Concealed Carry: 3,000 Rounds Fired in Columbus, Ohio New Year’s Celebration

by Matthew Maruster 

Some of us celebrated the new year by hanging out with family or friends and kissing our loved ones. But, unfortunately, many in Columbus, Ohio, decided to celebrate more destructively and dangerously by shooting guns into the sky.

I’ll bet that everyone reading this post understands the criminal recklessness displayed in celebratory gunfire. So this isn’t going to be a lecture on why blindly shooting rounds all over the place is stupid. Besides, even if this post made it in front of the eyes of the morons who do stuff like this, they would be too tough to accept their actions are objectively wrong.

Instead, I just want to bring to you a report I saw on a local Columbus New NBC 4 website.

Like many police departments around the country, Columbus Police use a sophisticated network of devices situated around the city that “listen” for the sound of gunshots. The system is called ShotSpotter and can give police an idea of where the shots are coming from.

Shotspotter

The NBC article reported that:

According to Columbus police, ShotSpotter, which does not cover the entire city, produced 455 alerts of guns being fired and detected 3,142 rounds being fired between 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and 2 a.m. New Year’s Day.

I recently moved my family a few more miles away from the city of Columbus, Ohio. Oh, and it’s the daily stories like these that confirm the wisdom of that choice.

Columbus Police Sergeant Jow Albert said:

Like I said, that doesn’t cover the entire city, so I know there’s other places in the city that had this — probably just as much, if not more, gunfire that just wasn’t covered by ShotSpotter.

The news report went on to say that police received 184 calls for service for shots fired during the three-hour window. Additionally, police took nine reports of homes struck by gunfire and two reports of vehicles hit by bullets on Friday evening or early Saturday morning.

The property damage is unfortunate, and there are undoubtedly bullets lodged in homes and buildings all over the city that no one knows about yet.

This isn’t a video from this year’s idiocy in Columbus, Ohio, rather it’s from Detroit in 2020.

I’m not a math wizard, but over 3,142 rounds in 3 hours is a lot of shooting. That works out to over 17 rounds a minute! These lunatics have not experienced ammo shortage and have plenty of money to buy rounds. Rational people with a functioning brain do not do this kind of thing, but some obviously do.

It is almost unbelievable that nobody was killed (at least that we know of). But that doesn’t mean there were no adverse effects.

The ABC 4 News article reported on two incidents resulting from the celebratory gunfire.

In one incident, police said a man reported that he and his girlfriend heard several shots in the 3000 block of Sterling Lane shortly after midnight on Saturday. While the couple ran to the girlfriend’s car, something knocked the man to the ground. When he reached the car, he realized he had been shot in the leg. Police said they expect him to recover.

The second story is quite sad.

A woman called Latasha Moncrief said that someone fired a shot that went through her six-year-old daughter’s bedroom window on Friday night. Moncrief said the incident had shaken her daughter up.

She won’t go in that room. She ain’t been in that room. She sleeps in the bed with me now so just talk to her, make sure that I explain to her what happened so that way she could get clear understanding. She’s pretty smart anyway, so she understands.

Finally —

I wish I could apologize for the disparaging tone of this post. But an apology would not be sincere. This kind of reckless disregard for human life isn’t anything to be accepted in any way. If you think it’s harmless to shoot rounds into the sky, you’re wrong. If you know people who do this, I ask you to talk with them and call out the behavior for what it is…criminally reckless.

Columbus Police are asking for anyone with information of any crime that occurred on New Year’s Eve or Day to contact the department at 614-645-4545.

About Matthew Maruster

I follow my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the eternal co-equal Son of God. I currently live in Columbus, Ohio with my wife and daughter. I served in the Marine Corps Infantry. I was a Staff Sergeant and served as a Platoon Sergeant during combat in Iraq. After I was a police officer at a municipal agency in San Diego County. I was a lead marksmanship instructor in the Marine Corps, and an assistant range master, and crisis negotiator at the police department. I have a Bachelors's Degree in Criminal Justice from National University. I produce the Concealed Carry Podcast and coordinate the Concealed Carry Instructor Network, and manage MJ Maruster Defense.

View all posts by Matthew Maruster →

Live Streams and Breaking Sports News

Concealed Carry: Murder Rates Climb- ‘Worse Than A War Zone’ in Some Cities

 

by Matthew Maruster 

Last week, ABC News published a piece titled ‘It's just crazy': 12 major cities hit all-time homicide records. I'm not going to chalk this up to COVID, as is the customary practice these days. Instead, I want to look at something interesting the report brought to light.

Looking at the numbers —

First, let's remind ourselves that assigning one cause to a rise in murder rate oversimplifies a complex issue affected by numerous variables. However, it doesn't mean we should throw out the correlating variables that would seem to impact a particular cause. And we certainly should consider (but not blindly accept) the advice of those who study the issue.

Concealed Carry Podcast brought to you by XS Sights - Season 4 Episode 19 - "Deliberate Coaching with Brian Hill of Complete Combatant"

Okay so back to the ABC article. The piece points out that AT LEAST 12 cities in the U.S. have passed their highest recorded rate for a single year. Here they are.

Other large cities haven't been included in the above table because their numbers, while higher than the previous year, have not surpassed their all-time highs.  For example, the 73rd ranked most dangerous city in the U.S. tallied 739 homicides as of November 2021, an increase of 3% from the previous year, but not 974 like in 1970.

Things that stand out —

In looking at the data, a few things stand out.

First, 5 of the cities' previous all-time high in homicides was last year. These figures point to an uncharacteristic and sustained spike in homicides. The cities are spread out and represent nearly every geographical region in the country.

Everytown for Gun Safety —

Secondly, the mayors of each city on the list have something in common. Sure they are Democrats, but that isn't the important thing, as not all Democrat-run cities are in shambles. The commonality between all mayors is that they are proud supporters and backed by the group Everytown for Gun Safety.

Contrary to the name, Everytown for Gun Safety isn't really an organization promoting gun safety. It's not a stretch to encapsulate the Everytown mission as complete abolition of the individual's right to own firearms.

You can head to the' Who We Are‘ tab on the organization's website to confirm, as Everytown conveniently lists the cities of mayors associated with the organization. We shouldn't discount this as a trivial coincidence. Does this alone mean Everytown's influence on mayors equals higher murder numbers? No, not in and of itself.

Preemption —

Take Ohio, for example. Ohio has two cities represented on the chart, Toledo and Columbus. I happen to live in Columbus, Ohio and know a few officers who can substantiate the city's decline. Andrew Ginther, the mayor of Columbus, is a progressive Democrat associated with Everytown. However, Ohio has preemption laws. The laws don't allow a city to create more restrictive gun laws, contradicting the State Constitution.

Every state on the list except New York has preemption laws that hinder at least in part local jurisdictions from making more restrictive gun laws. To further muddy the correlation to murder rates and Everytown-linked mayors, there are cities in which murder rates haven't soared, whose mayors govern linked to Everytown.

But it is interesting to look back to a 2016 Daily Mail article that listed the 50 most dangerous cities in the World. The murder rate was one of the factors influencing the ranking. Unsurprisingly, 41 of the 50 cities on the list are in Latin America. Mexico and Brazil account for the overwhelming majority of cities. Civilian ownership of firearms is banned outright or highly regulated in the countries.

Before we point fingers, 4 U.S. Cities made the list. The cities are Saint Louis, Baltimore, Detroit, and New Orleans. You probably know where I'm going with this. All four cities' mayors had close ties to the organization called, Mayors Against Illegal Guns. This organization, along with Mom's Demand Action, later became, yep, Everytown for Gun Safety.

I'm not saying a mayor on board with Everytown isn't likely to run their city into the ground. I just don't think their association with Everytown is the actual reason for the hazardous nature of the cities. Instead, I see the association as an indication of a world view of governing, associated with policies that doom the residents.

Lack of accountability?

I agree with the next logical step the ABC report takes to understand the soaring murder rates.

The ABC post included commentary from the New York Police Chief of Detectives called Robert Boyce. The article quotes Boyce as saying:

Nobody’s getting arrested anymore. People are getting picked up for gun possession and they're just let out over and over again.

The FBI Uniform Crime Report showed over 10 million arrests in 2019. In 2020, that number dropped to 7.63 million, a 24% drop. To put this number in context, the number of arrests in 2020 was the lowest in 25 years! We're not talking about a rate adjusted per capita, and the number of agencies reporting numbers to the FBI has increased over that period. If that weren't enough, the U.S. population (as far as we know) has increased by 48.5 million since 2000!

All this is to say arrest numbers should naturally go up, not down.

One possible factor could be the actual number of police officers available to make arrests decreased from 2019-2020. The decrease was the first decrease since 2012-2013. From 2013 – 2019 the number of officers increased drastically, corresponding to a general decrease in crime rates.

A Police Executive Research Forum report noted in the ABC article reported that:

The retirement rate in police departments nationwide jumped 45% over 2020 and 2021. And another 18% of officers resigned, the survey found, a development which coincided with nationwide social justice protests and calls to defund law enforcement agencies following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.

I think this has more impact on rising murder rates in these cities. It seems a mayor aligning with an organization like Everytown will likely also align with other groups that support similar social policies. Policies that often result in the opposite of their stated goal or are flat-out terrible.

Failed policies —

For example, wherever ‘defund the police' gained traction, increased crime rates followed. Demonizing all police as corrupt and racist has a negative impact on enforcement, and retention if you just stop and think about it for more than 2 seconds.

Probably even more impactful than the previous two points is the push to reform bail policies and laws. Unsurprisingly, crime rates have exploded where policies, like not requiring bail or choosing not to bring charges are enacted. Criminals are left to re-offend repeatedly. The tragic mass-killing at a Christmas parade is a recent example of what happens when the criminal justice system breaks.

Finally —

Regardless of political affiliation, politicians work for the citizens of this country. Their sole job is to govern in a way that allows every person the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To do the very best they can for the citizens. Hold your politicians accountable for failed policies. Stop voting for someone simply because they have a D or an R after their name. Research the people you vote for. Demand decent people to represent you in the legislature.

Leave a comment with your opinion on the content. You are free to agree or disagree; we don't care. However, please remember we must moderate the comments, and our policy requires you to use your actual email and name. Also, consider listening to the Concealed Carry Podcast, where we discuss the issues affecting gun owners across the country.

About Matthew Maruster

I follow my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the eternal co-equal Son of God. I currently live in Columbus, Ohio with my wife and daughter. I served in the Marine Corps Infantry. I was a Staff Sergeant and served as a Platoon Sergeant during combat in Iraq. After I was a police officer at a municipal agency in San Diego County. I was a lead marksmanship instructor in the Marine Corps, and an assistant range master, and crisis negotiator at the police department. I have a Bachelors' Degree in Criminal Justice from National University. I produce the Concealed Carry Podcast and coordinate the Concealed Carry Instructor Network, and manage MJ Maruster Defense.

View all posts by Matthew Maruster →

Concealed Carry. Don’t Go In: Arriving Home to Forced Entry

 

by Matthew Maruster 

I know I'll get some hate mail for this post, but that's fine; it wouldn't be the first time. I get it; you work hard for your stuff and don't want anyone taking it. And I'll agree the people breaking into homes are committing a criminal act and should be held accountable. However, I'm not demanding you respond a certain way. Instead, asking you to consider the information and perspective in the post.

Okay, so here it is;

if you return home and find signs that someone broke into or is inside your unoccupied home, there are zero reasons to go inside

When a loved one is inside the home, the situation is much different.

However, that IS NOT what the scope of this article is addressing.

Go inside to investigate?

Most of the news stories we find are of home invasions. But we also see reports of people returning to an unoccupied home to find evidence of forced entry.

Yes, sometimes people go inside to ‘investigate.' Investigate seems easier than saying – search the home to potentially get into an unnecessary physical altercation, possibly leading to injury or death for you or any unwelcome visitor(s).

Being armed with your everyday carry (EDC) handgun, you may feel inclined to head inside. However, while a handgun is a terrific tool, and if you had no choice but to go in, you would want to be armed, the gun doesn't ensure you aren't hurt or killed. Take, for instance, this story where an unarmed home invasion suspect disarmed the homeowner and used that gun to kill him.

People often tell me, ‘I know my house better than the burglar, so he is at a disadvantage.'

Really? It doesn't take a tactical guru with blueprints of the home to find a blind corner or another spot from which to ambush you. It's just nearly impossible to safely clear a house by yourself, even if it is your own.

You don't know how many people are inside, whether they are armed or their intentions. Burglars rarely operate by themselves. More than one person usually heads inside because they know there is a possibility that someone may be inside or arrive home. They want the advantage of numbers to overwhelm the homeowner(s).

They may also deploy a lookout to alert them someone has come home. If the suspects choose to stay and fight, they can ambush you and have a distinct advantage.

What can you do?

The simplest and safest thing to do is get you and your family to a secure location where you can call the police. Factors like the time of day, how far away a neighbor's house is, or law enforcement's response time to where you live will determine what is best. Next, consider a position of safety that provides a view of the house. Maybe this is inside a neighbor's house, across their porch, or down the street.

While heading to your house, officers consider how to deploy the resources they have. For example, as an officer responding to a hot prowl, I would usually check to see if our air support helicopter was available and how long it would take them to get overhead. I would also see if our K9 unit could head to the call as dogs are great at flushing out suspects. I would also coordinate with responding units so everyone didn't arrive at the house but rather get officers in the area to form a perimeter and search if the suspect ran.

The dispatcher may ask you questions, but it wouldn't hurt to offer the following information even if they don't ask. Some information that responding officers will find useful is:

• which door(s)/window(s) were forced open
• did you see or hear anyone inside the house
• is anyone supposed to be at home
• could someone legally be in the house
• are there animals inside or outside the home
• are there firearms inside the home that the suspects may have access to
• are there are vehicles or people nearby that seem out of place
• are there paths or trails nearby that lead to another location

If officers get this information before they arrive, they can respond more appropriately, given the particulars of your situation. But, again, by staying on the phone with dispatch, you can provide this helpful information without placing yourself or your family at any risk.

Reduce risk:

Sure, there are plenty of stories where a homeowner finds the door breached, goes inside to find nothing. And similarly, many armed homeowners have gone inside to find an intruder and successfully defend themselves or hold the person until law enforcement arrives.

It is great that we can find stories with positive outcomes.

However, even with the happy endings, the person exposed themself to unnecessary risk. Take this story, for instance. Thank God things ended well. But how easily could the outcome have turned out very different?

I don't know how much you value your life, but there isn't anything inside my home that is more valuable than my life. And if you need further perspective, consider what is more valuable to your family. Would they want you alive and unharmed, or any item inside your home a criminal can take?

There is another reason people may feel like heading inside to investigate.

There is a natural desire to catch the person. Maybe it's the feeling that if you catch them and they don't get away with it, they won't be back. It is true, burglars do sometimes target the same house if they obtain keys, know the owner's habits, or the security posture of the home remains weak.

But, unfortunately, just because someone gets arrested for burglary doesn't mean they don't do it anymore. So next time one of these burglars gets arrested, check out their prior offenses if they are listed. You're almost guaranteed to find arrests for prior burglaries and drug offenses.

And I'll just throw this in for your consideration because it's important. If somewhere in your calculus for going in is, ‘so the criminal leaves in a body bag,' you should seriously evaluate why you carry a firearm.

You don't have to justify criminal behavior to be against wanting to kill a burglar inside your home. That isn't justice.

Not every burglar who lives to see another day will change and become a positive member of society. Most probably won't. I've known my fair share who continue a criminal lifestyle until they die or end up committing a serious enough crime that they spend their lives in prison.

However, I also know a few who turned out to be law-abiding, loving parents who are grateful a homeowner didn't shoot them for breaking into their house.

Closing:

Again the point is, don't unnecessarily risk your life to protect things. Let the police who have additional resources do the job they signed up to do.

The feeling of knowing someone broke into your home and was going through your belongings is unnerving, scary and can leave you feeling violated. It doesn't matter what kind of neighborhood we live in; there is the potential someone may want what is inside your home.

We put together a course called Complete Home Defense. In the DVD or online course, we present information to help you secure your home and your loved ones. We offer everything from physical security to responses to home invasions in the class.

Click Here to Learn More

Live Streams and Breaking Sports News