Four Open-Carry Activists Die In Tragic Accident, Sheriff Calls Homeland Security

Four Open-Carry Activists From Richmond VA Killed
Four Open-Carry Activists From Richmond VA Killed
Virginia Citizens Defense League
Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA –-(Ammoland.com)- Four open-carry activists from Richmond were killed on Friday in a horrific traffic accident in Ohio while on their way to an open-carry event in Michigan.

Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) offers its sincere condolences to the families and friends of David Alexander Armstrong (a VCDL member), Jason Spitzer, Stephen Kim and James Higgins.

I had met all four of these young men over the last couple of years. They were part of a group who have been pushing the envelope on open carry of long guns in the Richmond area. They were in the Richmond news several times last year, including a march through a housing project with the intent to educate residents as to their right to self-defense.

Jason and I were interviewed together on a Richmond radio show last year.

Steven, James, and Jason were all at the Virginia Citizens Defense League protest in Alexandria back in December.

The last I talked to Jason was at a subcommittee meeting at the General Assembly in February.

The accident happened on a two-lane road in rural Ohio. They had a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler at 7:30 AM in the morning.

On top of all the other things that make this a terrible tragedy, they were all young and working hard to protect and expand our right to keep and bear arms. We need so many more young people like that, and yet we have lost four of them in an instant.

Unlike so many people who won’t lift a finger to fight for their rights, David, Jason, Stephen, and James were passionate and involved in the fight.

May they all rest in peace.

Here is an article on the accident (my comments on the Sheriff’s ridiculous actions are in square brackets): https://wktn.com/local-news/136288

“Four Richmond, Virginia Men Killed in Friday Morning Crash”

“Hardin County Sheriff Keith Everhart said the crash occurred on US 68 about a mile south of Dunkirk, “At this point , it appears that the northbound car went left of center, and that is what caused the crash between the car and the southbound semi.”

Three men died at the scene. A fourth man in the car was transported to St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima where he was pronounced dead. They’re identified as David Armstrong, Jason Spitzer, Ho Jik Kim and James Higgins. The sheriff could not confirm, but did hear, that the four men were travelling to Detroit to participate in a gun walk. Sheriff Everhart did say that Homeland Security was brought in to investigate, “There were just some items in the vehicle that raised our concern a little bit. At that point, I decided that Homeland Security at least should be notified of some items that were in the vehicle and let them carry on that part of the investigation.”

[PVC: Really, Sheriff? Four guys have four rifles in the trunk and you need to call Homeland Security? Perhaps you should just hand your badge over to Homeland Security, since you apparently can’t run an investigation on your own. Two seconds on social media with any one of their names and you would have had all your questions answered. Americans can have guns in the trunks of their cars legally. Why are those guns even an issue at all? And are you personally going to make sure those guns are returned to the surviving family members once the “investigation” is over?]

And the sheriff adds that crashes like these are difficult on first responders, “Anytime you have a fatality it’s tough on the first responders, and then multiply that by four, and it just increases the trauma, but I believe everyone is handling it okay. We have offered some counseling services to any of the first responders that would deem that appropriate to take us up on the offer.”

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

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Robert Brock

The young man Jason Spitzer used to work at the Walgreens near my house. I thought he was a an interesting young man and I told him I admired what he was doing with the gun rights issue shortly before this happened. I just found out today about the accident. It is a great loss to our community and this world. May God take care of them in Heaven.

Michael

@ David

I have to myself, why was the ATF called in to Investigate a Fatal Car Crash, involving a car and a tractor trailer. With four-men in the car, having done nothing wrong, except for being killed in a Highway Accident and having JUST 4-guns in the call. I would suspect either the Chief of Police or the Fire Chief found something suspicious in the car, to involve the ATF.

Danny Griffin

Here is a tribute video to the four who were killed in the crash the other day.

Michael

I find it funny that the part about carrying 4 Assault Style Fully Loaded Rifles in their Laps got conveniently left out of the story.

David

How convenient for you to add opinion as factual. Assault rifle on their lps is far from guns in the trunk. Misinform the public..thats what we need here. Let us all stick to what we know and the facts.

Mchael

@ David.

Actually Sir, I went to the Locat Press that did the reporting, and they Paint a diiferent picture of the acctdent sight!

David

Lets stick to the facts. Left out because it is not true.

TEX

Like almost everything these days something is wrong with this picture. I would like to know more about the truck driver,what is included/excluded from the accident report,..etc. Two things are absolute fact ! The Sheriff is a complete moron in the wrong line of work,and we lost four young patriots fighting for all of us ! RIP my friends !

Jesse

Will the police report include pictures of the tire marks on the road? How did the Sheriff ascertain who veered into the other lane? Was it the testimony of the rig driver? These are questions you need to contemplate in a politicized case like this. If it was not politicized why was DHS called in to investigate a legal activity…

Jesse Scott

Sorry sheriff, those guys are least of your worries. They don’t where towels on their heads and cowardly shoot up museums.

john Carr

Very good point.

Doug Richards

It isn’t clear why Sheriff Keith Everhart would want to make a Federal investigation out of this scenario. Is he influenced by the emperor and his guard.

mikrat

They get .Gov Military Equip and Funding just like the Police, so they are just Federal Thugs anymore.

They are not there for you.

hippybiker

It seems that some misguided individuals in the LEO community disdain people who own firearms. A sheriff should remember that the people elect him/her and their job is to protect the rights of those people.

Robert Kitchen

This is a good example of why those of us who have to deal with the authorities in Ohio on a regular basis call it the peoples republic of Ohio.