Retired Marine, 71, shoots robbers, kills 1

"The 71-year-old retired Marine who opened fire on two robbers at a Plantation sub shop late Wednesday, killing one and critically wounding the other, is described as a former pilot for two presidents.

''He's in great shape,'' Wesley White said of his longtime friend, John Lovell. ``He doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke, he works out every day.''

Lovell was a man of action Wednesday night.

According to Plantation police, two masked gunmen came into the Subway at 1949 N. Pine Island Rd. just after 11 p.m.

There was a lone diner -- Lovell, who was finishing his meal.

After robbing the cashier, the two men attempted to shove Lovell into a bathroom and rob him as well.

They got his money.

But then Lovell pulled his handgun, opened fire, shooting one of the thieves in the head and chest and the other in the head.

When police arrived, they found one of the men in the shop. K-9 units found the other in the bushes of a nearby business.

They also found cash strewn around the front of the sandwich shop.

''There were fives and rolls of coins everywhere,'' said Detective Robert Rettig of the Plantation Police Department.

Both men were taken to Broward General Medical Center, where one, Donicio Arrindell, 22, of North Lauderdale died.

The other, 21-year-old Frederick Gadson of Fort Lauderdale, is in critical but stable condition.

Lovell's friend White was not surprised to hear what happened.

''He'd give you the shirt off his back and he'd be mad if someone tried to take the shirt off your back,'' he said."

Okay, so he was only a fly-boy but did a damned fine job. The interesting part of what's been happening lately is the fact that it's been driving the bleeding hearts absolutely, certifiably, nuts.

Years ago, and before concealed carry permits, this story night very well have presented as an old man gets mugged and the bad guys get away. Not any more.

Now people are fighting back. More bad guys than ever are getting plugged, and this has the Yellowstream Jurassic Press bellyaching about all of the latest "gun violence".

It's violent to defend yourself. Damned yes. They'd prefer us to be as eloi as they, and most of all don't want their pet lowlives harmed so the local rags have been caterwauling that guns are getting out of hand. Here's what they thought WOULD happen when more and more folks began packing heat:

The average person knows nothing about a real gun, so most of the time they'd have them taken from away by criminals. The crooks would then have more guns with which to use illegally, and the blame could then be placed squarely on the shoulders of Mr. or Mrs. Concealed Carry. They enlisted the aid of law enforcement to advise cut, run, and surrender whenever possible, then sat back to await the carnage.

That didn't quite work out the way they thought it would. There's carnage aplenty, but it is their dear, dear felons who are being carried off on a stretcher! But loons are flexible, so they've used successful cases of self-defense to try and illustrate the infamous blood running in the streets. I've seen more than one poll asking "Do You Think Concealed Carry Permits Are The Reason For More Gun Deaths, the quintessential, Are You Still Beating Your Wife loaded question if there ever was one.

More and more felons ARE dying, and instead of praising this as the good thing it truly is, the Accredited Dinosaurs are once again twisting the facts to suit their agenda. Guns=Deaths.

Well surprise, surprise, hoss, they sure do. Just not the way you thought they would.