UC Merced Hero Wishes He Had a Gun

by
posted on November 9, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
gsagi2015_fs-1.jpg (1)

In an exclusive interview with a local TV station, Byron Price, the 32-year-old contractor who intervened when stabbings began on campus, told the reporter he’s changed his mind about concealed carry.

The last lines of the article detail his new perspective and how, “He wishes he had one when this all unfolded.” Price heard a commotion in the building where he was working, and his immediate intervention saved lives, although he was one of the four who were stabbed. Of note in the linked L.A. Times story is the fact that is was campus police—with guns—who took out the criminal before any others were harmed or killed.

Someone a lot wiser than I once said, “The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun.” Price agrees, and unlike the liberal media who immediately indicted that statement, he has the kind of firsthand experience that should carry weight in the court of public opinion.

Authorities have located a manifesto from the attacker. Items recovered from his backpack included zip ties, duct tape and night vision, which indicates the plan was to harm more people than four. All of the victims are expected to make a full recovery, and only one remains in the hospital.

We can only hope Price’s message gets out. The incident makes it painfully obvious that suspending the right to self-defense in those mythical, weapon- and criminal-free zones, has dire consequences for law-abiding citizens.      

Latest

weapons of war
weapons of war

A Deadly Testing Ground: Guns of the Spanish Civil War

Great powers have often used smaller conflicts as test beds for new weapon systems, and also as dumping grounds for obsolete machinery. The Spanish Civil War was one such conflict.

Sequel: The New Taurus Judge

Not content to merely mark the gun's 20th anniversary with a special engraved edition, Taurus also introduced the New Taurus Judge this year.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 3, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Questions & Answers: A Wreck of a Remington 40-X

An American Rifleman reader writes in about a project Remington 40-X .22 target rifle that needs some serious help.

New for 2026: KJI K950 Tripod and Titan Inverted Ball Head

KJI (formerly Kopfjäger) releases the carbon-fiber K950 tripod and Titan inverted-ball head.

Book Review | Guns, Shooting and Hunting: What I’ve Learned in 60 Years

Much of what one learns is truly inexpressible to others—so it’s a wonderful rarity when someone can put their knowledge into words.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.