9mm Glock in the Lady's Room

My friend works part-time at a home improvement chain here in greater Birmingham. She had to work Saturday night and was a 'floater' of sorts, to help pm customers find something. She said Sunday after Sunday School that she had a hair raising happening that she was still recovering from.

She was busy helping someone when two little boys came up to her in the store looking for the bathrooms. She directed these two little fellows, she said, maybe 6 and 8 and in her mind, a little young to be sent to the bathroom without parents. That said, she watched them go down to the hall to the restrooms and both went in the 'lady's' restroom.

She said her first thoughts were they usually shop with their mother and were accustomed to going into the lady's restroom. She soon followed them and stood at the door but wished now she had gone in with them. They shortly came out and heading back toward where their parents were shopping. They did not look alarmed or scared and she headed back toward the center of the store and assisting another customer.

She soon looked over the shoulder of the customer and there were the two parents and the two boys heading back her way. She saw the parents were upset and talking loudly trying to get someone's attention. She (and Greg) went to assist them immediatedly and were told by the father that the boys had seen a 'gun' on a commode top when they were in the bathroom.

The two adults, my friend, and Greg went into the ladie's restroom and there in the center stall was a 9mm Glock semi-automatic pistol on the tanktop. They did not touch the weapon but all walked out with the parents raising a big fuss about 'what if' the boys had picked up the gun and you can guess what else.

The management made the right decision and called the Birmingham Police Department to report this problem. They told the parents to just hold their comments and concern until the police got there and that way it would on record and only have to be told one time.

The police said they would be there within 5 mintues and the instructions were to not touch anything but secure the restroom. But not 2 minutes after calling the police, the front door opens and a blond woman carrying a large black bag approached and tried to enter the lady's room. They did not have to tell her why they had the room secured as she wanted to go in and get her 'gun' she left. They told her to wait until the police got there! No way, she tried to push her way past Greg but with little affect. My friend said Greg played college football and is 6'3" and about 240 lbs. The woman is livid, again pushing at Greg to go and get her gun and now flashing the 'gun permit' she has to carry said gun.

The woman is now really, really mad and when Greg tells her a third or fourth time she cannot go and get her gun, she now chooses to 'slap' Greg and connects with a glancing blow. They now are trying to subdue this woman as she is now a threat to all those now around the bathroom hallway.

The police finally get there and see what is going on and immediately secure her from hurting anyone else. She is now yelling that employee hurt her and 'you can get your lawyers ready as I am suing'. The parents and children are unhappy with this as they feel the store is responsible in someway for this happening.

How this all comes out in the wash is your guess. The police took statements from everyone and also some witnesses that were not involved in this direct action. They take the 'gun' lady downtown and is last seen in the back seat of a squad car. The store has told their employees to say as little or nothing if possible when things like this occur as you never know how it may be intrepreted.

My friend was shaking in the SS hallway after telling this Sunday and understandably so. There could have been a lot of different outcomes to this but the little boys were trained never to touch a gun by their parents and that saved the day. The store is going to do something nice for the family and the boys. It is unfortunate things like this happen but this time it had an outcome where no one was hurt...jeff