A man was charged with felonious assault after allegedly running over another man riding a motorized scooter in a grocery store parking lot in south Columbus on April 16. According to court records, the victim, who has a CCW license, told officers that the suspect, identified as Khristopher Mahr, almost hit him while he was riding his scooter near the grocery store parking lot and called him a racial slur. The victim avoided the confrontation and proceeded towards a bus stop.
However, Mahr allegedly drove toward him and stopped, got out of his car with a large Bowie-style knife, and approached the victim. The victim then pulled out his handgun, which he was licensed to carry, causing Mahr to get back into his car and rev the engine as if he was going to hit the victim. The victim feared for his life and fired shots at the vehicle as it approached him. Mahr proceeded to hit the victim, breaking his right foot, left arm, two ribs, and spraining his left ankle. Mahr was later identified through his social media page and has been charged with felonious assault.
It seems like the victim did the right thing by avoiding the confrontation initially and only drew his concealed carry gun in self-defense when the other man approached him with a knife. Moreover, since a vehicle was being used as a deadly weapon, firing at the car should be justified in this case. It’s fortunate that the victim survive the attack.
The victim’s actions in this incident show the importance of responsible gun ownership and the value of having a CCW license. It’s also notable that the victim did not use his gun until he believed his life was in danger, showing that he was acting in self-defense rather than using excessive force.
Good article and a good analysis, Sean. This incident brings up an excellent point. When we think of being assaulted we usually think of guns or knives, or even fists. But a car is a very deadly weapon. There have been multiple instances in the past few years of people using vehicles to attack and kill others. Sometimes they’re hate crimes, sometimes terrorism, and other times just sick people. Everyone should be alert to everything around them, and that includes traffic and cars in parking lots. Always be aware of anything solid you can put between yourself and traffic if something were to happen.