If Only He'd Had A Gun To Defend Himself. Oh, Wait.... (Like Father Like Son)

James Johnson was at the funeral home he owns in North Carolina when his son, Garcia Johnson, arrived, armed with a handgun, and the two had a confrontation.  The argument, apparently over who would perform a funeral, escalated into a shootout with multiple shots fired.  The father was shot multiple times and wasn't expected to survive at first.

The son eventually turned himself in.

Too bad the father wasn't armed with a gun, too, as the NRA says it would have protected him.  Oh wait...  he was!  From an article and news video:

WFMY News 2 has learned James Johnson was armed when he was shot. Rockingham County District Attorney Craig Blitzer says police took a gun out of the father's hand when they got to the shooting scene Friday.

Additionally, since the father was armed, the son isn't being charged with attempted murder, but rather a lesser charge, as well as a lower bail bond:

After speaking with Johnson's attorneys, Blitzer agreed to a lowered bond of $200,000 [from $1-million]. Johnson must also wear a GPS monitoring device.

The main reason why Blitzer says he agreed to a lower bond is because Garcia's father also had a gun. He says that fact is also the reason why Garcia is not charged with attempted murder. He is charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill.

"If there was no firearm in the father's hand, there would have been an Attempted Murder charge," said Craig Blitzer, Rockingham County District Attorney.

Guns don't solve problems, and having a gun on you doesn't mean you are safer.  In fact, it may escalate the situation from an argument to a shootout.

[this post is part of an ongoing series of people being shot to death or attacked despite being armed (and sometimes because they are armed)]