Subtle Lesson Learned From Baptist Church Massacre

 

There is a lesson to be learned about preparation from Stephen Willeford's heroism in the Sutherland Springs shooting.

Willeford engaged Kelly with his AR-15 without a full magazine, and in his bare feet.

His rifle was stored in a gun safe. However, his magazines were unloaded. What this means is that he had to take time to partially load a magazine. This can be incredibly frustrating if time is critical. In this case, time may have been critical. Willeford decided to go with what he had, because every shot he heard meant someone getting killed or wounded. He's an incredibly courageous man.

Another factor; because loading a magazine sucked up time, he elected to leave the house in bare feet. 

When Willeford and Johnnie Langendorff caught up to Kelly after a 10 mile chase, Willeford had just two rounds remaining in his rifle, and no additional ammo. As a result, had Kelly been capable of continuing the fight, Willeford's options were very limited. God and his angels were watching over Stephan Willeford Sunday morning...

Here's the lesson. If your firearms are in a safe with boxed ammo, keep several magazines loaded on the safe's shelf. In a home defense situation, time is your most precious commodity in reacting to a threat. Unloaded magazines means expending that valuable time. In my safe, you will find stacked and loaded magazines, ready to go. 

Another minor lesson... I keep a pair of moccasin type loafer shoes near the front door of the house. These are there if I need to put out trash or go outside for some purpose. I can simply step into them and go.

There's no honor too great to bestow on Willeford. Under the most trying of circumstances, he performed as well or better than anyone else could have, including highly trained persons. Despite being scared, he overcame the fear and functioned with wisdom and great precision. His actions will be studied by experts for years to come.

I fully expect Willeford and Langendorff to receive the highest award for civilians, personally presented by the President. They surely deserve it. Two civilians as courageous as any men who ever fought on a battlefield. Both utterly selfless.