Illinois State Sen. Kimberly Lightford and her husband were carjacked by three armed suspects Tuesday night getting away with recently bought Christmas presents and personal valuables. But not before getting into a shootout with her husband, who was carrying concealed.
Lightford and her husband pulled up to a friend’s house around 9:45 PM after shopping for Christmas presents. Another car pulled up, and three armed suspects got out of the car. They held the two up, taking all valuables off of Sen. Lightford.
She offered the car and pleaded for them not to shoot her of her husband. At some point, the husband distracted them by sliding the car keys to them.
“I begged them not to shoot us, and I begged them not to shoot my husband, not to shoot me. I told them to take whatever they want. They took everything off me that I had of value, and I offered the car, and my husband slid them the keys,” she said via CBS Chicago.
The husband and the suspects then exchanged gunfire. Witnesses reported hearing roughly 15 shots. The suspects fled in both vehicles, and no one was reported as injured. The Senator’s husband had a valid Illinois Concealed Carry License.
Good for the Senator’s husband for being prepared. No reports state who shot first but hearing that the husband distracted them, I can only assume that he then drew his concealed carry gun and fired at the suspects. Being outnumbered 3 to 1, I’m thankful he and his wife made it out of the situation unharmed.
When arriving and leaving home, your driveaway is a transitional space. You must have a higher level of situational awareness when doing so. These are places where bad guys and catch you off guard. Next time you are backing out of your driveway while looking at your phone, keep that in mind.
And not to be undone, the Senator did go shopping the next night to finish up her Christmas shipping.
“I had some last-minute items to pick up, so I closed out Wal-Mart at 11 o’clock last night because the night before, I was being held up at gunpoint. So it kind of threw my schedule off a little bit, but I’ve never had so much fun at Wal-Mart,” she said.
