of steering wheel locks to give ME some comfort.

I've got a lot of thinking to do. One thing I learned is I need am extra key stashed somewhere in my truck and car that I could use in an emergency. I did have am emergency key... it was in my wallet.

I am wondering if I had another gun in my truck too would that have helped. If I had a key I could have circled the block right after the robbery and maybe caught sight of the punk!

I don't think I will ever carry another pocket pistol. If I had a shoulder or ankle holster this guy would have missed it, then at least I would have had some sort of weapon.... but again it would have been AFTER the crime.

I could keep a better eye out but this guy snuck up on my. I literally did not see him until he was standing in front of me and even then it took a good 4 seconds before I even noticed he had a gun which is really weird because I would have thought I would notice that quick.

My family keeps telling me that they don't care about the money and wallet and there just glad I wasn't shot.

The LEO and storage manager said they have never heard of a robbery where I was robbed at and that it is generally considered a pretty safe part of town. The LEO thinks it was just a crime of opportunity.

Anybody got any ideas on this scenario? I swear I am going to do some heavy thinking and planning so that this never happens to me again.

I am 48 and I have never in my life been robbed at gunpoint like that. And it's funny because I read about this all the time and I have the same feeling that a lot of victims have... I just can't believe it happened to me.

One thing is for sure.. if I have to lose a gun I'd rather lose my Kel-tec .380 than my Springfield Mil_Spec which is what I usually carry.

I guess tomorrow I get to start getting all my ID's agiain. I don't even have a drivers license and I have to reapply for the CCW again!

[Niagarafallss1]

Damn. I'm at a loss of words. Glad ya didn't get shot! Bless ya brother !

[ValleyBoy]

Wow!

[MonsterBronco]

I'm glad your ok. In a situation like that when they have you at an advantage really the only thing you can do at the moment is maintain a cool head and try not to get them all worked up and excited. There is no special king fu move or Jedi mind trick anything to do really.

Personally considering the circumstances and the result you handled it perfectly. Any woulda coulda shoulda suggestions are after the fact and no one knows how they would work. We know thankfully how your actions worked today and thankfully you are ok.

[BDHershey]

Glad you are OK. I thought most of these places were gated and required a code to get in? Does he rent there? He may have hopped the fence or something, but that seems like it would have slowed his escape. Sounds like you did the right thing. I've been in your position before and its not fun. You second guess alot. I was real mad for a few weeks. But you came out uninjured and went home to your family so you did good. I'm not going to tell you, "you coulda done this, or you shoulda done that". You'll do that enough to yourself. You survived and learned something. Sounds like you stayed pretty cool and helped keep him cool, good job. Now you know how you'll react in a situation like this, and can use that to your advantage if it ahppens again. Hopefully it wont. At least you didn't have family around. We all slip into complacency at times. Seemingly secure location, broad daylight, by ourselfs, familiar place... I probably would have been in the same boat...

-Hershey

[Embark]

First of all glad to hear you are OK, that is some scary stuff right there. Chalk it up to a relatively cheap learning experience, I would lay good money that will never happen to you again will it? I'm going to forward your experience to my father who thinks his little kel-tec in his pocket is the way to go. If you can't get to it, you might as well not carry it. The outcome suggets you made all the right moves, but I would be really angry too.

[GoodShow]

That sucks. I’m sure you are filled with conflicting emotions. Don’t beat yourself up.
Anyone at anytime can walk into an ambush. Hell, these are the towns we live and work
in not a war zone! Being prepared for trouble does not always mean we will be able to
confront it on our terms. You came home alive and the police are looking for a BG,
mission accomplished. By the way, you did do something else and don’t even realize
it. When he found your carry you reminded this punk not everyone is willing to be a
victim and he is playing a really dangerous game. His days are numbered and today he
came a little closer to his last. He’ll screw up and his game (hopefully his life) will be
over. You still have a whole lot of living ahead of you. Feel Better…..stay safe and
I’m glad you’re OK!

[Sheldonj]

Despite the fact you are going to hear a lot of should-a, could-a, would-a, from the bleachers the only important part is you are OK.

[Agent6-3/8]

WOW!!!!! You are extremely lucky.

No need for any of us to MMQB or for you to second guess yourself. You're home and alive. I have to say that stories like this make me as mad as he** just reading them.

[iNuhBaD]

I'm glad that you're still alive & okay!

Situational awareness is of PARAMOUNT importance. It took me living 1.5 years in Downtown Murderapolis to TRULY learn situation awareness through experience. In that first year I had 11 people try to mug me (usually a strong-arm assaulting, but occasionally they'll pull a screw driver or a knife...). I've gotten VERY good at using cans of Mace. I'm a very good aim!

Due to situational awareness and constantly looking over my shoulder or scrutinizingly at 'suspicious' looking people in the area I've never SUCCESSFULY been mugged. Thank GOD for that too.

That said, since you were IN a storage unit it gives someone time to sneak up in your blind spots. I won't sit here & be a keyboard commando, but hindsight is 20/20, and I'm sure you can analyze the heck out of this to find out ways to keep this from ever happening again.

Keep Your Head Up! Don't forget to Check Your Six Often. Say some prayers thanking God for now, and hope the Police can sort this out & catch him...

Murderapolis has an average 21 minute response time to life threatening muggings/assaults in my experience. I know many MPD/SPPD, and other LEOs and they've ALL said DO NOT entrust your safety to the police. That's your OWN responsibility.

Glad you survived this one! That's a scary situation!

[Baker]

Some storage areas, community garages, and such are really "blind" as far as seeing what is going on a few feet away.

We lived in an apartment compex in Rochester NY, where 2 women were abducted right from the parking garage where we kept my wife's car. They were robbed, raped and released. The garages were completely blind from each other at any vantage point inside or outside.

Sometimes the terrain favors the enemy.

[Shootalot]

I keep telling my wife that no matter where you are you're never 100% safe. I can imagine that you never thought it would happen to you but I can not fully understand how I would feel until it happens to me. (And I hope it never does happen)

You did all you could in such a situation and besides, who expects to be robbed in a relatively safe part of town. Even in the bad areas you are usually pretty safe until it is dark. Not always but your chances of assault go up as the sun goes down.

Glad to hear that you are fine except for your nerves plus your wallet and .380. This is a good reminder to not be complacent at any time, not that you were. But I know there are times when I'm thinking about my day or what I want for dinner or some other mundane thought when I should be looking for possible assailants.

The good guy is almost always at a disadvantage, you're not looking for trouble and mean no one any harm. The one doing the robbing is most often prepared for the worst when you're just minding your own business.

Again, I'm glad you are safe and that I can continue to read your posts another day.

[6285108]

You ought to play the lottery..that's how lucky you are to be able to post this...you easily could have been in the morgue or recovering in a hospital.
Be mad but be thankful. You did as well as can be expected considering the situation.

FWIW Carry something more powerful than a .380, I used to carry a
P3AT but broke down in a bad hood once and felt quite underarmed, carry my 1911 or G23 always now. Don't know if it makes a difference but I feel more secure than when I carried the mouse gun.

[ctrmass]

You being here to type this is proof you made all the right decisions in that perticular instance.

[Halperns]

My God, it's a miracle you are alive to post.

I can't believe how calmly you handled the situation and it certainly HAD to be a factor in your survival.

BTW, call any ONE of the big three credit agencies and have an immediate credit alert issued. Whichever one you notify will automatically pass the freeze to the other two and you will receive written verification. It will protect your credit information and prevent anyone from applying for credit using your personal information for 90 days, and it's free.

Also, don't those storage places have video cameras set up all around. There might be a chance this jerk is on video.

[VRWC_Member428]

Given the ambush situation probably the only thing that could have prevented it or turned it around is the buddy system. Unfortunately, it's not realistic to expect to always have a companion... and that's when these punks attack - when you're most vulnerable.

Probably the best thing to learn from this is to constantly be aware of the situations we are in, and how vulnerable we may be. Knowing when we are most vulnerable, we can put ourselves somewhere between condition yellow and condition orange.

I know this will give me pause every time I go into my storage unit from now on.

[Dwight55]

Flatiron, . . . it's over, . . . you're not in the hospital or morgue, . . . what goes around, comes around.

Count your blessings, . . . I'm just glad you're safe.

May God continue to bless,
Dwight

[bimdub]

Glad to hear your ok!, I have been actually shot as a teenager, it was an accident and I took a 30-30 from about 5 feet directly in the abdomen, I was 14 at the time and I am now 33 and still here! but I have had complications....and I do not wish that or worse on anyone. I am telling you folks this because I feel like a posterboy for gun ownership! I have never blamed the gun, it was simlpy the person in poor control of the gun. I have also been held up....again not a pleasant experience, I had the advantage in that scenario, as the person was holding up my place of employment (another employee) and I had actually broken from routine that night....and parked in a different location, he did not know I was in the building and I really suprised him, I also was able to identify him him even behind his ski mask! anyhow, all material things can be replaced, you cannot! use this incident as a training tool, and be proud of the fact that you are a Survivor!

[Mac Attack]

Glad you came out of it safe and sound. Hindsight is always 20/20 and it's easy to look back now and say you should have done this or you should have done that but in the end you survived and that's the most important thing.

I always hear people talking about how they have no problem with protecting themselves or their property and would not hesistate to pull the trigger. You really never know what you would do until you are in that situation. I think under the circumstances you did what seemed the like right thing given the situation and you lived to talk about it...so you did fine.

[Bison]

I'm glad to hear you're ok. What a horrible event. What an enraging event. I'm sure it is totally different when it is actually happening to you as opposed to thinking about what you would do. You're a lucky man!

[Flatiron]

Thanks everybody. It is 11 hrs later and I am still PO'd! I found myself doing something stupid tonight I found myself driving around the neighborhood like I would see this punk standing on a street corner, heck I would even be able to positively ID this guy because all I saw was his eyes.

Fortunately I wised up quickly and went home. It is suddenly occurring to me that this punk is not going to get caught because no one can id him. Even if they catch him with the gun all he has to do is say he bought it on the street.

I am still wracking my brain to think how this will never happen to me again but I am still going over in my mind what happened over and over. One thing is for sure is I am going back with a buddy to the storage place and moving my stuff somewhere else more secure.

There is no gate at this one. It is just huge building with big roll up doors all around it. Anyone can walk in off the street. There are no security cameras on in the day time only burglar alarms on at night. Like I said this was a very nice neighborhood its in. I am definitely finding a more secure facility.

Funny thing is I had to go to a function tonight and I found myself studying anyone who even remotely came close to me this evening outside.

[VRWC_Member428]

I think most would agree that what you went through is one of those worst case scenarios with very few options for all but highly trained individuals. Being suprised by soembody a few feet away with a gun pointed at you is nearly impossible to defend against without a HUGE risk to yourself. I've tried it with fake guns, and it's very hit or miss as to whether or not you can sucessfully deflect the weapon or gain control before getting shot.

I recommend talking to close friends and family members so they can help you get through this very emotionally trying time.

The spagetti hit the fan but fortunately it didn't leave too bad a mess.

[Ol Bull]

WOW, Thank God your alive. Really makes a guy think doesn't it!

[John Hambrick]

Glad to hear you are physically ok. Sorry it happened.

[tex45acp]

Flatiron,

Your Guardian Angel was working overtime for you, and it was not your time to go!!! I thank God that you were not physically harmed. Your mental state may need some adjusting though. Very few people, dealing with such a traumatic experience, can just walk away and fall back into everyday life.

Good Luck my friend, may God bless you and stay alert!!!