It Should Have Been a Defensive Gun Use: Tampa Man Followed Home, Shot After Casino Win

“People need to understand. They need to be vigilant. They need to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings,” said Kim Chambliss. Yes. To say the least. Especially these days. Chambliss and her boyfriend, Val Delacruz, learned that lesson the hard way after a good night at a Tampa casino.

After winning about $3,000, they cashed out and were followed home by two thugs who attacked them in their driveway. Chambliss was shot in the leg and managed to make it inside. Delacruz was shot in in both legs and may have only managed to survive thanks to a neighbor who came outside to investigate.

Both attackers have since been arrested. Marcus Jenkins and Tristan Write — who thought nothing of shooting two people over $3,000 — are now facing charges of armed robbery and attempted murder. A third suspect is still running free.

Florida isn’t a state that has suffered the effects of “progressive” prosecutors selective non-enforcement of the criminal code. In fact, the state’s property and violent crime rates have fallen the most in the nation since 1991. But no city or state is immune and the Tampa/St. Petersburg area has the same kinds of crime problems any large metropolitan area does.

That means it’s needing to work a little harder to keep yourself and your family safe. It starts with situational awareness, which Chambliss, in the video above, admits to lacking to the extreme after the couple’s fun night out and winning a handful of cash. It also means having the tools to defend yourself if need be.

Florida is now one of 28 states that have eliminated barriers to concealed carry for law-abiding gun owners. More than half the states now have no permitting requirement to tote a gun. That means as long as you’re legally able to own a firearm, you can carry one every day to defend yourself and those you care about.

We don’t know if either Chambliss or Delacruz is a gun owner. But we’d guess that after this week’s very close call, having and carrying a gun, even living what they consider to be a safe neighborhood, will now be a lot higher on their to-do list.