An anonymous woman in Las Vegas defended herself against a stalker who broke into her apartment on September 26. “Police said the woman fired two shots at the man once he made entry into the unit, hitting him once in the chest.”http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/26635005/man-shot
This is her story and her picture, found on Imgur. I am posting it here, as I do not want such a harrowing, yet inspirational, story to disappear. Original source: http://imgur.com/gallery/giExlcJ
I'm writing this staring at the mess the police left for me, in a bit of a fog. After 6 months of stalking and threats against my life my stalker finally snapped and decided to kick my door in and make good on his promise. Out of fear, the past month I had begun sleeping with a chair propped against my front door, to give myself a few extra precious seconds in case of emergency. I shudder to think how differently things might've turned out had I not barricaded the door. I awoke around 1:15 am to the sound of the door giving way after one kick followed by the sounds of my stalker struggling to dislodge the chair while forcing his way inside. I jumped up and grabbed the gun I've learned to do everything even shower with. I stood at the top of my stairs and fired twice. Hitting him in the chest, I hear his scream, his disbelief that I'd stood up for myself… 0 to 100 in milliseconds. I've never been so afraid in my life. I do not know if he is living, but I do know the police have him and that's what helps the most. For months of him evading the police I began to question whether he was unstoppable. Untraceable. Houdini, he would murder me and get away with it. As of now I'm in a haze of guilt, surprise, relief and disbelief. I shook as the canines drag him out from his hiding place under a bush. I survived,where so many people do not. Holy shit, I survived.
The outpouring of support is WILD. I can’t thank you guys enough. Everyone can be a critic and the fact still remains, you don’t know what you will do in a situation until its presented in front of you. Those who believe there was other things to be done have never had someone tell you that you no longer deserve to draw breath and mean it. And for the should’ve fired a warning shot folks: There are no warning shots, a gun is a deadly force, you only pull that trigger if you are in fear for your life and all other methods of deterring are gone. When he kicked my door in, there was no longer a deterrent preventing harm. Warning shots are dangerous and could hurt the unintended. This is not a wild west movie. That's what responsible gun ownership is. I’ll update once things have calmed down a bit I promise. I’ll write back to everyone and after being isolated for so long, anyone who wants to be friends, I am always accepting those. A few people have asked so I finally created one, anything that is donated will help and be seriously appreciated.
Support her campaign to recover the money she lost here: http://www.gofundme.com/Stalked
This woman is a survivor. She did what the media and the elitist anti-gun crowd told her not to do. Only by owning and using a gun did she avoid being a victim. The anti-gun folks rail about how making guns harder to obtain and carry will supposedly protect women from violent men, but they ignore stories like this.
Crimes like these are why Nevada’s system of open carry, shall issue concealed weapons permits, and yes, even face-to-face sales without background checks, are necessary to ensure that women can fight back against violent men who may be stronger than they.
Still disagree? Tell me how soon the police would have arrived and if calling 911 would have made a difference. A restraining order? Bug spray?
Update 10/18/2014: More of her story, in her own words, on Reddit. Note the extreme and determined lengths the stalker went to find and contact her. If you are involved in a situation like this, it is recommended you have NO social media presence at all.
Update 01/12/2014: This commendable woman is doing well and has become a certified range safety officer with the goal of teaching others how to protect themselves. Article here. She is still affected by things one might describe as PTSD, which one could consider only natural after enduring such stress, trauma, and having to use deadly force (though not in this case) to protect her life. Notice the determination and resolve in her words. This is the woman that Shannon Watts does not care about. The anti-gun crowd would rather have seen this woman dead and/or raped, than her have the ability to defend herself. This is what hand gun ownership is all about.
I thought I’d update my fellow redditors. The past few months have been a roller coaster for me. Since my last update, I’ve moved and started a new job I cherish and made amazing new friends. I now work in a firearm range that doubles as education hub for shooters of all experience levels and recently gained my cert. to become an NRA Range Safety officer.
I can’t even begin to describe how working in this environment has helped me. I get to be around like minded individuals AND help broaden people’s knowledge and understanding of firearms and safe handling while expanding my own. I’ve learned so much from the people that I work with and their positivity and support is what’s been the most helpful.
If I told you that what happened to me no longer affects me I would be dishonest. It does and it does so everyday. I still jump when I hear doorbells or someone knocking. No matter how much I try to shake it, it won’t leave. I have nightmares, more often than I’d like and become anxious when I’m home alone. I am more aware of my immediate surroundings, but I trust less and my small town mindset and naïveté has pretty much vanished. Even certain movies I used to like, I can no longer enjoy because of the subject matter.
A piece of me is forever hollowed by my experience but that part is slowly becoming overshadowed by the part of me that’s helping others to feel more confidently and assertive about not having to become someone’s victim themselves.
After multiple court resets and subpoenas the man who was stalking me made a deal and is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb.11. Initially, I didn’t want to speak at his sentencing, I just wanted to close this hideous chapter and get on with my life but now I feel like I need to.
I need the court to understand the severity of what this person did to me, I still fear the justice system falling under his spell and giving him leniency because he was shot. I need them to understand what it may feel like to have someone hunt you down and toy with you like their prey. Or how you can become accustomed to lodging a chair against your door routinely the same way you brush your teeth before bed. I need them to know that I am a real person and not just a name read off of a piece of paper.
I feel as though I am ready now to look him in the eye and have him swallow the fact that I am the one who put him there. No one saved me, but me. I am alive, I am here despite many threats against my life, and almost giving up myself. I laugh and smile everyday because I know there are others in similar situations who won’t have the chance to. I am so much stronger now because of it. Today, I am happy to report, life is good. So yeah, Ask me anything.
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