For shoppers at Las Vegas’ Fashion Show Mall this week, that experience became dramatically different when a man armed with what was described as a “large butcher knife” interrupted their serenity.
Once again, the presence of a good guy with a gun saved the day.
Police report that 22-year-old Letrelle Calhoun now faces several charges of assault with a deadly weapon after he was apprehended in the mall. Las Vegas Metro police responded to a desperate call concerning a man threatening store employees with a large knife.
Mall security was initially called, but according to police the suspect was able to hold them at bay by lunging at three of them with the weapon. Calhoun reportedly threatened to kill the responding personnel as he brandished the deadly blade.
It was then, however, that an armed bystander sprang into action. Police said that the prepared shopper drew his weapon and pointed it at Calhoun.
This stopped the threatening actions long enough for mall security to disarm the suspect and restrain him for Las Vegas police. Local media reports Calhoun also faces a charge of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.
Calhoun’s bond was set at $5,000 during his initial hearing, and as of last report he remained in custody at the Clark County Detention Center. With that low of a bond, it takes only $500 to put him right back out on the streets.
There is no doubt that the armed shopper did not go to the mall expecting to be compelled to act in defense of fellow shoppers and security.
Undoubtedly, he went to enjoy the day, possibly in the company of family or friends. But even with these most innocent intentions, he was prepared for the unexpected, and the unexpected was what he encountered.
Local media reported that Calhoun tried to stage a holdup, but it went off the rails. For reasons unknown, this young but violent criminal quickly found himself in a situation where he felt the need to threaten those around him with a deadly weapon.
And as much as police are respected, particularly in light of their recent heroic actions in Nashville, it is impossible for them to be all places at once. As for mall security, they were apparently ill-equipped to deal with a frantic assailant brandishing a large knife and thrusting it at them while making threats.
This set the stage for a lone hero to emerge. Had the police been there initially, he would have remained just another anonymous bystander who witnessed an all-too-common violent act. If the security personnel were adequately armed, he could have simply left the mall with a story to tell about an unexpected incident he witnessed.
But neither of those conditions existed.
In that case, the rights granted by the Founding Fathers in the Second Amendment quite possibly saved lives in that Las Vegas mall. No matter what self-serving political “leaders” and the mainstream media tries to preach, gun rights are essential for that very American freedom to engage in self-defense.
Yet again, the necessity to be properly prepared is illustrated by a courageous act from an everyday citizen. Heroes are the culmination of being in the proper circumstances and having both the preparation and fortitude to act in a crisis.
This bystander fit the bill perfectly. He could have easily neglected to concealed carry on a shopping excursion to the local mall, but he made the conscious decision to be ready. And it paid off.
