Ohio, A Year After Concealed Weapons Laws Are Pass

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Zane Wilson (Columbus area)

Ohio wrestled with the arguments against concealed carry reform for over a decade before finally passing HB 12. Criminals harvested a pillar of the community just one month prior to licenses finally becoming available in Ohio. When criminals attempted to rob Zane Wilson’s gun store in Clintonville, Zane, 78, a longtime proponent of firearm rights and a military veteran, managed to untie himself, grab a gun and return fire, wounding one of his assailants. Zane’s family asked that memorial donations be directed to Ohioans for Concealed Carry Inc. in recognition of their work to get Ohio’s CHL law passed at long last. The criminal’s motivation for the robbery was to obtain firearms. No concealed carry proponent was surprised that the criminals had not waited the extra month to obtain a CHL when the licenses became available, nor that the criminals did not want to bother with a background check or training. Sometimes things can be debated to death.
Bill Singleton (Cleveland area)

Another pillar of the community, Bill Singleton was a small business owner in the city of Cleveland, and was licensed to carry a concealed handgun. Five days after the Cleveland Plain Dealer identified Mr. Singleton as a licensee by publishing the lists of CHL-holders as a “public service”, he was subjected to a very rare “ambush-style” robbery at his place of business. According to accounts, the bad guys began the robbery by simply opening fire on Mr. Singleton without warning. Mr. Singleton managed to return fire, killing one of his attackers, who had a lengthy criminal record.
Charles Pryor (Cincinnati area)

Mr. Pryor obtained his CHL due to previously being robbed. According to reports, Mr. Pryor was returning home when three masked gunmen, without warning, pulled up to his car and shot him three times. Mr. Pryor was able to return fire, hitting one of his attackers and causing the gunmen to flee. Published accounts credit his being able to return fire with saving his life. Mr. Pryor recovered from his injuries and was not charged.
Habib Howard (Toledo area)

A mere three days after receiving his CHL, Habib Howard was working in his family-run business when an armed robber entered the store, demanding money and a 12 pack of beer. Habib managed to pull his handgun and fire 4 shots. The wounded attacker was later apprehended. Mr. Howard was not charged.
Mark Hill (Dayton area)

Having been robbed in the past, Mark made the decision to obtain a CHL to protect himself. Facing two armed teenage attackers, Mark, a parent himself, agonized over the need to employ force against the young men. Eventually making the decision that any CHL dreads having to make, Mr. Hill exchanged gunfire with his attackers, wounding one of them. The two teens were arrested leaving the hospital after receiving treatment for their wounds. Mr. Hill was not charged, and according to published reports, he still agonizes over the being forced to decide between using force against some else’s children and not returning home to his own child.
Eugene Madill (Warren area)

A small business owner and CHL-holder, Eugene Madill found himself facing four masked assailants while on a pizza delivery. The assailants held Eugene in an abandoned house at knifepoint and beat him while demanding money. Mr. Madill drew his handgun and fired three shots, ending the attack and allowing him to call police. The police found the body of a 16 year old near by, apparently one of the attackers. Mr. Madill was not charged.
Dean El-Joubeily (Toledo area)

A small business owner in Toledo, Dean felt it was prudent to obtain a CHL due to long, lonely hours. When a robber entered the store and threatened to shoot his clerk, Dean didn’t hesitate to act. The bad guy fled after Dean fired two rounds into the getaway car’s front tire. Jumping into his own car with another patron, Dean followed the bad guy with a cell phone, leading police to the suspect, who was arrested. The Sheriff’s Deputy commented Dean handled the situation “extremely well.” Dean was not charged.
Cornell McCleary (Columbus area)

Talk show host and business owner Cornell McCleary obtained a CHL, in part, due to his running a security company. In that capacity, Cornell found himself in a “mob situation” as ten men surrounded him and began to attack. Cornell drew his gun and fired, wounding two of the attackers. The remaining men fled into nearby apartments. Cornell, with 23 years in the security business, said of his attackers, “It is a new breed. They don’t need a reason.” Cornell was not charged.
Ramsey [Last Name Redacted] (Columbus area)

Perhaps emboldened by a rash of quick and easy motel robberies in the Columbus area, one armed robber made the mistake of his life when he walked into the Super 8 motel where CHL-holder Ramsey was working. When the robber showed his gun and demanded money, Ramsey drew his handgun and fired multiple shots into the bad guy. Police made an easy arrest of the repeat criminal, who later added a conviction of armed robbery to his record out of this incident, due to the fact that he never made it out of the lobby of the hotel. Franklin County prosecutors referred to the case as a “textbook” self-defense shooting and Ramsey was not charged.
Dr. Jeffery McAdoo (Athens area)

CHL-holder Dr. McAdoo found himself staring out his driver’s window at an irate driver in a road rage encounter. The other driver involved had left his own vehicle and approached Dr. McAdoo’s vehicle, threatening the Dr. with bodily harm. Dr. McAdoo drew his gun and defused the situation long enough for the police to respond to the scene. No shots were fired, and Dr. McAdoo was not placed on trial after the prosecutor completed an investigation.
Roger Caron (Columbus area)

Unfortunately, not all stories are positive examples. Take the Al Rosa bar shooting in which Nathan Gale stormed a concert stage and began to shoot at unarmed, innocent civilians. Thanks to Ohio’s law prohibiting carrying in a bar, Roger, a CHL-holder and military veteran, had to stand 5 feet away and watch people get slaughtered while powerless to do anything. His handgun, which would have stopped this rampage of death promptly, was at home due to Ohio law. To add insult to injury, several victims have filed suit against the Al Rosa for having insufficient security. Due to Ohio law, Roger would be unable to bring a similar suit, since business owners are given immunity for claims from a CHL who is disarmed on their property.
To repeat, the above examples are just the ones I am aware of.

Eighteen months into the law, more than 64,000 licenses have been issued, and the list will continue to grow. So, as I sit here reflecting, the following is clear:

The proponent predictions are accurate. The law is working to protect law-abiding citizens, but the poison-pill provisions continue to needlessly expose the law-abiding, and only the law-abiding, to criminal prosecutions.

The proponent case is proven, the opponent predictions ring hollow, and it is time to make Ohio’s law more rational by stripping out the poison-pill provisions the opponents insisted upon.

HB 347 is a great start. Every day of delay in passing this bill is another day where the law-abiding continue to labor under provisions that can render them an accidental felon, or another day when someone who could have acted might find themselves in a situation where the poison-pills prohibited them from acting.