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Concealed Carry Citizen Confronted Heavily Armed Man in Walmart Before Police Arrived

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Good guys with guns.

They save lives, stop violence and benefit America.

But the anti-gun, Constitution-hating leftist agenda continues to preach that armed, good-willed citizens have a negative impact on society.

That’s why the left won’t want you hear about what really happened in Springfield, Missouri Thursday afternoon.

Around 4:10 p.m., the Springfield police were dispatched to a Walmart Neighborhood Market.

An armed man had walked into the store wearing body armor and fatigues and carrying a loaded rifle.

According to the Springfield News-Leader, the sight of the suspect caused store patrons to run from the store.

“As shoppers were panicking and fleeing the store,” the News-Leader reported, “the man was taking video on his phone and making comments to people while pushing a shopping cart.”

But it wasn’t the police that stopped him. It wasn’t a SWAT team. It wasn’t federal law enforcement or even Walmart security.

It was a good guy with a gun.

The armed suspect “was detained by an armed off-duty fireman until officers arrived on scene and took the suspect into custody,” according to a Springfield Police report. “No injuries were reported and no shots were fired.”

Does it sound like a calm, armed good guy helped stave off a potentially tragic and deadly situation?

Yes. Yes, it does.

The suspect’s name is Dmitriy N. Andreychenk. He has been charged “for 1st degree making a terrorist threat,” according to the report.

Andreychenko is “lucky he’s alive still” considering the situation he created, a police official said.

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The investigation has not released any motivation for the suspect’s actions, but Springfield Police Lt. Mike Lucas said, according to the News-Leader, “his intent obviously was to cause chaos here, and he did that.”

The open carrying of firearms is permitted in Missouri, as long as the weapon is not displayed in a “threatening manner,” according to the National Rifle Association.

To be clear, Andreychenko did not shoot anyone. It is not clear whether he even had any intent to do so.

Do you think the establishment media tries to ignore stories like this one about good guys with guns?

But even the most avid gun enthusiasts would know that filming people in a public place while dressed in body armor and while visibly armed with multiple tactical weapons and then fleeing out of an emergency exit doesn’t respect the serious responsibility of gun ownership.

And whether Andreychenko had deadly intentions or simply foolish ones, it’s obvious that Springfield is fortunate that a good guy with a gun was there that day.

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G.S. Hair is the former executive editor of The Western Journal.
G.S. Hair is the former executive editor of The Western Journal and vice president of digital content of Liftable Media.

After graduating law school from the Cecil C. Humphries School of Law, Mr. Hair spent a decade as an attorney practicing at the trial and appellate level in Arkansas and Tennessee. He represented clients in civil litigation, contractual disputes, criminal defense and domestic matters. He spent a significant amount of time representing indigent clients who could not afford private counsel in civil or criminal matters. A desire for justice and fairness was a driving force in Mr. Hair's philosophy of representation. Inspired by Christ’s role as an advocate on our behalf before God, he often represented clients who had no one else to fight on their behalf.

Mr. Hair has been a consultant for Republican political candidates and has crafted grassroots campaign strategies to help mobilize voters in staunchly Democrat regions of the Eastern United States.

In early 2015, he began writing for Conservative Tribune. After the site was acquired by Liftable Media, he shut down his law practice, moved to Arizona and transitioned into the position of site director. He then transitioned to vice president of content. In 2018, after Liftable Media folded all its brands into The Western Journal, he was named executive editor. His mission is to advance conservative principles and be a positive and truthful voice in the media.

He is married and has four children. He resides in Phoenix, Arizona.
Birthplace
South Carolina
Education
Homeschooled (and proud of it); B.A. Mississippi College; J.D. University Of Memphis
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Culture, Faith, Politics




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