Road rage blamed in fatal shooting of Arkansas toddler

A three-year-old boy, out with his grandmother, was shot and killed in his grandmother's vehicle when another driver became annoyed that the 47-year-old woman stopped too long at a stop sign. He sounded his horn and the woman responded by sounding her own horn. The first driver became enraged, got out of the vehicle, approached the woman's car and fired one shot, killing the boy. Police said that this is the second toddler to be shot and killed in a road rage incident in recent weeks.

My only thought, to follow up on last week's thread on road rage, is that any response at all to an angry, impatient driver, may be enough to push him over the line to homicidal behavior.

Unfortunately, as in most shooting incidents, the aggressor has the advantage because he knows, before you do, that he's about to enter a confrontation, believing he has the advantage because he's armed and assumes you're not. These incidents remind me of all those Celluloid World War II dog fights in which the enemy is directly behind you and you are in his sights. On the road, it is exceedingly difficult for you to achieve a tactical advantage under similar circumstances. You'll have to rely on your driving skills, rather than your CCW, to get the "bogey" off your tail.

I now have toddler grandsons of my own and I will absolutely not respond in any way to an aggressive driver. It's just not worth the risk. I have worked out a number of tactical scenarios that will allow me to level the playing field if an opposing motorist refuses to quit.

While this incident involves road rage, how many CCWs are aware of the additional dangers, under any circumstances, to an armed response when accompanied by loved ones? Your tactical plan should include separating yourself from them so as not to draw fire towards them.