The retired marine and the robbers

American Handgunner, July-August, 2009 by Massad Ayoob

This one is standing in the narrow hallway outside the bathroom. He is holding something in each hand, and the Marine fires so fast it's almost as if both robbers had been caught in the same uninterrupted stream of bullets.

The second thug turns, running toward the front door. The Marine realizes there's a bullet hole in that door now ... and the slide on his pistol has locked back empty. The first robber has collapsed.

He reflexively reaches for the spare magazine, but it has slipped down inside his jeans. He can't get hold of it. He has to take a moment to reach down and unbuckle his belt before he can grasp the second magazine.

As this is happening, he sees the running second man hit the door full tilt, so hard he loses his balance and falls onto the sidewalk. The man has shown no indication of being hit yet.

The Marine reloads now, with a quick and practiced movement once the magazine is in hand. By the time the slide comes back forward, chambering a fresh round, the second armed robber has disappeared.

It's over.

Aftermath

The first armed robbery suspect was identified as Dionicio Arrindell, age 22, of North Lauderdale. He did not survive. A loaded shotgun was found in the getaway car he and his accomplice had parked outside.

The second was identified as Frederick Gadson, age 21, of Fort Lauderdale. A police manhunt ended when a K-9 found him almost 300 yards from the Subway shop, collapsed near a bank. He had sustained a gunshot wound to the thorax from the Marine's weapon, striking some 2" above the heart. Gadson was charged with armed robbery, and, since his accomplice had died during a felony, Gadson was committing, he was also charged with murder. He is still awaiting trial at this writing.

The tone of the criminal justice system's response to the double shooting was set by one of the first responding police supervisors.

"Damn!" he said to the Marine. "You got them both!"

One police spokesperson described the Marine's response as "textbook." Another, Detective Robert Rettig, told reporters, "He feared for his life, and if he's in fear for his life, then he has a right to defend himself, even if it means severe bodily injury or death."

It was clear to any impartial observer the Marine had righteously acted to save not only his own life, but that of the store manager as well. The manager's testimony supported his account of the incident, and so did the Subway's security video cameras.

No charges were filed against the Marine. To the best of my knowledge at this time, no lawsuit has been filed against him either. The general public's reaction was overwhelmingly positive. South Floridians are tired of violent crime. It quickly came out the men the Marine had shot both had criminals pasts, and only their friends and relatives seemed to have a problem with the outcome, with some telling reporters it was "murder" and they couldn't believe someone could legally "just shoot down" Arrindell and Gadson. The ever-popular phrase, "They were just turning their lives around" was heard repeatedly from those quarters.