“All things can be deadly to us, even the things made to serve us; as in nature walls can kill us, and stairs can kill us, if we do not walk circumspectly.” – Blaise Pascal

Yesterday in Lafayette, Indiana, at 11:15pm, a Domino’s Pizza delivery driver, Joshua Ungersma, was chosen for victimization by an armed robber. Ungersma, a concealed carry permit holder, drew his pistol and shot and killed the VCA.

He immediately instructed a bystander to call 9-1-1.

As he was trying to collect himself, others who were nearby began checking on his wellbeing. It was during this 1 to 2 minutes of “relaxation” after the initial shooting that a 17-year old girl armed with a pistol walked from across the street at shot Ungersma dead. She has been reported as the original attacker’s accomplice.

She was arrested and charges are pending.

[Link to original story.]

During our defensive firearm courses we stress to students that they shouldn’t “relax too soon.” We don’t get to decide when the fight is over! We must scan the entire 360-degree area around us, both high and low.

We remind them, “Don’t just look, SEE!”  Meaning, we have to break ourselves out of tunnel vision and start taking in information about our surroundings.

That’s followed up with, “He has a partner, YOU DON’T!” We never assume the VCA is working alone. Instead, we scan for accomplices and identify potential new threats.

It’s all summed up with this single command: Stay in the fight!

The events of yesterday are most certainly tragic, and all we can do now is learn from them. If we don’t, Joshua Ungersma will have died in vain.

“All the lessons we are teaching you were learned in blood.” – John Farnam