A Los Angeles homeowner has been stripped of his concealed carry license after he was forced to use his gun to protect himself and his family.
On November 4, Vince Ricci was just about to unlock his front door where his wife, 5-month-old daughter, and the family's nanny were when two armed men jumped his fence, pointed a gun to his chest, and tried to force their way inside.
Thankfully, Ricci was carrying.
He fired at the thugs, they ran away, and it was all caught on video.
Check it out:
[Warning: Violence]
Ricci clearly acted in self-defense, but he is now the one paying the price.
"After successfully defending my home and my family and my 5-month-old child, California has now decided to suspend my Second Amendment [rights]," he said.
Ricci told Fox News that the sheriff's office called him this week to let him know that his concealed carry permit was "revoked" because (get this!...) he yelled at the LAPD officers when they came to investigate three days after the incident.
Apparently, Ricci has high standards for the LAPD; for example, they allegedly did not collect the casings scattered near his home as evidence. This is what he described as "sloppy police" work.
Ricci told Fox that he had difficulty obtaining a permit, which took months.
Here's Ricci speaking with Fox 11:
Securing a concealed carry permit in California has traditionally been more challenging than in other states. However, California law permits legal U.S. residents aged 18 and above to carry firearms on private property and residences without a permit or license.
Ricci was, in fact, on his private property.
Fox News has not yet received a response from the sheriff's office regarding whether there were other reasons his permit was revoked besides Ricci "yelling."
Speaking with Fox News Digital last week, Ricci revealed that this wasn't the first time criminals had targeted him in his own neighborhood.
In June, his home was burglarized (luckily for the robbers, no one was home), and a few months before that, his car was also broken into. According to Ricci, a criminal group focused on homes in his neighborhood was involved, driving a Dodge Charger without a license plate.
PLUS, the night just before the shoot-out, his neighbor's home was also broken into.
In an NRA video, Ricci explained that he now he feels like he is walking through a "war zone" in his own neighborhood.
My situation is unique because it happened at my front door, all on camera. But this happens time and time again all over the country.
…
People sweep it under the rug because it doesn't behoove their political agenda. The fact is evil will always exist.
Ricci blames left-wing local leaders for not enforcing the complete extent of the law against violent criminals. He says his Second Amendment rights are now "in jeopardy" thanks to left-wing California politicians.
I used to walk into this house and see this beautiful house that I built for my family, and now I walk into a war zone.
…
Right here in L.A., an innocent L.A. father was killed because District Attorney Gascon released a violent criminal back into the streets. And this is just one of the dozens of cases right here in this city.
...
When the incident happened, there were only two things I could rely on: myself and the Second Amendment; and now that's in jeopardy. The leftist gun grabbers do not care about your safety. The NRA does.
Russell Stuart, owner of Beverly Hills Guns, told Fox that Ricci's experience is a perfect example of a legally-armed individual exercising his Second Amendment right to protect himself and his young family on his private property.
The bottom line is that this is a man who defended himself on his own property with a gun that was legally owned by himself.
Stuart explained that criminals have changed over time. 25 years ago, a criminal would target a home with an unloaded gun just to try to scare residents, but today, in 2023, criminals have no hesitation in bringing heavy weaponry along for the ride.
Now, these people are coming heavily armed with fully loaded weapons. And as the evidence shows, they are prepared and will, and did, use them. So, this man had to defend his family, had to defend himself. He was on his own property against armed assailants.
Stuart also said there has been a significant increase in customers applying for CCW permits - folks have been lining up outside his door before he even opens in the mornings.
The fact that anyone, our politicians, our law enforcement officers, our district attorney could see this man as anything but a hero defending his family is absolutely disgusting.
It also sets a precedent and will send a ripple through the community, especially the Jewish community right now.
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What message is this sending them that while you're on your own property, facing armed assailants with loaded weapons, that if you defend yourself, you might face prosecution? What message is that going to send?
The NRA told Fox they are "proud to have Vince as a fellow NRA member" and called the revocation of his permit "reprehensible."
NRA spokesperson Billy McLaughlin put out the following statement:
His decisive actions to protect his wife and daughter embody the core principles that NRA members fight for every day. It's reprehensible that California is shredding his Second Amendment rights after he defended his family. Governor [Gavin] Newsom and [Los Angeles County District Attorney George] Gascon's pro-criminal policies have transformed Los Angeles and the wider state into what resembles a war zone. The NRA stands with Vince and every responsible gun owner in California, firmly committed to defending their rights to protect their families and communities.
Here's the video the NRA put together on Vince:
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