“Police are looking for the suspects who shot longtime Eisenhower High School basketball coach Steve Johnson at a park in San Bernardino. Authorities say the 47-year-old coach was on his way to get gas on Monday when he stopped at Seccombe Lake to use a restroom.” You wouldn’t think you’d need a gun to answer nature’s call. Then again, you never know when you’ll be attacked by three yoots who want your wallet. Despite being shot “several times in the upper torso”, ktla.com reports that “Johnson was able to drive himself to the police department. He was taken from there via ambulance to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.” Of course, Johnson lives in California where your ability to get a concealed carry license depends on the attitude of your local law enforcement authorities. Living in the L.A. area, his chances of getting a permit were roughly that of being shot while taking a leak. Oh. Wait.
You have no idea how frustrating it is to have a CCW and not be able to use it.
Once I cross the Delaware I can strap on my Glock 19 without a hitch, but go to the supermarket by my house with it? Felony charges.
Supposedly, every american already (unknowingly) commits three felonies per day. Might as well let it be one that could save your life.
Because in NJ it caught you’re on the hook for 7-10 years, no exaggeration.
I feel your pain. I live in NJ, grew up in upstate NY. I did an AZ CCW course when visiting my parents who moved out there. I am currently looking for a new job in PA.
When I’m done with school I’m planning on moving out to Texas.
Of course, my ideal career is in law enforcement, in which case it wouldn’t matter.
I happen to be in TX now for work, for 2 weeks. I felt more American when I stepped off the plane.
I’ve stumbled across a few people discussing guns. It’s refreshing to have those be from the opposite perspective.
I “grew up” in NY and moved to( and still inhabit) NJ when I was like 8. I hate this place, picking up your friends on the way to the range is a felony. Getting gas with a gun in your trunk is a felony. Having a gun that is “significantly identical” is illegal.
Conceal carry in VA with a CCW and take a wrong exit onto the George Washington Pkwy and bam! Felony! You are subject to D.C. law while in VA. Shame VA owns none of the Potomac coastline. I read one argument that VA stateline coastal dispute started civil war. Maybe a stretch there.
Spent last 11 months living in Phoenix. AZ is not perfect (I need my passport to keep Sheriff Joe off my back), but constitutional carry is wonderful. I liked seeing the occasional open carry guy at the grocery store and not worrying whether the L.E. would object to occasionally printing. Go to the DMV and you’re provided a lock box to secure your firearm. No one raises an eyebrow. Even my beloved home state of TX could learn a couple things from AZ.
CA was once my dream location. Almost worked for San Bernardino treasurer years ago. Despite the beauty of the state, I’ll never live there. Taxes + Politics + Cost of Living = Exodus to Austin.
I hope this gentleman recovers, moves to a state that respects your right to self defense, and carries.
I was born in the San Bernardino community hospital and raised there for 19+ years. It’s like being from South Park (the cartoon version, not the real one) because all my hometown is known for is chaos and being screwed up. I was once mugged twice in the same DATE! Not the same 24 hour period, twice on the same date. I now live in AZ. You wouldn’t think that with as much natural beauty as there is in California versus the stark barren landscape of Arizona that you could make people prefer the 120 degree days in this state to the milder climate and beautiful mountains/forests/beaches/rivers of CA, but all it took was a big enough government for a long enough time to make my choice a no brainer.
Always surprised that California, a state typically so concerned with equal rights for all, puts up with a concealed carry permitting system that is completely subjective. A system in which, in most counties, the ONLY people able to get a permit are either politicians, highly politically connected, or extremely wealthy (and, usually, if you’re extremely wealthy you’re in one of those first two categories also).
Shocked that a totally baseless denial of “just cause” for needing a permit would fly in this state. In the previous legislation attempting to set parameters around what is and is not just cause, the law added that just cause is assumed if you are a judge or member of the political class. If you aren’t, you’d better have a really compelling reason and you’ll probably just be denied anyway. Figures.
By the way — hundreds of cases of people with active restraining orders against other individuals or gangs, along with documented death threats from said individuals AND police reports to back up actual attempts at acting out those death threats… getting denied a CCW permit on the basis of insufficient just cause.
Anyway… I’m just always shocked that California would stand for this. No matter how anti-gun and liberal you are, it’s a state that should demand equality. Either NO CCW’s for anyone, or CCW’s for anyone who can pass a background check and such.
A few years ago I saw a study about permits issued in Ca. The vast majority were issued to well to do white guys. The left and progressives would be whipping up riots in the streets on any other subject demanding equality. But on permits they are strangely quiet in Ca.
Think what the ACLU’s stance would be on any other subject dominated by well to do white guys. Yet they’re strangely quiet about this imbalance in the permit system.
Interesting. My friends with CCWs in Orange County are all white guys. My friends of other races are not concerned with getting CCWs. I also know a judge from LA who carries.
Tis the Land of Dianne Feinstein…
It would only be FAIR if he was to SUE the State of California for denying him his 2nd Amendment rights to defend him self.
The state should make it a Crime to shoot and rob people. (OH! It is a Crime)
If brought to the SCOTUS, that could potentially turn into precedent for national shall-issue and/or reciprocity.
Do it.
Wow…this sounds shockingly similar to an experience I had in the North Station bathroom in Boston, minus the shooting. 3 guys cornered me and fortunately they had no weapons and I was able to look like enough trouble to not be worth their time, which is exactly what the ringleader stated as they turned and walked out. Just goes to show you, though. ALWAYS. BE. READY.
To be honest, I never use the urinals in public restrooms, only the stalls, for this exact reason. I hate having my back to the room while my hands and eyes are occupied elsewhere.
One usually gets gas on their way somewhere.
1.Piss, leave home, get gas, get where you’re going.
2. Leave home, must piss, hold it, piss at close gas, get where you going.
3. Leave home, piss in a cup, get wher you’re going
4. Leave home, stop at(code red) park to Piss??????? hope you have gas to get to hospital.
Not all tactical options require a weapon!
Examine wisdom of option 4, not blamen’ just sayn’.
I avoid restrooms in public parks. Tend to have a lot of gay men cruising for things to do. Hmmmmm….
5. sneak behind a very large tree or brush
Two h-wats?
What is a ‘yoot’?
(Need a special holster for Shitter Carry? One that doesn’t limit access when your pants are down?)
I carry a SR9c in a Crossbreed Supertuck Deluxe at 4-4:30. When sitting on the throne, the gun sit s right behind my calf and can easily be drawn if one gets “caught with thier pants down.”
And I’m sure the guys that shot him all had CCW’s and had bought their guns legally through a licensed dealer. Or not. Any and all laws regulating where and what weapons a person may carry create an immediate situation on inequality as those who break the law will carry whatever weapons they want wherever they want and if they know the law-abiding are disarmed, they will do whatever they want.
> Of course, Johnson lives in California where your ability
> to get a concealed carry license depends on the attitude
> of your local law enforcement authorities.
>> It would only be FAIR if he was to SUE the State of California
>> for denying him his 2nd Amendment rights to defend him self.
What does California’s CCW system have to do with this shooting?
Is there evidence that Mr. Johnson applied for a CCW permit and was denied?
Had he ever expressed interested in obtaining a CCW permit, but decided that the hassle and odds made the effort not worh it?
Because if not, then blaming California’s CCW system — no matter how wrong and unjust it is — is just a thoughtless knee-jerk reaction. And one that is, unfortunately, far too typical from our side when something like this happens.
“Because if not, then blaming California’s CCW system — no matter how wrong and unjust it is — is just a thoughtless knee-jerk reaction”
Kind of like thoughtless knee-jerk gun control efforts.
The victim could have been ANYONE up to an including people who want to CC but can’t due to the law.
San Bernardino I believe is a “shall issue” county so his chances were better of getting one than most other parts of California. Since he works a school he probably couldn’t carry so whats the point. Still I just find the whole incident to be a bit strange…but this is California, I guess he should look at super beta prostate in the future.
> The victim could have been ANYONE
Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve.
The victim in this case was Steve Johnson.
This site linked his victimization to California’s CCW laws.
Unless there is some evidence that Steve Johnson attempted to obtain a CCW and was denied, or was disuaded from even applying by California’s byzantine CCW laws, then the implication that gun control is somehow responsible for what happened to Steve Johnson is wrong.
Sloppy reasoning is sloppy reasoning, regardless of who engages in it.
“then the implication that gun control is somehow responsible for what happened to Steve Johnson is wrong.”
“Sloppy reasoning is sloppy reasoning, regardless of who engages in it.”
From the mouths of babes…
Here is some clarification. I was born and raised San Bernardino and after college I moved out. Most of you may not be familiar with the area but it has never been great but has declined significantly over the years. It is also the largest county in the US but has fallen on even harder times lately. In fact the city filed for Bankruptcy last year bottom line you do not want to raise a family there.
Seccombe Lake is a park in downtown San Bernardino and it has always been known to be a very dangerous place. Literally I would not go there without carrying better yet I would avoid it all together. Why this guy would stop there to take a piss is beyond me that’s just stupid.
It is true though that other counties it California it is very difficult to get a CCW Los Angeles it is all most impossible as well as Orange County. San Bernardino County is more liberal with their CCW’s they will issue if you have a good cause. It may not be as easy as other states but San Bernardino county will issue.
But again you don’t take a piss at Seccombe Lake under any circumstances.
You assume he was there to take a piss…
Funny you say that I was thinking the same thing…
I think this guy used to teach PE at my school (San Andreas) back in the 1990’s. If I remember him right, he didn’t set off any alarms as far as being a guy who’d go to a park to get a hummer or anything. That said, NO ONE GOES TO SECCOMBE LAKE FOR ANY GOOD REASON! I used to go to daycare at the Y that was there in the 80’s, and it was bad even back then. There’s a good reason why you don’t hear stories about nice people being shot at this park every day, and that’s because a “nice person” probably hasn’t set foot there in 20 years.
Am I the only one that thinks this guy looks like Jeff Daniels?
That’s who. I knew he reminded me of somebody.
So he was just minding his own business and stopped at a public restroom in a park at night while going out to buy gas?
Somehow I get the impression that public restrooms in parks are the sort of place you to go have anonymous sex with a strange man, or buy crack cocaine. Surely I’m mistaken.
What does the story have to do with gun control? Maybe they should take guns from criminals who are such losers to shoot someone over a wallet instead of encouraging an innocent criminal free man to carry one? He was using a park for what it was intended for and the focus should be on the criminal low life’s that got away and the cops who didn’t even try to investigate the case until media pressure.
San Bernardino County actually gives out the 2nd most permits in CA. Behind Kern County.
Does anyone here know this guy? I think he used to be the coach at San Andreas High in Highland, CA. I graduated there, and I think I remember him.
No he’s never coached in Highland. He’s as clean as they get and a top respected coach. No one who knows him would ever think of him doing anything wrong, ever. His life has revolved around underprivileged kids and sports. He knows the town is dangerous it was a well lit park with people around before 8. They should criticize the town for not cleaning up the park and the cops for not doing their job, they didn’t even go there to try to get leads initially until the media pressure didn’t even investigate. When criminals own certain parks and someone tries to use a park for what it’s meant for… They need to focus on finding the jerks who did this.
No he’s never coached in Highland. He’s as clean as they get and a top respected coach. No one who knows him would ever think of him doing anything wrong, ever. His life has revolved around underprivileged kids and sports. He knows the town is dangerous it was a well lit park with people around before 8. They should criticize the town for not cleaning up the park and the cops for not doing their job, they didn’t even go there to try to get leads initially until the media pressure didn’t even investigate. When criminals own certain parks and someone tries to use a park for what it’s meant for… They need to focus on finding who did this.
Yeah, he’s a top alright, I’ll bet. Just kidding.
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