by Mary Shepard is the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit brought by the National Rifle Association and the Illinois State Rifle Association against the State of Illinois for denying Ms. Shepard the right to defend herself.
If there was ever a plaintiff who could make the case for needing to defend oneself with a firearm, it is Mary Shepard. Back in 2009 when she was 69 years old, she and 76 year old Leona Mount were the victims of a vicious beating attack. They were attacked by Willis Bates as he was burglarizing the Anna (IL) First Baptist Church where both ladies worked. The Associate Baptist Press gives this description of their injuries:
Arrest warrants claim that Bates repeatedly kicked the heads and bodies of Shepherd, the church treasurer, and Mount, a maintenance worker, before getting away with less than $600.
Both women were taken by ambulance to Union County Hospital in Anna and airlifted to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Shepard remained there, while Mount was transferred to St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis. Both women are expected to recover, a fact that church members are calling a miracle.
Shepard’s injuries included a skull fracture, concussion and a possible broken bone in her right cheek. She was moved from the trauma unit to the ICU for observation and later transferred to a regular room. She has since been released from the hospital and is recuperating at home.
Surgery was scheduled Oct. 8 for Mount to begin to repair a broken nose, numerous facial fractures, jaw fractures and a fractured palate. Medical staff at St. Louis University told family members the injuries were like nothing they had ever seen. Despite that, she reportedly suffered no damage to her brain or eyes.
The video above is a report from WSIL Channel 3 back in October 2009 announcing Bates’ arrest. Bates was given a 23 year sentence for two counts of attempted murder. He had previously served 7 years in Illinois prisons for residential burglary. Here is his Illinois Department of Corrections rap sheet including a current picture.
Even before this horrific beating, Mary Shepard, now aged 71, had obtained concealed carry permits from the states of Pennsylvania and Florida. According to IllinoisCarry, Ms. Shepard had taken five firearms training courses including Personal Protection Outside the Home. However, because Illinois law forbids concealed or open carry, she was unarmed when attacked by 6’4″, 240 lb. psychopath Willis Bates. Ms. Shepard discusses the attack, her injuries, the aftermath, and her firearms training which if she was allowed to carry for self-defense could have prevented these horrible injuries in an video made for IllinoisCarry.
The Cook County politicians who kept Mary Shepard defenseless in the face of the attack by Willis Bates should be forced to watch this video. Of course that is a futile hope but perhaps one day – whether by court order or by legislation – the good people of Illinois will be allowed to protect themselves in public with a firearm.
We as Illinosians have a right to common means of self-defense from thugs. But the thugs in the Illinois General Assembly that hail from Chicago, keep denying us this right, despite all logic. They have forgotten they are the peoples servants, not the democratic parties servants, or ex-mayor Daleys servants. When all is said and done, I hope that someday democracy returns to Illinois.
Mary should have the Federal Prosecutor formally charge the State of Illinois, specifically those polititians that continue to block her right to keep and bear arms. Why charge them? They are COMPLICIT and conspired with Bates (no, they did not directly conspire, nor did they intend this outcome, but they were instrumental in the commission of the crimes by Bates, therefore they are complicit). Had the state not disarmed this woman through their idiotic laws, we would have read about how a 69 year old woman stopped a repeat offender when he attempted to assault her and her friend during the commission of a burglary.
Congradulations, the Decaration of Independance, the Amendments, and the Constitution are just meaningless pieces of paper.
Welcome to Ill-annoys
Lucky she didn't have a gun and kill the poor guy…she could have become the most hated woman on earth like George Zimmerman has become the most hated man. People have to realize, taking the beating is honorable…fighting back is the height of evilness. We live in a different world now. Be peaceful people.
Another brain dead liberal! Who the hell are you to tell people that we are not allowed to defend ourselves. There is and will never be any glory in taking a harsh beating like that! What the hell did poor Mary do to deserve something like that??? People like you are what's wrong with Illinois and Chicago. The person that did the beating is the height of evil you brain dead liberal retard!!!
"taking the beating is honorable"
troll? ignorant fool? or simply a perverse masochist?…
Another brain dead liberal! Who the hell are you to tell people that we are not allowed to defend ourselves. There is and will never be any glory in taking a harsh beating like that! What the hell did poor Mary do to deserve something like that??? People like you are what's wrong with Illinois and Chicago. The person that did the beating is the height of evil you brain dead liberal retard!!!
Good site.