http://thebostontribune.com/woman-w...after-stopping-department-store-shooter/37-year old Lisa Harris saved the lives of multiple people after using her concealed carry pistol to take down a department store shooter in Virginia.
According to witness statements, the shooter, who has since been identified by police as 41-year old Randall Pierce, entered Bradford’s department store Saturday evening at approximately 5:10 PM.
According information provided by Chief of Police Matthew Collingsworth during a press-conference, the security footage provided to investigating officers by the Bradford’s loss prevention department shows an agitated Randall Pierce walking briskly throughout the department store for approximately 6-minutes prior to retrieving a .223 caliber AR-15 assault style rifle concealed under his long-jacket.
The security footage, which has yet to be released to the public, shows Piece fire his weapon for the first time at 5:16 PM. The shooter did not appear to have a specific target in mind and according to witnesses was shooting blindly at anyone within his line of sight.
Pierce was walking through one of the department stores several aisles dedicated to sporting goods when 37-year old Lisa Harris retrieved the .45 caliber Kimber Ultra Raptor handgun from her conceal carry holster and made her way down an adjoining isle. Harris approached from the rear and fired her weapon a total of 4-times striking the department store shooter in the back, head, and right leg.
According to witnesses, Pierce did not realize Harris was behind him and immediately dropped his weapon and collapsed to the floor upon being shot. Pierce was pronounced dead upon the arrival of emergency medical technicians at 5:24 PM.
Aside from the death of Randall Pierce, no additional fatalities occurred within the department store shooting, however it was reported that a total of 8 patrons sustained mild injuries.
Chief of Police Matthew Collingsworth told local ABC affiliate reporters that approximately 117 individuals including shoppers and employees were inside the department store during Pierce’s shooting rampage and in his opinion, with the high capacity of the shooter’s weapon, Harris should be attributed with saving all 117-lives.
Though according to Collingsworth, Lisa Harris saved the lives of over a hundred individuals, there has been controversy surrounding Harris’s decision to violate the department stores ‘no weapons’ policy. In the past, the store’s chief executive officer has been very vocal regarding his stance on gun violence and has deemed all 24 of the Bradford’s stores as ‘Gun Free Zones’. A representative from the store told reporters, “We offer our most sincere condolences for the incident our customer and employees endured this evening. We are grateful for the assistance provided by Mrs. Harris, however, once the dust settles, we may be required to pursue legal action regarding her violation of Bradford’s gun free zone policy. Tonight’s tragedy has reinforced our stance on gun violence and we will continue to lobby for stricter gun control within our great nation.”
weapon-free-zone-sign-bradfords
Photo of a ‘Weapon Free Zone’ sign displayed at Bradford’s
Many are calling Lisa Harris a hero for her swift action, however Harris told reporters that she just doesn’t see it that way. She told a reporter from her local FOX affiliate station, “I was just in the right place at the right time, I didn’t do anything that my fellow man wouldn’t have done in the same situation”.
