Staff Reports
A 67-year-old New York City resident, Charles Foehner, faces a four-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to criminal weapons possession for using an unlicensed handgun to fatally shoot a would-be mugger in Queens in June 2023, despite prosecutors acknowledging the shooting as 100% justified self-defense. Surveillance video captured the attacker, Cody Gonzalez, lunging at Foehner late at night with what appeared to be a knife—later revealed as a pen—forcing the retired doorman to fire multiple shots in response. While no homicide charges were filed, Queens DA Melinda Katz pursued 26 weapons counts after discovering additional firearms at his home, leveraging NYC’s draconian permitting laws that treat even licensed carriers harshly if one gun falls outside coverage.
Foehner’s ordeal exemplifies how New York City’s suffocating gun regulations turn law-abiding citizens into felons during life-or-death moments. Despite completing the arduous process for a carry permit and owning multiple registered guns, the specific revolver used wasn’t licensed, exposing him to up to 25 years—essentially a death sentence at his age. This isn’t justice; it’s a blatant assault on Second Amendment rights, where paperwork trumps survival against violent criminals who roam free on parole without similar scrutiny.
The case underscores a nationwide pattern where blue-city bureaucrats prioritize gun control over public safety, leaving seniors and everyday Americans defenseless amid rising crime. Foehner’s clean record and perfect self-defense—corroborated by video—meant nothing against anti-gun zealots who doubled bail and pressured a plea deal, while actual murderers often skate with lighter sentences. President Trump’s DOJ must intervene to dismantle these unconstitutional barriers, affirming that self-defense is a God-given right, not a prosecutorial lottery.
Gun owners nationwide should rally behind Foehner through groups like the NRA and Second Amendment Foundation, demanding appeals and federal oversight of rogue DAs like Katz. Recent ATF reforms under Trump bolster Form 1 suppressors and braces, but states like New York demand congressional action via concealed carry reciprocity and preemption laws to shield patriots from such travesties. Until then, vigilance—knowing local statutes cold and supporting pro-2A lawmakers—remains every citizen’s duty.
This sentencing isn’t a victory for “safety”; it’s a surrender to lawlessness that emboldens thugs while punishing protectors. Conservatives tracking gun-policy wins celebrate Trump’s border security curbing cartel-fueled violence, but cases like Foehner’s prove the fight for self-defense rages on in urban strongholds. America demands leaders who honor the Founders’ vision: an armed populace as the ultimate check on tyranny and crime.
