Although California boasts some of the nation’s strictest gun control laws, some citizens have been able to obtain a firearm for self-defense — and Los Angelino Vince Ricci recently used his to protect his family and property when confronted by armed robbers at his home.
State law allows adults fairly broad access to guns on their own property, though obtaining a concealed permit is often an onerous ordeal.
Ricci was among those who secured a permit and kept a firearm at his home so he was prepared when a pair of subjects approached him and pointed a gun at his chest. The homeowner was able to grab his own weapon, fired at the suspects and chased them away.
“If I don’t speak up, nothing’s going to get done.”
Vince Ricci gives me his 1st local on-camera interview after, what he calls, a “surreal” experience Nov. 4th when he was ambushed at his L.A. home’s front door by an armed suspect, 1 of 2@LAPDHQ tells @FOXLA so far no arrests pic.twitter.com/rGfyc6P2a4
— MarlaTellez (@MarlaTellez) November 15, 2023
The incident occurred just months after another break-in attempt at his home, he explained.
Despite using his gun for what most would consider a textbook example of self-defense, state authorities responded by temporarily suspending his concealed carry permit. Ricci has since partnered with the National Rifle Association to highlight California’s anti-gun policies.
“After successfully defending my home and my family and my 5-month-old child, California has now decided to suspend my Second Amendment,” he asserted in a video released by the NRA.
Following the prior break-in, Ricci said that he began to view his home in a different light.
“I used to walk into this house and see this beautiful house that I built for my family,” he said. “And now I walk into a war zone.”
In response to that realization, he said he could only rely on himself and his Second Amendment rights, which are now being threatened by the “leftist gun grabbers” in charge of his state.
NRA spokesperson Billy McLaughlin applauded Ricci for his “decisive actions to protect his wife and daughter,” adding that his actions “embody the core principles that NRA members fight for every day.”
He went on to take aim at California officials — particularly Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. County District Attorney George Gascon — for punishing law-abiding citizens who exercise their constitutional rights.
“It’s reprehensible that California is shredding his Second Amendment rights after he defended his family,” McLaughlin said, adding: “The NRA stands with Vince and every responsible gun owner in California, firmly committed to defending their rights to protect their families and communities.”
