A mom in Iowa was able to protect her son from two would-be kidnappers thanks to the Second Amendment and the gun she was carrying - two things that may have literally saved her kid’s life.
According to KDSM, the incident started when a man and a woman were seen walking around Hubbell Tower Apartments in Des Moines. Shay Lindberg, the building manager, poked her head outside to ask if the pair needed anything. She never could have predicted what would happen next.
One of the strangers suddenly grabbed Lindberg’s young son, who happened to be standing next to her. After a brief struggle, Lindberg drew her lawfully-carried gun and demanded the people let go of her son. She then quickly alerted a nearby security guard who tracked the couple until the police showed up and arrested them.
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Des Moines Police Sergeant Paul Parizek credited the fact that this mom was armed and prepared with the happy conclusion to a story that could have quickly turned tragic.
“It certainly looks like the big turning point here, the pivotal piece to keeping her child safe was the fact that she was lawfully-armed with a handgun, and she produced it and told them ‘let go of my kid,’” he said.
The two were easily ID’d as Michael Ernest Ross, 43, and Laurie Lynn Potter, 57, the latter of which was already on probation and had already been documented by police as a local problem-causer. Both Potter and Ross were booked and charged with felony Child Stealing on Jan. 5.