Media Ignored Gun Attack in OKC Shows Power of a “Good Guy With a Gun”

The story was barely a blip on the radar screen of major media, but it told volumes about the power of an armed population.

The Thursday shooting incident at a well known restaurant in Oklahoma City, where a “good guy with a gun” intervened by fatally shooting an apparent madman.  This story affirms the value of an armed citizenry.

“We concur with local police who are calling the armed citizen a hero,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “This courageous bystander became the first responder in a situation where seconds counted, and because of that individual’s actions, it is possible many lives were saved. We’re waiting for more details, and hopefully to learn the identity of the brave citizen who stepped in and stopped the violence.”

The brave citizens were actually two and they have been identified by the Oklahoma City Police.  Oklahoma City Police Capt. Bo Mathews told reporters “They were able to shoot this suspect and put an end to this very dangerous situation,” Mathews said, adding that the men — Bryan Wittle, 39 and Carlos Nazario, 35 — did not know each other. It’s unknown at the time who fired the fatal shot. Police initially said only one man fired on the attacker.

CNN also reports “The bystanders’ actions were ‘well within their legal rights’ and likely would be protected by good Samaritan laws, Mathews said. He deferred a final call to the Oklahoma County district attorney, whose staff did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.”

Reports say four people were injured during the incident, but the only fatality was the shooter. He was shot dead in the parking lot outside of Louie’s Grill & Bar. NewsOK.com reports “weeks before police say he walked up to a crowded restaurant and opened fire, Alexander Tilghman pleaded for help on social media, saying he was ‘under hard-core demonic attack.'”

“Tilghman, 28, posted a series of videos to YouTube last month in which he airs his suspicions that nearly everyone around him is a demon or a computer program, and demon-possessed ducks, gnats and cicadas are tormenting him.”

“Millions of law-abiding American citizens carry firearms for personal protection,” Gottlieb noted, “and incidents like this underscore the importance of defending their right to bear arms, in defense of themselves and their friends, family and even innocent strangers.

“This is hardly the first time an armed private citizen has intervened in a dangerous situation to stop a violent criminal or madman, and preventing further bloodshed,” he added. “After every such incident, the silence from anti-gunners is deafening.

“It takes something sinister to open fire on unarmed people in any public place,” Gottlieb observed, “and it takes something extra special on the part of an average citizen to place themselves in harm’s way to stop it. Our hearts go out to the people who were injured, and our hats are off to the Good Samaritan who was in the right place at the right time to make a difference.”

The Second Amendment Foundation describes itself as “the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms.  Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.”