Over the past few years, carjackings have risen dramatically in America’s biggest cities.
Last year in Chicago more than 1,800 carjackings were reported. In 2020, there were 1,400.
In Philadelphia, there were 757 reported carjackings in 2021. This is an increase of 34% from the year before.
Of those, police arrested 150 people and solved 93 of the carjacking cases. A lot of criminals got away with their crimes.
With the increase of carjackings, there has also been an increase in victims fighting back.
According to one professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice…
“The majority of it is young joyriders. They’re not keeping the cars. They’re jacking cars to commit another crime, typically more serious robberies or shootings, or joyriding around for the sake of social media purposes and street cred.”
Earlier this year in Philadelphia, a 60-year-old man was the victim of a carjacking.
Around 8 p.m., a 16-year-old armed with a gun tried to take the victim’s Pontiac.
But the victim was prepared…
He was armed and a gun battle ensued. The 16-year-old carjacker was shot in each leg and grazed in the chest.
The teen ran from the scene but was later found and taken to the hospital, and listed in critical condition.
Police recovered 13 spent shell casings at the scene.
The victim car driver had a license to carry a concealed weapon. He was not injured during the shootout.
This rise in carjackings necessitates an addition to your training.
You see, when you are a victim of a carjacking, you likely won’t be standing when attacked.
However, when you go to the shooting range, you stand in your lane and shoot lined up with your target.
But you could be faced with a threat while seated in your car (or in another position).
So, you need to practice non-standard shooting positions.
With that being said, here are a few shooting positions to train when you go shooting (Check with your shooting range to see if they allow different positions or practice this with a safe and empty weapon at home.)
Shooting while seated:
Shooting from the seated position is one of the most likely positions you will be in other than standing.
This could be a carjacking, a shooting in a restaurant, or someone confronting you at your desk.
Drawing your firearm while sitting can be dangerous.
You are more likely to pass the muzzle over your own body (never point a firearm at anything you aren’t willing to destroy, such as your leg).
So, when you practice drawing your firearm, go slowly.
You want to take your time to make sure that you bring the gun out and around your knee.
Never cross over your leg.
When you re-holster the weapon, remember to do the same thing.
In addition to shooting while moving, shooting from the seated position is one of the most important movements to train for.
From your back:
During a self-defense situation there is a chance you could end up on your back.
That’s because, in a dangerous situation, many people will react by backpedaling to get away from the danger.
But backpedaling is not natural, and tends to lead to tripping and falling.
Or, you could be hit or shot by your attacker and end up flat on your back when you need to engage the threat.
You won’t have time to get to your feet before stopping your attacker.
Yet, like shooting while sitting, you need to be careful when firing from your back.
You want to try to sit up and make sure your legs are flat. You want to make sure that your legs and feet are out of the way.
Kneeling:
You might have to kneel behind concealment or cover.
But when you do so, you give up your mobility. It’s a trade-off.
Kneeling is a lot easier when you are using a rifle since you can rest your elbow on your knee.
Yet, with a pistol, you won’t be able to rest your elbow since your arms will be extended.
When you face a threat, you could find yourself in any position imaginable.
At the shooting range you should at least try every position so that you know what your limits are.
Many shooting ranges and classes won’t allow you to try all these positions.
Contact your local outdoor range to discover the options you have at their facility.
And, if you get the chance, consider taking a two or three-day handgun class to get you familiar with the different positions.
