The fact that he didn't immediately receive several dozen extra holes in his body might explain why I no longer go to this 'range'
From TBO
TAMPA - A 10-hour hostage situation at a shooting range came to an end about 3 a.m. when Jeffrey Lane Dudney, 42, killed himself. Dale Mabry Highway, which was closed during the tense standoff, is open for the morning commute.
...
Gee said that there were three customers and two employees taken hostage.
Two others in the store were able to flee before being taken hostage, the sheriff said.
There were four men and one woman taken hostage, Gee said.
The woman was a manager and owner of the business, Gee said.
During the standoff, television stations were asked by the sheriff’s office not to give details of the situation.
The reason, said Gee, was the volatile nature of the unfolding events.
“Every two or three minutes he was threatening to shoot people, one by one Gee said. “He was very agitated, very amped up.”
Dudney, said Gee, “came to door several times with a gun to the head of some of hostages.
“Every time we would talk to him, he would bring hostages to door. Some he would throw to the floor, others he used as a shield.”
I wasn't there so I really shouldn't judge, but for God's sake this was a gun range. With guns. And ammo. And several people who should be able to put a 1" grouping in the man's skull while ringing up an hour on lane 5. I used to go there and in order to leave (or walk up front to talk to police), you have to turn your back on the counter. There's nothing immoral about shooting someone in the back. Especially if he threw the hostage to the ground, you'd have a clear shot.
Again, I wasn't there. I know one guy who works there is like 700 years old. I ordered some ammo one time, handed him my card, went to the bathroom and came back and he still hadn't made it back to the register (not a joke). So, I doubt he'd be much use in this situation. But for the love of Smith & Wesson, everyone else in there should have been able to do something.
Adding to the difficulty was the fact that the shooting range was “basically a fortress,” Gee said.
“Doors were welded shut,” he said. “From a tactical viewpoint, it was a most difficult situation.”
The windows were tinted, Gee said, meaning Dudney “could see out and we could not see in.”
I always thought the design was poor. You walk into a small room, turn right, then enter the store. It's hard to see inside that room (which might account for why the other hostages weren't able to help ventilate the goblin). They have two sets of doors, but the inner doors were always propped open (which seemed odd to me as well).
Luckily, nobody except the gunman was hurt. Maybe they could recognize that he was suicidal and probably wasn't really going to hurt them, but I don't think I could just sit there for 10 hours, surrounded with the very tools I need to protect myself, and not do anything.
This is why you should carry 24x7. No place is 'safe' and carrying isn't an inconvenience to your life (you have to balance things out. When you go to the beach, you probably can't CCW your Glock in a Speedo but that doesn't mean you should never go to the beach!).
rolled out on
Friday, April 13, 2007 8:32 AM