Daniel Chavanne and another unidentified armed citizen broke up a gun fight over drug money in the Walmart parking lot at Augusta on June 26. Both of these armed bystanders are heroes for stopping this reckless shooting. When Chavanne heard shots he didn’t hesitate as he walked to the scene of the shooting, showing his own gun and telling those that were fighting to get down on the ground. He kicked a gun away from the fighters and stood on it.

These responsible gun owners stepped into a very dangerous situation, not only to themselves, as anyone in that parking lot could have been hit by stray bullets. When police arrived on the scene it remained very hazardous for these good Samaritans because anyone with a gun would be considered a menace by the police.

Police discourage law-abiding citizens armed with guns from getting involved in dangerous situations such as this. However, police cannot always be available to control serious emergencies. A matter of seconds could make the difference between life and death in some occasions. If Daniel Chavanne or someone like him had been in that Orlando nightclub the outcome might have been vastly different. A good guy with a gun can be the difference when confronting a bad guy with a gun.

David O. Locke

South Gardiner