Starbucks, who's locations are gun-free, have employees who are grateful that one of their regular customers ignored their stance and carried in their stores anyway.

A concealed carrier in a Utah Starbucks fired one shot into the chest of a man last week who polices said had just assaulted a barista, Salt Lake City’s Fox 13 reported.

The suspect, identified as Benjamin Scott Overall, 37, set off a panic alarm around 6 a.m. Oct. 4 inside a 7-Eleven store in Millcreek, a suburb of Salt Lake City, KJZZ-TV reported. A responding officer approached Overall, who then allegedly fled to a nearby Starbucks.

Overall then allegedly attacked a female employee, the Salt Lake City Tribune reported. A police "probable cause" statement said he punched her, hit her in the head with a metal basket, and kicked her.

“She couldn’t get away from him, and he continued to strike her on her head, face, neck and shoulders,” criminal charges stated.

The employee, Shelby Hamilton, 24, said she thought Overall was going to kill her.

“He just came in the door and … hit me in the back of the head from behind,” Hamilton told the Deseret News. “I was the first one he saw.”

Overall then “aggressively approached” a customer who happened to have a concealed weapons permit, according to the criminal charges. The customer shot Overall in the chest before he could attack, police said.

A restaurant employee who works next door to the Starbucks said the area has a problem with transients.

“I give kudos to the guy who shot the man in the chest,” the employee told KUTV.


https://www.foxnews.com/us/man-facing-charges-after-punching-starbucks-employee-in-attack-thwarted-by-licensed-gun-owner-authorities-say?intcmp=ob_article_footer_text&intcmp=obnetwork

I still bet Starbucks does something stupid like banning the customer or trying to bring them up on charges for carrying in a no gun zone.

Incidents like this always make me recall the following...


Several years ago -- before Clinton reduced the scope of the Millington Naval Air Station base in Millington TN just outside of Memphis -- there was a homicide where the victim was a Navy guy.

I remember vividly watching a segment on the local news talking to the victim's father. He was in town for the trial.

He tearfully said, "I've never in my life supported capital punishment before, but I do now."


I wonder how many people change their views of gun control, capital punishment, etc when they are personally impacted by situations such as these.