Key Takeaways
- A man in Tulsa had his gun stolen while waiting to pay at QuikTrip, highlighting the risks of open carry.
- The suspect, identified as Aaron Deshawn Clayton, stole the victim’s Springfield XD 9mm and fled the scene.
- Police tracked Clayton to a nearby home, where he was arrested on charges related to the theft and prior felony convictions.
- The stolen pistol has not been recovered, and the search for it is still ongoing.
- Concealment is preferred because it prevents theft and avoids advertising one’s firearm to potential criminals.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
TULSA, OKLA. — A man waiting to pay inside a south Tulsa QuikTrip had his pistol taken straight off his hip, and the case is a clean example of why I carry concealed instead of open.
According to the Tulsa Police Department, the theft happened June 12 around 1:42 p.m. at the QuikTrip at 1415 E. 71st St. S. Officers were called for a larceny.
The victim told police he was getting a drink and then standing in line when a suspect walked up behind him and pulled his Springfield XD 9mm from a hip holster. Police said the holster had no retention device.
The suspect ran out of the store with the gun and got into a gold SUV that left westbound, police said. The victim followed and watched the vehicle drive away.
With help from the department’s Real Time Information Center, officers developed a lead on the vehicle and then on the suspect. Police identified him as Aaron Deshawn Clayton, 39.
Officers tracked Clayton to a home near 61st and Quincy Avenue. Police said he came out and rode off on a bicycle before he was taken into custody without further incident.
A search of the residence turned up a light blue trucker-style hat matching the one the suspect wore inside the store, according to police. The stolen pistol has not been recovered.
Clayton has a prior felony conviction, police said. He was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on complaints of larceny from a person after former conviction of a felony and possession of a firearm after former conviction of a felony.
This is an arrest, not a conviction. Police say the search for the stolen firearm is ongoing.
More from USA Carry:
I want to be clear about something. I am not against open carry, and the right to bear arms is a fundamental civil right that does not shrink because a holster is visible. But a firearm worn out in the open, in a holster with no retention, is an invitation to exactly what happened here.
A retention holster buys you time. Concealment takes you off the radar altogether. A thief cannot grab what he never sees, and he cannot easily rip free a pistol that locks into place.
That is why I carry concealed. Not because open carry is wrong, but because I would rather not advertise that I am armed, and I would rather not hand a criminal a head start on my own gun.
