The following vignettes describe the circumstances for killings not ruled self-defense by private individuals with permits to carry concealed handguns. The incidents below all occurred in Kentucky. The descriptions include the current, known status of any charges filed against the concealed carry killer as reported by news sources as well as noting instances where the perpetrator committed suicide.
The Violence Policy Center welcomes any new information regarding the status of any case (with verifiable source(s)). Use this link to contact the VPC: http://www.vpc.org/contact.htm.
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Devone Frank Briggs PENDING
Date: February 23, 2019
People Killed: 1
Circumstances: On February 23, 2019, concealed handgun permit holder Devone Frank Briggs, 30, allegedly shot and killed Jose Munoz, 25, in the crowded lobby of an Olive Garden in Louisville, Kentucky. Before the shooting, Briggs pushed the four-year-old child of Munoz’s girlfriend because the child had bumped into him at least twice. The child’s mother told Briggs not to touch her child and an argument ensued. Munoz’s family said that Briggs made racist comments about their Mexican heritage. Munoz attempted to deescalate the situation, but when he stepped in front of his girlfriend he was pushed by Briggs. Munoz pushed back and Briggs then allegedly shot him in response. Briggs was charged with murder and seven counts of first degree wanton endangerment related to the seven people who were nearby in the restaurant when the shooting occurred.
UPDATE: The trial of Devone Briggs, which had been scheduled for summer 2021 was postponed until January 2022.
Source: “Family of victim mourns a ‘setback’ as trial for murder at Louisville Olive Garden postponed again,” wdrb.com, April 29, 2021; “Man accused in Louisville Olive Garden killing indicted,” courier-journal.com, April 4, 2019.
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Damien Lacambra CONVICTED
Date: April 24, 2016
People Killed: 1
Circumstances: On April 24, 2016, concealed handgun permit holder Damien Lacambra allegedly shot and killed his wife, Amelia, in Louisville, Kentucky. Lacambra, an Army veteran with firearm experience, had left the service in 2015. Lacambra claimed his Blackhawk handgun fired unintentionally as he withdrew it from its holster in preparation for cleaning the weapon, hitting his wife in the head. According to police, Lacambra admitted the gun was approximately six inches from his wife’s head when the bullet discharged, hitting her in the face. According to Lacambra, he was pointing the gun at her expecting her to say “Don’t do that anymore.” Lacambra received his concealed carry permit about eight weeks before the shooting. “Been around weapons a lot, this
you’d think would be the last person it would happen to,” Lacambra told detectives following the killing. Lacambra pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
UPDATE: On December 8, 2017, Damien Lacambra was found guilty of manslaughter in the second degree in the death of his wife. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Source: “Louisville man sentenced in wife’s shooting death,” wlky.com, December 8, 2017; “Army veteran: ‘I’m blaming me’ in calling wife’s shooting accidental,” WHAS, July 05, 2016
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Kalob Carter CONVICTED
Date: February 23, 2016
People Killed: 1
Circumstances: On February 23, 2016, concealed handgun permit holder Kalob Carter, 25, allegedly shot and killed Ernest Matthew (Matt) Davis, 30, following an argument at Davis’ residence. Carter had gone with his girlfriend to his sister’s house to bring her cigarettes. While he was there, Matt Davis came home from work and began arguing with Angie Davis (Carter’s sister). According to Angie Davis, the argument was “heated” and Matt Davis followed her into the bathroom, at one point knocking a plastic dustpan out of her hand. Carter attempted to intervene and Matt Davis confronted him and told him to leave. The confrontation continued as they moved toward the front door of the house, at which point Carter allegedly fired one shot from a handgun that he kept in the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt, striking Matt Davis in the face. Carter was arrested and charged with first degree manslaughter.
UPDATE: On June 26, 2019, Kalob Carter pleaded guilty to reckless homicide in the death of Ernest Matthew Davis. On September 17, 2019, Carter was sentenced to 60 days in jail and five years of probation.
Source: “Allen County man sentenced in shooting death of brother-in-law,” wbko.com, September 17, 2019; “Allen man pleads guilty in death of brother-in-law,” bgdailynews.com, June 27, 2019; “Case against man accused of fatally shooting his brother-in-law goes to a grand jury,” bgdailynews.com, March 24, 2016.
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Name Not Provided CONVICTED
Date: Between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015
People Killed: 8
Circumstances: Between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015, Kentucky State Police report that one Kentucky concealed handgun permit holder was convicted of complicity to murder – domestic violence, two Kentucky concealed handgun permit holders were convicted of second degree manslaughter, two Kentucky concealed handgun permit holders were convicted of murder, one Kentucky concealed handgun permit holder was convicted of murder – domestic violence, and two Kentucky concealed handgun permit holders were convicted of reckless homicide. In their annual report, the Kentucky State Police do not release the offender’s name, the exact date of the event, nor the type of weapon used in the homicide.
Source: Concealed Deadly Weapons Annual Statistical Reports, Period from 01/01/2015 to 12/31/2015, Kentucky State Police.
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Name Not Provided CONVICTED
Date: Between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014
People Killed: 10
Circumstances: Between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014, Kentucky State Police report that five Kentucky concealed handgun permit holders were convicted of first degree manslaughter, two Kentucky concealed handgun permit holders were convicted of second degree manslaughter, one Kentucky concealed handgun permit holder was convicted of murder, and two Kentucky concealed handgun permit holders were convicted of reckless homicide. In their annual report, the Kentucky State Police do not release the offender’s name, the exact date of the event, nor the type of weapon used in the homicide.
Source: Concealed Deadly Weapons Annual Statistical Reports, Period from 01/01/2014 to 12/31/2014, Kentucky State Police.
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Name Not Provided CONVICTED
Date: Between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013
People Killed: 6
Circumstances: Between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013, Kentucky State Police report that two Kentucky concealed handgun permit holders were convicted of complicity to murder, and four Kentucky concealed handgun permit holders were convicted of second degree manslaughter. In their annual report, the Kentucky State Police do not release the offender’s name, the exact date of the event, nor the type of weapon used in the homicide.
Source: Concealed Deadly Weapons Annual Statistical Reports, Period from 01/01/2013 to 12/31/2013, Kentucky State Police.
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Kenneth Allen Keith CONVICTED
Date: September 20, 2013
People Killed: 3
Circumstances: On September 20, 2013, concealed handgun permit holder Kenneth Allen Keith, 48, allegedly shot and killed Michael Hockensmith, 35, his wife Angela Hockensmith, 38, and Daniel Smith, 60, at Gold Games and More, a store owned by the Hockensmiths. Smith was a gold broker who was visiting the store, carrying a briefcase with an estimated $40,000 in cash. Keith allegedly killed the three during the course of a robbery. The shooting happened in the presence of the Hockensmiths’ two children ages nine and 14 months. The nine-year-old called 911 after the shooting, telling the dispatcher that his parents were dead, lying on the floor. Keith, a Pulaski county minister, was charged with three counts of murder and one count of robbery.
UPDATE: On May 26, 2017, Kenneth Allen Keith pleaded guilty to murder, robbery, and burglary charges and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 20 years in prison on each robbery and burglary charge.
Source: “Ex-preacher pleads guilty to murder of three in pawn shop, will serve life without parole,” kentucky.com, May 26, 2017; “Warrants provide more details in Danville triple homicide,” kentucky.com, October 14, 2013.
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Marquinta Jacobs CONVICTED
Date: April 3, 2013
People Killed: 1
Circumstances: On April 3, 2013, U.S. Army Sergeant Marquinta Jacobs, 36, a concealed handgun permit holder, shot and killed Lloyd R. Gibert, 51. Jacobs had returned from a deployment to Afghanistan, during which he had learned that his wife was having an affair with Gibert. Upon his return, Jacobs and his wife reconciled, but the affair apparently continued. According to court testimony, following the discovery of emails from Gibert to his wife, the husband and wife fought and Jacobs left the house. The next day Jacobs drove to Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where both his wife and Gibert worked. Jacobs entered the building and saw Gibert, recognizing him from his Facebook profile picture. While waiting for his wife in the parking lot, Jacobs saw Gibert walking towards him. Jacobs drove his truck up to Gibert and fired approximately eight times with his 45 caliber handgun, killing him. Jacobs told a judge: “I saw Mr. Gibert as an enemy to my family and decided to eliminate the threat.” On January 9, 2014, Jacobs pled guilty to premeditated murder and a charge of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison with parole eligibility after 10 years, received a dishonorable discharge, and was demoted in rank.
Source: “Accused shooter pleads guilty; Sentenced to 30 years with eligibility of parole,” The News-Enterprise, January 10, 2014; “Arrest made in Fort Knox shooting death,” UPI, April 4, 2013.
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Name Not Provided CONVICTED
Date: Between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012
People Killed: 3
Circumstances: Between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012, Kentucky State Police report that two Kentucky concealed handgun permit holders were convicted of murder, and one Kentucky concealed handgun permit holder was convicted of reckless homicide. In their annual report, the Kentucky State Police do not release the offender’s name, the exact date of the event, nor the type of weapon used in the homicide.
Source: Concealed Deadly Weapons Annual Statistical Reports, Period from 01/01/2012 to 12/31/2012, Kentucky State Police.
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Christopher Gribbins CONVICTED
Date: November 9, 2012
People Killed: 1
Circumstances: On November 9, 2012, concealed handgun permit holder Christopher Gribbins, 46, shot and killed David Litsey, 22, outside the Raywick Bar and Grill, which Gribbins owned. Litsey had gone to the bar to celebrate his sister’s birthday. When questioned by investigators on the night of the shooting, Gribbins denied that he was outside when the shooting took place, and claimed that he did not hear the shot. He also claimed according to a news report that he “heard some black guys had been fighting and some white guys were being drug around outside.” A discrimination complaint had been filed against the bar under its former name “Susie’s Bottoms Up,” prior to Gribbins purchasing the business and renaming it. Later Gribbins changed his story, saying that on the night of the shooting he carried about $6,000 from the bar in a bag tucked under his jacket and locked it in his truck. He claimed he encountered Litsey on his way back into the bar and that Litsey “got right up on me.” Gribbins claimed he pushed Litsey back with his hands on Litsey’s chest and that the pistol went off as he was protecting himself. On July 17, 2014, Gribbins was found guilty of wanton murder in the death of David Litsey. The jury recommended a sentence of 20 years in prison.
Source: “Gribbins found guilty of wanton murder,” Lebanon Enterprise, July 17, 2014; “Man charged with murder in Raywick shooting,” wlky.com, November 13, 2012.
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Gary Tussey UNINTENTIONAL
Date: May 21, 2011
People Killed: 1
Circumstances: On May 21, 2011, concealed handgun permit holder Gary Tussey took his family to dinner at Cheddars Restaurant in Ashland, Kentucky. After the family had eaten, Gary Tussey stayed inside the restaurant to pay the bill while his wife Brandy took the couple’s two children out to the family’s SUV. While Brandy Tussey was putting their infant child into a safety seat in the back of the vehicle, two-year-old Addison climbed into the front seat. According to law enforcement, “While the mother was tending to the infant, she heard a ‘pop’ and looked up and saw her daughter slumped over the passenger seat.” The toddler had found a handgun that Gary Tussey had left in the vehicle’s center console and fatally shot herself in the face. The case was brought before a grand jury but no criminal liability was found.
Source: “NEW INFO: No Criminal Charges in 2-Year-Old Shooting Death,” WSAZ NewsChannel 3, June 14, 2011 (most recent story with prior stories and updates beginning May 21, 2011).
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Larry Wilson CONVICTED
Date: July 31, 2009
People Killed: 1
Circumstances: On July 31, 2009, Larry Wilson, 55, shot and killed Tod Carter, 38. The shooting came in the wake of an affair between Wilson and Carter’s wife, Kristi, a waitress at the Root Beer Stand in Corbin. Kristi Carter described her 16-year marriage as “troubled.” Said Carter, “He had a drug problem. I had a cheatin’ problem, I guess you could say.” In the summer of 2009, Kristi Carter was working her second season at the Root Beer Stand when she first began to talk to Wilson. She complimented his “shiny new Dodge car” while he began leaving her $50 and $100 tips. After a brief affair, Kristi and Tod Carter reconciled. Wilson, however, continued to try and leave her tips and sent her flowers once. Kristi Carter said she felt stalked. The night of the shooting, Wilson was eating at the Root Beer Stand when he was confronted by Tod Carter who hit him with his root beer mug, telling him, “I told you I’d get you, you SOB.” Wilson admitted he drew his gun and fired, killing Carter, but claimed he did it in self defense. The prosecutor argued that Wilson went to the Root Beer Stand knowing Kristi Carter would be there and that his presence would provoke Tod Carter to confront him. He argued that Wilson couldn’t “hide behind” a self-defense argument when he had provoked the incident. Wilson, who had a concealed handgun permit, was found guilty of seconddegree manslaughter.
Source: “Wilson guilty of manslaughter,” The Times-Tribune, March 5, 2010.
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: Brian McGuire CONVICTED
Date: June 9, 2009
People Killed: 1
Circumstances: On June 9, 2009, concealed handgun permit holder Brian McGuire, 27, shot and killed fellow Leestown Middle School custodian Jose Daniel “Danny” Donato, 38, with a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol. Donato was shot by McGuire 12 times at the school, including in the face, chest, groin, hand, leg, and knee. A total of 15 shell casings were found by his body. Tensions between the two janitors were longstanding, including shouting matches and allegations by McGuire that Donato had intimidated and threatened him with a pocket knife. On November 9, 2010, after four and half hours of deliberation, a jury found McGuire guilty of first-degree manslaughter and unlawful possession of a weapon on school property. The jury recommended the maximum sentence for each charge—20 years for manslaughter and five years for weapons possession—and that they be served concurrently.
Source: “Fayette schools custodian helper is found guilty of manslaughter,” Lexington Herald-Leader, November 10, 2010; “Leestown Middle School custodian’s murder trial begins,” Lexington Herald-Leader, November 2, 2010.
Concealed Handgun Permit Holder: William Seidl CONVICTED
Date: August 25, 2008
People Killed: 1
Circumstances: On August 25, 2008, William Seidl allegedly shot and killed his wife, Dorene Seidl, in their home. Prior to the shooting, on August 8, 2008, an emergency protection order was issued until Dorene Seidl’s petition for a protective order could be heard by a judge. Yet on August 20, 2008, a family court judge denied the order, saying there was not sufficient evidence that domestic violence had occurred. Five days later, Dorene Seidl was shot and died of multiple gunshot wounds. William Seidl, who had a concealed handgun permit, was charged with murder and arraigned on September 8, 2008.
UPDATE: Seidl was convicted in March 2010 of killing his wife. The jury recommended a sentence of 35 years.
Source: “William Seidl verdict: GUILTY,” FOX41.com, March 19, 2010; “Slain woman feared husband,” The Louisville Courier-Journal, August 28, 2008; Media Release, Louisville Prosecutor’s Office, September 8, 2008.