A Quick Hat Tip to Ex-CNN Anchor Lynne Russell

By now, you've probably heard of the robbery with shooting that involved former CNN anchor Lynne Russell and her husband Chuck de Caro.  Both of them are concealed carry permit holders and have spent time in training; de Caro is former Army Special Forces and Russell is credited with being a private investigator and Sheriff's deputy.  They were spending the night in a Motel 6 in an Albuquerque New Mexico last Tuesday, when Lynne went to go get something from their car.  Instead, she was attacked and pushed back into the room by an assailant.  A fight ensued between de Caro and the attacker, and exchange of gunfire.  de Caro was shot three times, but killed the assailant on the spot.

The robber pushed his way into the hotel room and pointed a gun at Russell and de Caro just as de Caro stepped out of the shower.

While the robber was distracted by de Caro, Russell slipped the couple’s concealed weapons into her purse, and then handed it to de Caro, asking if he could find something of value to give to the robber.

“‘Is there anything in here we can give him?'” Russell said she asked. “Chuck said, ‘Oh, yes, there is.'”

Russell said the man took de Caro’s briefcase over to the bed of the motel room and began firing at her husband.

“Chuck fired back, and it was a shootout,” she said. “He expended the rounds from one small handgun and grabbed for the other even as he had taken fire” and was losing blood quickly.

I'm sure we can all agree this is a horrible enough thing to go through, but it appears that during some interviews after the fact, some of the interviewers have been less than supportive of her carrying a gun that saved her life.  She had a very proper response for them.

“The discussion over the debate to own a gun is just ridiculous. As Americans we have the right to bear arms and as humans the right to protect ourselves. I’m sure that the man who shot my husband did not have a gun permit. Criminals will always have guns. The rest of us legally obtain our gun permits.”
...
“If you don’t want to carry please don’t. Then, shut the f–k up about it.”  [emphasis added - SiG]

Fox News reports that de Caro is still hospitalized, and recovering from his three gunshot wounds.  They said his breathing tube is out and he's doing well.  It's great that he was a more accurate shot than the bad guy, but it's still a heavy burden to bear.  Hats off to Chuck de Caro for his composure under pressure and to Lynne Russell for her support.