Mass shooting in Athens Ohio prevented by law abiding gun store owner

 Here’s another one of those events that likely will never even make a footnote of local news, let alone national news. Maybe the NRA or a similar group will run a blurb on it, however what SHOULD happen is every law abiding gun owner should be shouting this from the rooftops.

The summary is this : A mentally disturbed man entered a gun store in Logan Ohio to purchase a handgun which he had planned to use to commit a mass shooting at Ohio University (Athens).

The gun store owner picked up on something being ‘off’ with the man, and informed law enforcement. At one point he even barricaded himself in the gun store. Police eventually showed up and arrested the man and found evidence he was planning the mass shooting.

While you’re at it , why not check out another story where an armed citizen prevents ANOTHER mass shooting. Since you won’t see it likely on the news either.

On Monday, March 21st, the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office received a phone call from a local gun store. The owner advised that a male came in to purchase a firearm and was making statements that made the owner question his mental stability and the reason for purchasing the firearm.

The owner told the male that he was not going to sell him a firearm at which point the male became agitated and began screaming threats at the owner as he was laving the store.

Deputies responded to the store to take a report on the incident. Through their investigation it was discovered that the male, James D. Howard, 25 of Canfield, Ohio, had assaulted and threatened a faculty member of the Ohio University in Athens earlier that day. The Ohio University Police Department had obtained an arrest warrant for Howard for Assault and Aggravated Trespassing.

A short time later, the gun store owner advised that Howard had returned to his store but he had locked the doors so he could not come in. Deputies responded to the area in an attempt to locate Howard.

Sheriff’s Office personnel with the assistance of the Logan Police Department located Howard’s vehicle in the parking lot of Wal-Mart. Deputies located Howard inside the store at the firearms counter attempting to purchase a large quantity of ammunition, gloves and camouflage clothing.

Deputies executed a search warrant on Howard’s vehicle and located a newly purchased firearm in the back seat along with various other survival gear. Deputies took Howard into custody and transported him to the Regional Jail.