Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
A recent robbery attempt was thwarted when the would-be victim fought back against her assailants, sending one to the hospital with a gunshot wound and the other two fleeing from the scene.
The victim, who wished to be identified only as “Crystal,” said she was returning from work to her Indianapolis home at about 1 a.m. on April 10, when she was approached while still in her car by three suspects, at least one of whom was armed.
“I just heard them saying, ‘Shut up, be quiet, don’t say anything,’ and the one here had a weapon,” Crystal told local media.
But what the suspects didn’t know was that their intended victim also had a gun.
“Honestly, I mostly carry it because my dad wanted me to,” she said. “Now I’m glad I listened.”
As one of the suspects grabbed her, Crystal reached for her gun, turned around and fired a shot. She struck one of the suspects in the shoulder and the other two ran off and escaped through the hole in a nearby fence.
Officers located and arrested the injured suspect, who was later identified as 18-year-old Deon Smith.
Authorities also found articles in Smith’s vehicle that matched the description of items reported stolen from a robbery at a nearby apartment complex earlier that night. The female victim of that robbery had allegedly been beaten in the head with the butt of a handgun.
Crystal was not injured during the altercation, but she admitted she never thought anything like that would ever happen to her. She said she usually comes home late at night, but that Friday she arrived even later because she had stopped at the grocery store.
She added that she hopes the incident will serve as a message to other women to stay alert and learn to defend themselves.
“Learn how to protect yourself if you don’t know how,” Crystal said. “Be more aware. I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings at all.”