Like a lot of cities around the United States, the crime stats in New Orleans are moving in the wrong direction, but thankfully one armed citizen was able to put a stop to a recent carjacking; and without pulling the trigger.

It was broad daylight on Sunday afternoon when a driver behind the wheel of a vehicle in the Lower Garden District became the alleged target of 44-year old Quinn Massey. As the driver was navigating through the narrow streets, busy with traffic, Massey was apparently able to hop in the back seat of the vehicle.

Massey “implied” that he had a gun, and that’s when the driver grabbed his own; forcing the man from his ride and ensuring his own safety. Massey was arrested a short time later, but officials in the state are pointing out that these types of incidents are happening more frequently.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said Monday that carjackings are on the rise in New Orleans and across the state. Landry, citing New Orleans’ City Council’s crime dashboard, said that carjackings have increased more than 120 percent compared to last year. For the first five months of the year, 120 carjackings were reported in the city – an increase from the 62 reported during the same time in 2020.

“Crime is on the rise and carjackings are plaguing our State,” Landry said. “All drivers here must remain vigilant in protecting our families and personal belongings.”

A Memphis man is facing serious charges after police say he and two other men killed a woman they were attempting to carjack.

Investigators say it happened on Memorial Day when Antonio McEntyre drove two armed men to the area of Shelby Drive and Chevron Road where Latorria Glover was sitting in her blue Nissan Maxima.

Seconds later, one of the men opened fire and struck Glover in the head, hand and arm. Police say she tried to drive away but crashed into another vehicle parked outside a home. That homeowner called 911, but Glover didn’t survive her injuries.

That was Memphis, Tennessee. There was another fatal carjacking in New Orleans itself last week.

People gathered in Congo Square in Armstrong Park to remember Portia Pollock.

The 60-year-old was stabbed outside her home on North Dorgenois on Tuesday morning during a fatal carjacking.

The New Orleans Police Department have identified 47-year-old Bryan Andry as the killer.

Andry was arrested after four days on the run.

He was out on reduced bail on two armed robbery charges from 2020.

You won’t hear much about this murder because the attacker used a knife and was on reduced bail. He doesn’t fit the agenda on the Left at the moment, which is to attribute the rise in violent crime to increased gun sales in order to bolster their arguments for gun control. You also won’t hear much about the armed citizen in the same city who protected his life from a carjacker thanks to his gun; for the obvious reasons, the Left will shy away from even acknowledging this took place.

Portia Pollack sounds like a lovely woman who never should have lost her life, particularly at the hands of someone who clearly posed a risk to the community, yet was out on reduced bail on a violent crime. I’m all in favor of criminal justice reform, but when it comes to violent crimes I believe one of the reforms is to take them more seriously. I’m willing to refer a lot of non-violent offenses to community service and work-release programs (as well as looking at the necessity, constitutionality, and cost-benefit of every non-violent statute currently on the books) if it frees up spaces for violent offenders.

Just as importantly, I’m in favor of the right of self-defense and the right to keep and bear arms. It’s clear that crime is rampant in New Orleans at the moment, and there are plenty of individuals who are willing take innocent human lives in order to steal a stupid car. I hope that even longtime anti-gun advocates are giving the Second Amendment a second chance; not because I want to score political points but because I want them too to be able to get home safely at night, and carrying a gun in self-defense will at least give them a fighting chance.