Weekly Spotlight 11/21/23 – 11/30/23
California father who defended his home from armed assailants has concealed carry permit suspended
You may have seen the recent story of a Los Angeles homeowner who successfully thwarted two armed assailants from robbing him (or worse) outside his home late at night. Vince Ricci, the homeowner whose identity had previously been kept private, was able to act quickly and decisively when a masked intruder entered Ricci’s property, approached him with a handgun drawn and attempted to rob him. Ricci threw his cup of hot coffee toward the assailant, putting him on his heels, then drew a concealed handgun and fired on both would-be robbers.
The entire incident unfolded in mere minutes, but Ricci was able to thwart the armed criminals and protect his wife and five-month-old daughter, who were inside the house at the time. One would think the authorities, who can watch video of the full altercation via home security cameras, would hail Ricci as a hero who protect himself and other innocent lives from violent criminals. But that’s sadly not the case. Ricci has claimed that, as a result of the armed confrontation, the State of California has temporarily suspended his concealed carry permit.
“In an effort to protect my family, I drew my gun and returned gunfire. As a result of that night, the California government has temporarily suspended my ability to conceal carry,” Ricci said in a recently released video. If what Ricci claims is true, this appears to be a serious violation by the State of California, which has a lengthy track record of infringing on its citizens’ Second Amendment rights. The primary question at hand is why Ricci is the one being punished rather than the armed criminals who jumped the fence around Ricci’s home in order to rob him. Is California seeking to deter responsible, law-abiding citizens from equipping themselves for self-defense? Nothing would surprise us anymore.
It’s unclear exactly what led to Ricci’s concealed carry permit being temporarily suspended. Perhaps the Los Angeles County Police Department will provide a thorough explanation. In the meantime, Ricci is left in limbo, unsure of whether he’ll be able to carry his lawfully-owned firearm for self-defense either now or in the future. This entire case demonstrates the importance of self-defense rights and the impact that our elected officials have on either protecting those rights or diminishing them. Too often in states like California, lawmakers are making it harder and harder for citizens to protect themselves while simultaneously pushing soft-on-crime policies.
The USCCA-FSL Action Fund will always support and defend the right of law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves from violent criminals.
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OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Tevi Troy has a resume full of Beltway credentials: PhD, Hill staffer, deputy cabinet secretary, think tank fellow, author of four books (with two more due next year). But on a recent fall evening in the D.C. suburbs, Troy found himself in a class working toward a rather less traditional credential: Concealed-weapon permit-holder. Like many American Jews, Troy — who has close relatives in Israel — was deeply disturbed by the terrorist attacks of October 7. And since then, he’s been troubled by a barrage of incidents of antisemitism as protests over the Gaza war have roiled U.S. campuses and cities.
- Cleveland.com: Bill To Ban Authorities From Enforcing Federal Gun Laws Could Pass Ohio House Within Weeks
Ohio House Republicans want to prevent state and local authorities from helping to enforce any federal laws or rules regarding guns or ammunition via legislation that could pass the chamber before the end of the year. House Speaker Jason Stephens said this week that he expects House Bill 51 to pass the House in 2023, sending it to the Ohio Senate for further consideration. It aims to have Ohio join at least 17 other states in deeming itself a “Second Amendment Sanctuary State.”
- WSYR (New York): Background Checks Now Required For New Yorkers Buying Ammunition
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- FOX 59 (Indiana): First Draft Of Indiana Gun Control Bill Introduced, 2nd Amendment Lawyer Says It’s ‘Dead On Arrival’
Indiana State Sen. Fady Qaddoura said a new bill he plans to file in the next few weeks seeks to counteract the state’s pre-emption law — a law that’s been on the books since 2011 and prohibits Indiana cities, counties, and towns from creating their own gun control regulations. ”My argument to the General Assembly is that, ‘Quit complaining about gun violence at the same time when you are tying the hands of the locals to come up with solutions,’” Sen. Qaddoura said.