An armed concealed carry holder in Chicago put a stop to an attempted carjacking Sunday evening, after thwarting a pair of would–be carjackers from making with the victim’s vehicle.
Police arrested 21–year–old Anton Cheeks and 18–year–old Travell Quadir Deal in connection with the attempted crime. According to investigators, the attempted vehicle hijacking occurred near the Ford City Mall sometime before 7 p.m. Sunday evening.
The 24–year–old victim recounted that Cheeks had produced a handgun and fired it in a bid to get control of the vehicle, only to be met with a surprise of his own. The victim, who was, unbeknownst to the alleged carjackers, armed with a valid Firearm Owner‘s Identification Card (FOIC) and concealed carry license, drew his own firearm and returned fire on the suspects. The victim‘s aim was true and Cheeks was shot in the thigh.
Paramedics responded to the scene and transported Cheeks to a local hospital, where he was treated for the wound and then taken into custody. Deal was apprehended by police moments after the incident.
Cheeks and Deal have been charged with one felony count of attempted vehicular hijacking with a firearm. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office shows Cheeks is being held on a $200,000 bond and will reappear in court on June 6.
This episode of thwarted crime against a legally armed concealed carry holder stands in stark contrast to the violence registered throughout Chicago on the troubled Memorial Day Weekend. Reports have it that police recorded 53 shooting victims and 12 murders during the same period.
It is, however, a perfect example of a legally armed – and quite capable – citizen coming to his own defense and that of his legal property against criminals who attempt to risk his and others’ safety.
In Fox News Digital‘s analysis of Chicago media reports between 2021 and February this year, there have been at least 44 instances of concealed carry holders and FOID holders effectively stopping an attack or other criminal activity throughout the city.
The city remains one of the few places in the US where even legal gun owners are prohibited from entering with a concealed carry firearm commonly accepted in much of the rest of the country. Sunday night‘s attempted carjacking reaffirms, yet again, the will of the citizens to protect themselves – and from the looks of it, the courage to do so with success.
