RSWC #144 Mary Forgues – Riding Shotgun With Charlie

Riding Shotgun With Charlie
#144
Mary Forgues
The DC Project

At SHOT Show 2022, I was checking Dianna Muller’s (RSWC #059) presentation on The DC Project (DCP) and ran into several DCP ladies who I’ve had on the show. Holly Sullivan (RSWC #036, CCDL) introduced us and said I needed to have Mary Forgues on the show, which should be easy since she isn’t that far from me. I was thrilled that Mary thought I was a rock star, so how could I NOT have her on the show.

The real reason for her being in the shotgun seat is that Mary’s story about using a firearm to save her life is truly amazing! She didn’t grow up as a firearm person, certainly not like she is now. She eventually got a firearm as a means to be able to protect her children as she is a single mother. She shares a shocking story that changed her life and her attitude about life.

Mary was involved in an attack in her home by someone she knew. Her attacker was someone she tried helping through the VA, where she has strong connections as her brother is a Veteran. Previously, during a VA event, there was a need from her home which is how her attacker knew where she lived. Later that year, the attacker was released against clinical advice, she was notified, and he ended up at her house. On the night of her incident, her kids were out of the house and she was home alone.

He broke into her home and lied about some papers that he thought she had and he said he needed them. While she was putting one dog away in her room, he followed her upstairs to attack. While the man was on top of her, choking her neck and punching her face, her thoughts went from her daughter is going to come home and find her lifeless body to her daughter is going to come home and be the next victim. She was able to dial the last number she called and a male’s voice was heard on her phone which distracted him long enough for Mary to grab her handgun from the dresser. If there were storage laws at that time, Mary would be dead.

She was able to get out of the house, contact the police, and get to a neighbor’s house while she waited 10 minutes for the police to arrive. The attacker continued with his pattern of drug and alcohol abuse, which ended his life before a trial could take place.

During a training session at her boyfriend’s training school, she shared her story with other women who have their own stories of struggle and maybe an attack. She reached out to Holly Sullivan, president of Connecticut Citizens Defense League, and Holly wanted her to share her story with Dianna Muller and the other DCP members. Since then, Mary has taken over the helm of the DCP representative for Connecticut. She’s got lots of amazing and ongoing plans and goals, which are going to include monthly get together are various businesses in Connecticut where the funds will go to the efforts of getting Mary to Washington, DC, where she tell her story to our employees, the politicians, and let them know that gun rights are women’s rights.

Favorite quotes:

“It’s probably my responsibility as a parent to protect my children.”

“It took him around like 8 times for him to use his body to slam up on my door and to break through that sliding lock.”

“Imagining your child going through anything like that, that puts more fight in you than for your own life.”

“I’ve always been an advocate for people to have better options in life.”

“Everybody is struggling with something and too many people avoid it.”

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The DC Project Video with Mary