Posted on 04/26/2013 7:05:36 AM PDT by LibWhacker
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A man who walks around his neighborhood with a rifle strapped to his back says he is not a threat to harm anyone, but some neighbors fear he is an incident of vigilante justice waiting to happen.
John Schultz, 19, also wears a bullet-proof vest, carries ammunition and has a knife in a holster as he walks through Walnut Creek, which is off Sunset Road in north Charlotte.
The gun is his grandfather’s 303 British Enfield from WWII.
His walks cause double-takes as well as safety concerns for some. Schultz says others thank him and wave at him.
He says his walks are for exercise and picking up garbage, but also for looking out for his neighbors.
"It's nothing to do with the body armor, it's the person,” Schultz said. “Yes, it just so happens to be there."
“It’s a problem and a concern,” said neighbor Vanessa Aidara.
She says the rifle scares her and scares her kids to the point they won’t play in the yard.
"He could be good without the rifle. The rifle is what scares everybody because why do you need a rifle to pick up trash, get a trash bag,” Aidara said.
Schultz says he's spotted peeping toms and potential burglars in backyards while on his walks, which include in nearby woods, but not on private property.
"I won't brandish a firearm or anything, I won't chase somebody around. I will ask them to stop,” Schultz said.
"Let the police take care of that, not you,” said Aidara.
Aidara says she called police the first time she saw Schultz walking down the street.
“I had a panic attack, didn’t know what was going on,” she said.
She fears Schultz could be an incident of vigilante justice waiting to happen, or someone could target him for violence because he is armed.
"He could get hurt,” Aidara said.
"She's not really wanted to talk to me,” Schultz said.
If she did, Schultz says Aidara would feel different.
He's from a military family, hates garbage, loves his neighborhood and says he isn't looking for a fight.
Aidara wants the rifle-strapped neighborhood walks to stop.
Schutlz’s answer is no.
Police say Schultz isn't breaking any laws because he's not pointing the gun at anyone or threatening anyone with it.
I’ve done weight training with plate vests. It’s very useful, and you see results pretty quick.
Of course there’s nothing wrong, and if I saw this in my neighborhood, I probably wouldn’t pay any attention, other than telling my wife to come look at this jerk. I see a number of people open-carrying, thanks to living in VA, but not a long gun, with clips and a knife. I think that is unnecessary attention mongering. Besides, it’s just plain difficult to go along with your daily life carrying a long gun. Lucas McCain is about the only one that used to carry a long gun around.
and yes, bias is in a persons head, that’s how it works. I do not like open-carry for myself and I think that it draws negative attention to gun owners. If someone wants to carry that bad, I think they should carry concealed. I am not helping gun-grabbers...that’s in your head
“I had a panic attack, didn’t know what was going on,” she said.
An irrational fear of firearms is a form of mental illness known as hoplophobia. It is treatable and those afflicted should seek the assistance of a mental health professional.
Raging Against Self Defense: A psychiatrist Examines The Anti-Gun Mentality
HOPLOPHOBIA - A modern scourge
It’s time a lot of things change...that’s one of the things time is for
“Mr. Heston was a liberal pussy.”
I wish there were more liberals like him running around....
yes
Here s what amazes me. Does anyone call a cop when he drives through his neighborhood? Becasue his Renault LeCar or F350 crew cab dually can kill many more peopl than his 303. And he’s already in a getaway vehicle.
People might hide safely behind an iron stove from the gun but not the truck.
if an En had a 30 shot clip, he could kill hundreds with the bumper and never pull a trigger.
All this fear of gun crap is brainwashing and even conservatives have been effected. No one thinks critically. Just reacts emotionally based on ‘feelings’. Who else does that I wonder...
What, exactly, did he do that makes you adore him? Name the exact thing he did.
“All this fear of gun crap is brainwashing and even conservatives have been effected.”
So few so-called conservatives even shoot or have ever shot a firearm. They all think they support guns until they see one then they run for cover because the press and their liberal friends tell them to fear guns. Mental midgets.
Im fine with a Conservative or anyone saying ‘guns are not for me’. So be it. But any car is far more deadly than any gun we can get access to. ANY.
If a man snaps in a truck or with an 8 gauge people die. Why is the less dangerous of the two the cause of more fear? Why are people not freaking out when the UPS truck arrives?
People need to THINK not FEEL.
More kids die from 5 gallon buckets and falling down the stairs, and men die more from angry women with kitchen knives, yet, again, no call to ban those things.
Thousands of things. And no one THINKS. The root cause of every issue we have today. NO ONE THINKS. They just react and wonder how the hell we got here from there.
I don’t claim to be Mr. Perfect or the Oracle of Delphi, but my God. This stuff is basic Conservatism 101. Know the issue you are discussing. And people just parrot things they hear and act as programmed because...drum roll please...NO ONE THINKS.
look for her to lie about him pointing the gun at her or someone to get him in trouble.
Look for a lib to ‘rifle’ his school/medical records and file a report.
I don't agree that merely carrying a rifle around in public is enough probable cause for the police to stop and question someone.
Common sense would dictate that the police would know the law on open carry, before hand, and unless the individual is doing something that warrants (i.e. trespassing, brandishing, blocking traffic, etc), they would leave them alone.
I completely agree. I support anyone’s rights under the second amendment, but that said, the guy looks like a weirdo to me and walking around with a vest on and a rifle slung over his back like that in a residential neighborhood is just unnecessarily provocative.
As I understand the story, the LEO responded to a complaint from a neighbor. They investigated, found nothing wrong and then defended the guy's rights when others complained. I always imagined that this is exactly what we expected of LEO.... to "serve and protect."
And that is the point I have tried to make several times on this thread.
one must wonder why he does this
if he’s just trying to be weird, WIN !
The guy may be a bit eccentric, but he isn’t breaking any laws. The woman is obviously deranged in her “panic” over seeing someone with a gun walking. She needs both to move and seek psychiatric help.
Think this through. In hindsight he was clear. No issue.
Either the woman lied in her complaint or the cops ‘catered’ to her at the expense of his rights. Unless there was a clear violation on his part, and there was not, why investigate a non violation?
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