Very saddened to continually hear about innocence peoples getting shot/killed by these knuckleheads, it’s great to hear he ( the knucklehead ) was stopped.
This is truly tragic. Glad the guy was stopped.
No place is 100% safe. Situational awareness at all times is paramount. Eyes and head on a swivel while you’re out and about.
This one hits close to home, being that I live only 35-40 miles from where this took place. It definitely reminds you that this can happen anywhere, at anytime, for any reason.
It seems as though gas station crimes have been increasing, so I try my best to be more aware of what is going on while I pump gas. I even started leaving my phone in my truck so that it isn’t tempting to look at while I wait for the gas to fill up. Another thing I have started to do is always wash my windows while I wait. It forces me to move around my truck and not get comfortable in one spot. I feel I do a better job keeping my head on a swivel when I am moving around.
Smart man. that’s a good point about the phone being a distraction. See this a lot when people walk out of stores to their car with head buried in the phone. I myself was one of them before breaking the habit. Nice move that you substituted a bad for a good one. 
Phones are probably the biggest distraction of our time. I do it a lot myself and it is a constant struggle trying to catch myself when I am out in public staring at my phone. But hey, getting better everyday is part of the lifestyle.
Indeed it is. Well said @Tim.D_USCCA
In gas stations, I generally try to gas up at times when there a only a few vehicles there and always try for a pump that is between the road and me. While I’m filling up, I scan 360 degrees and let the pump run. It’ll stop when the tank is full. Most people are wrapped up in their own little world so, up to now, scanning has been pretty much sight seeing. But if someone is acting sketchy, it may alert you before things take a turn for the worst.
So very true brother @G.Washington , living in Chicago projects and the area and people’s I ran with I never thought I would live past 30 years of age but, I see God had different plans for me and I am so very grateful He allowed me 29 years I did not think I would see so far.
I don’t go for bad but I will protect self, family, friends and those in need but growing up in Chicago you learn to show no fear in all situations. For instance, most people’s when they see 3 or more on the sidewalk and they are walking, they would cross the street to the other side, not me I walk straight past them. It’s just the way I grow up in the hood of Chicago. I try to break the old habits but some is very hard to break.
@Lu-Can I think with where you grew up you probably have more well developed street smarts than most of us. It helps when you can read the intentions of others around you and can act from well developed intuition rather than from fear or misplaced concerns. But when uncertain of others’ intentions, confident caution is always a good tactic.
55 gallons in the RV, usually 2 transactions to fill the tank, and yeah, always looking, cleaning windows, checking around…and making sure I don’t need gas in any states I can’t carry in. I also sometimes get into conversations while pumping, and it’s a good barometer of people and an area.
@Shamrock , I don’t think I do brother, just grew up stupidly like most big city kids in the projects. I hate the fact that because of where I come from my appearance make others judge me before they know me. My wife and children’s say when I walk down the street I look as if I am angry or about to kill someone, I don’t see it but then again I don’t walk carrying a mirror. 5’9" 144lbs and still have people’s look at me and cross the street if I am walking towards them, I hate it.
Where I come from, we call that “Walking with a Purpose”. It was necessary in my profession and it’s necessary in life most times. It’s a way that you handle yourself that says to a potential attacker: “Try someone else to bother, you really don’t want to try me”.
Sounds like you have learned more than you are willing to admit and have moved your life onto better paths. Sorry people on the street are passing judgement based on preconceived ideas. Their loss.
I hear that my brother but I really do hate it because I have never be the type of person that go looking for trouble. To lite to fight and to thin to win but I guess that’s why most LEO’s in Chicago always stopped me when I was where I was.
I never carried myself as a bad guy and when my wife and children’s told me how I look I wished I had tear ducts.
It’s not the size of the Man in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the Man. 