WNEP 16 – by DAVE BOHMAN AND NIKKI KRIZE
SCRANTON — A state lawmaker from Scranton pulled out a gun last night on the streets of Harrisburg and shot at a robber, according to police.
Police say state representative Marty Flynn from Scranton fired a gun Tuesday night at a teenager who tried to rob him and another representative in Harrisburg.
It was business as usual on Wednesday for state representative Marty Flynn. The lawmaker from Scranton was back to work at the state capitol after what he calls an intense experience Tuesday night in Harrisburg.
Flynn says he was robbed at gunpoint and told Newswatch 16 all about it.
Representative Flynn spoke with us inside his office while on a short break from the sessions in the state House of Representatives.
He says he and another lawmaker, Representative Ryan Bizzaro, were walking home after dinner when a teenager pulled a gun on Flynn.
The lawmaker from Scranton says the teen told the men to give him their wallets.
Flynn says after that, the teen pointed his gun at Representative Bizzaro and that is when Flynn got out his gun and pointed it at the teen.
Flynn says the teen fired the first shot and Flynn fired a shot and both representatives ran back to their house and called police.
Flynn says he is licensed to carry a gun and likes to carry one in that particular area because he feels unsafe and unfamiliar there.
“A lot of adrenaline I’ll say, and it was hard to sleep last night. Stuff like this happens. I’m just glad I was prepared. I don’t know if I’d be here if I wasn’t,” said Rep. Flynn.
Four teenagers were arrested and charged in the shooting. Jamani Ellison, Jyair Leonard, Derek Anderson and Zha Quan McGhee all face a long list of charges, including attempted criminal homicide.
Harrisburg police believe the four are connected with other recent crimes.
Both Representatives Flynn and Bizzaro were back at work Wednesday at the state capitol.
Harrisburg police and the city’s mayor held a news conference about the shooting.
Flynn’s office released a statement saying, ”We are used to fighting for the people in our districts every day. We certainly are going to stand up for ourselves and not become victims.”
Here is my statement from what happened last night. http://t.co/2FcylYcR5x
— Marty Flynn (@RepFlynn) October 15, 2014
Representative Flynn was a former corrections officer at the Lackawanna County Prison, and a former middleweight boxer, before he entered politics.
http://wnep.com/2014/10/15/state-lawmaker-involved-in-gunfire/
just remember Marty we all deserve to be able to protect ourselves in the same manner with our choice of self protection tool guaranteed by our 2nd amendment rights , Have our backs .. and speak loudly about and against anyone who would want to remove that right of the citizens of this country
you have been on the front lines , and understand (or should) that we all deserve the same ability you had that night
Wonder what his voting record is on gun laws.