It was just Monday that we highlighted a lawsuit filed by a Colorado couple who want to be able to carry their concealed weapons when they pick up their mail. The federal guvmint doesn’t allow that, of course, because what could possibly happen at a post office? While no one is getting their hopes up, a Denver federal judge has let the their suit go forward. It’s timely, too, because just Thursday, in Montgomery, AL, an unidentified individual shot up a gun-free postal facility…

From wsfa.com:

A gunman fired multiple shots inside the main Montgomery post office, located just off Taylor Road on Winton Blount Boulevard, before officers took him into custody.

Sgt. Donna Mackey, a spokeswoman for the police department, said no injuries were reported in the shooting which started around 6:30pm.

The building was closed to the public at the time, but workers were present inside the mail processing portion of the facility.

The shooter – who the police say was carrying “several pistols” – wasn’t identified in the story so it isn’t known yet for sure if he’s a postal employee. Not that anyone else ever seems to actually go postal in a post office. But here’s the fun part:

(Police Chief Kevin) Murphy credited the quick response from several units for probably saving lives. He said the officers were on holiday patrol at a nearby shopping center and were on scene within 10 minutes.

Got that? If your personal stars are ever misaligned to the extent that you happen to be buying stamps in the capital of Alabama when Newman finally snaps and starts spraying lead around the building, you’re pretty much on your own for a good ten minutes. And that’s only during the holiday season, apparently. God only knows what passes for a fast response the rest of the year in Montgomery.

Not that it would have been much better anywhere else you go. Cops can’t be everywhere any time you need ’em. When seconds count…well, you know the rest.

So we’re sorry to break this to you, Chief Murphy. It wasn’t the Speedy Gonzalez-like response of your holiday-patrolling units that prevented the worst from happening in the…ten…long…minutes…it took for your officers to make the scene. No, it was some thankfully crappy shooting on the part of Mr. Active Shooter that kept the place from being blood-splattered. I wouldn’t break my arm patting myself on the back if I were you.

[h/t Brian Gibson]

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14 COMMENTS

  1. What if there had been 10 law abiding citizens in this post office who all left their guns at home because of this silly “GUN FREE KILLING ZONE”, that only allows criminals who have no respect for the law to carry on PO property. Now if only a few of these law abiding citizens were armed, they would have had a chance to defend themselves and their fellow citizens.

  2. I thought gun free zones were supposed to be safe zones /sarcasm. Apparently the honor system doesn’t work.

  3. There should be a law that if you don’t allow guns on your premises, you are required to post an armed guard to ensure everyone’s safety.

        • Yes, I agree completely. All we have to do is have people sign into a registry as they enter the store stating that they had to leave their gun at home/in their cars because of the posted restriction. Otherwise, it is going to be tough to argue that on that particular occasion they would have been carrying. Any lawyer worth a darn could defend a case, otherwise.

  4. This IS great timing. It clearly demonstrates the gun free zones don’t work and that citizens NEED the right to defend themselves.

  5. “He said the officers were on holiday patrol at a nearby shopping center and were on scene within 10 minutes.”

    I frequent that shopping center and it is no more than 3 miles from that post office. It is ridiculous that a “quick response” from MPD is 3 miles (being generous) in less than 10 minutes.

    • The police were actually on the scene in less than 10 minutes. I believe the actual time was less than 5 minutes. The shooter was arrested within 10 minutes of the police arriving on the scene. The shooter was a postal employee and he advised coworkers to leave the building so they wouldn’t get hurt. The police were responding to employee 911 calls. Postal Inspectors showed up as well. The investigation has been turned over to the Postal Inspectors. As someone that works in that facility, I’m glad for any law enforcement that was there.

  6. With Congress doing it’s best to kill the post office by forcing it to pay for 75 years of benefits up front, maybe the U.S.P.S. would like to make a deal about the carry thing, though I’m not sure it’s really up to them. They’re only a quasi-Federal entity, really, and with the National Park thing, a good argument can be made.

  7. I’m not sure what to think about these cops. A Post Office methinks is out of their jurisdiction, as coming under federal postal inspectors. But it is a problem for concealed carry or carrying in your car & going to a PO.

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