What if Jessica had a gun on her and was trained and not afraid to use it?
If ever there’s been a case of, “if only she’d had a gun, she might still be alive today,” it is the case of 19-year-old Jessica Chambers, who in Courtland, Mississippi, on the night of December 6, 2014, was burned alive.
If only Jessica had had a small pistol in her purse or glove compartment that she knew how to use effectively, safely and responsibly, she may have been able to defend herself against the attacker who hit her over the head and then doused her with gasoline. According to reports, the perpetrator poured gas down her throat before setting her alight.
She was found a short time later stumbling down the street still on fire. And when first responders arrived, she was able to whisper the name of her murderer before passing away. The only part of her body that was not burned beyond recognition were the soles of her feet.
Yet despite this, now more than five months later, in a town of 420 people, despite the FBI getting involved and there being a $54,000 reward, not a single person has been arrested. The police couldn’t save her that night and the justice system can’t solve the crime today.
And this brings me back to my initial statement, that if only Jessica had had a gun, maybe, just maybe she’d still be alive and perhaps she could have even done society a service by dispatching her attacker into the netherworld.
When seconds count, the police are often a lifetime away.
Video by Ben Philippi for Guns.com 2015
