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A North Carolina teenager who walks around his neighborhood packing a rifle on his shoulder is making at least one non-gun owning resident very nervous. John Schultz, 19, is from a military family and carries his grandpa’s WWII 303 British Enfield to help protect the area. The Charlotte teenager also wears a bullet-proof vest, packs a knife in a holster, and carries some extra ammo in a vest pocket.
While walking around the Walnut Creek neighborhood, the rifle-toting teenager also picks up trash and has spotted several Peeping Toms and would be robbers. When Schultz encountered those who may have been planning on committing a crime in the area, they ran away when they saw his rifle. He walks varying routes around Sunset Road to get some exercise while watching out for those who live near him.
Although some of the neighbors thank John Schultz for helping to keep the north Charlotte area safe, others are not thrilled with the teenager’s decision to exercise his Second Amendment rights. Resident Vanessa Aidara registered her calm, yet very firm opposition, to Schultz’s armed neighborhood watch habits. The woman told NBC affiliate WCNC News that the rifle scares her children and they no longer want to play out in their yard.
Vanessa Aidara also had this to say during the interview:
“It’s a problem and a concern. He could be good without the rifle. The rifle is what scares everybody because why do you need a rifle to pick up trash, get a trash bag. Let the police take care of that [crime] not you.”
The unhappy neighbor called the police department the first time she spotted John Schultz walking around the neighborhood armed. She said that she had a panic attack and did not know what was going on outside. She also told local reporters that the Charlotte teenager could be an “incident of vigilante justice” just waiting to happen. Aidara also feels that Schultz could ultimately become a target for violence himself.
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John Schultz maintains that Aidara has not ever wanted to talk to him and believes that if she did, she would feel differently about his actions. Vanessa’s plea for the armed neighborhood trash collection and safety walks to stop was denied by the civic-minded young man.
Instead of giving into her irrational fears, Aidara should simply have a chat with Schultz. Looking out the window and seeing someone carrying a rifle and wearing a bullet-proof vest would surely be a startling sight, but now that she is aware of his intentions, such fears should have long since subsided. There may very well be multiple neighbors walking around the area with a concealed firearm; Schultz is simply displaying his weapon in a manner which will obviously serve as a deterrent to others.
Fortunately for Schultz, his reception for local police officers was far better than that a veteran in Texas recently endured. Charlotte police officers stated that the teenager is not breaking any laws because he is not threatening anyone with his gun or pointing it at any individuals. North Carolina is an open carry state.
As previously reported by Off The Grid News, Army Master Sgt. C.J. Grisham was arrested for “rudely displaying” his weapon during a walk with his son. Grisham did not brandish his weapon and was merely walking along a rural road documenting his son’s Eagle Scout project. Texas is also an open carry state, but Grisham is still fighting charges stemming from the incident – none of which are gun related.
