Here's to a complete recovery for Brian.

DC has now welcomed him as a true Washingtonian, because the locals all know that this title is only achieved after one has been mugged here.

I think Brian might get a special status though for taking 3 bullets...

Get well soon Brian!

Sorry but 17th and Euclid is NOT Columbia Heights. It's Adams Morgan.

I'll drink to his speedy recovery.

FYI, live 1 block from there and there is a police crime camera at the corner of 17th and Euclid. The intersection has been notorious for crime (drugs, muggings, etc) for quite some time. Hopefully they can use it.

Good luck to him.

Sfc Wallace is right! Let's get everyone a gun and all the shootings and other gun crimes will magically stop!

What would we do without conservatives???

So Scalia was right after all. Dumbass Supreme Court decisions can possibly cost American lives. Too bad he isn't intelligent enough to figure out which ones will.

As anyone who has been assaulted, or burgled, etc. knows, the wounds can be more than physical. Best wishes to Brian for a full and speedy recovery on all counts.

Have you ever wondered why the U.S. is number one in gun violence, in the world? I mean seriously, what the fuck?

I don't want to use the Beutler tragedy to stand on a soap box, because, to be honest, I don't think arming everyone is the answer either. We just have a society where people couldn't give a rats ass for their fellow man.

This was brought home to me last night when I watched this absolutely horrifying clip of a woman collapsing in an ER, and the security guards--not once, but twice--noticed her in an incapacitated state and didn't do a fucking thing! I almost threw my shoe at the T.V.! Those assholes need to be prosecuted for manslaughter. Oh yeah, in case you didn't know, she DIED!

Anyway, we are living in a society that looks at people as consumers rather than human beings, and we are reaping the rewards in spiraling violence and a simple lack of human compassion. It's absolutely frightening.

Damn that is crazy. I used to live right on that corner 17th and Euclid, great area back in early 90s. I must say I got mugged right on my doorstep circa 1993 and I'm 6'4" football guy, 2 guys and a knife at your throat will make anybody give up their wallet. I hope he gets well.

uh, I hate this. I'm so glad he's going to be ok. Adams Morgan is such a strange mix of gentrification and apathy and anger. I've encountered both there. Again, I'm so glad he's going to be ok.

I live at 17th and Euclid. The 1-7 Gang that got taken out by the police a few weeks ago is back in operation. There is a police camera at that intersection, but it doesn't help. Muggings on that stretch of Euclid St are almost a nightly occurrence. I hope he's ok.

17th & Euclid is an area that still has problems, despite being near some of the most expensive parts of Adams-Morgan. Andrew Sullivan lives near by, btw. I used to live a few blocks away, myself and despite the rep, I've taken walks thru there in the evening myself.

Even someone with combat training would have difficulty using a gun properly under the conditions of a mugging. The active fantasy life of a gun nut is no substitute for real world experience.

Hope Buetler is doing okay.

Exactly, even gunslingers end up being on the bad end of the drop.

I'm sure the trolls imagine themselves whipping out a gun (while strolling arm and arm with a significant other) and blasting dude away - even though dude has the drop on them.

I am all for guns. Mostly hunting. But if the last 30-40 years have proven anything, RIghtWingers do one HELL OF A JOB mindlessly arguing things they are wrong about. They successfully have suspended debate, or railroaded debate with their fantasyland ideas. That they are total whackjobs, and their ideas worth nothing....has not stopped them from being successful at denying global warming and basic human rights, believing in god and abstinence, etc

I am not anti-gun at all, but this idea of 'let's give the good guy a chance' argument is weak. What kept the victim from not carrying a gun? Nothing. If he really wanted to have one, he would have. Just drive down into VA for a day on Route 1.

Just because you might be carrying your own weapon does not mean you are going to successfully defend or deter any sort of robbery attempt if the crook gets the element of surprise. If someone brandishes a gun and says gimme that phone, are you really going to pull out your own gun and shoot him? Or are you going to just give it up?

Even military and police with hours and hours of hands on training will attest that situations involving guns and shootings never go like you think they will.

If every citizen was armed, I fear the amateur who has seen too many movies who will pull his gun in a situation and wind up killing innocent bystanders or getting killed himself. It requires very little training to have a concealed permit in most states.

.22 cal was banned? News to me. You don't work in munitions, do you sarge?

Best wishes and sympathy. What a horrible experience and I hope he recovers fully.

I lived in Adams-Morgan in the 1970s; it was a terrific neighborhood AND you had to watch your step. I got mugged on Capitol Hill in broad daylight and another time at night.

I have a question.
If all the "muggers, robbers" knew, or thought, that their potential victims might be armed (and dangerous), would the incidence of muggings and robberies go down?

I'm not saying that if muggers, et al are shot dead on a daily basis by armed citizens; Only "what if the criminals thought their victims 'might be armed'".

I would think muggers, like most people, look for an "easy mark", or the easiest, simplest way to do something (in this case, steal a cell phone). The mugger, having a gun, would think it simple to get the cell phone; But, if he thought that the victim may be armed (and vigilant), would he tend to try to find an "easier target"?

Is the DC crime rate so high because the "wolves" know the "sheep" don't have fangs and the "Guard dogs" are "few and far between"?

Just "wondering out loud".

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Thanks for posting so much detail, Greg, this is way more than I've found in other places.

As I mentioned above, this is at least the fifth shooting on Euclid near 17th in the last year and half. I say at least because I'm pretty sure there are more I'm unaware of. Hell, this one would have passed me by unknown had I not been coming home at 2:30am.

When I returned the police had both 17th and Euclid blocked off to the North and East, respectively. Though the cop I talked to was unwilling to divulge any information, he did say that the "incident" had started down Euclid, near Mozart St. (in front of a recently vacated subsidized apartment building) and ended up 17th St. about halfway to Columbia Rd.

So this "incident" was clearly aggressive, and all the more depressing for that. Appears that Beutler was chased or ran from where the mugging began. The cops were still out this morning as I walked my daughter down Euclid to the bus.

I hope he makes a speedy and full recovery, and I am truly sorry that this continues to happen in the heart of my city and community.

After the UK banned handguns, gun violence went soaring upwards as criminals figured law-abiding citizens were now defenseless. And Great Britain is an island so smuggling guns in is harder than elsewhere.

In Utah, where guns can be carried openly or concealed, the murder rate per capita is extremely low. Same in Vermont. Murder rates are determined by the people who live in a place, not by access to guns.

Anyone who thinks otherwise is blind to the facts and living in denial of relity.

i can offer only anecdotal real-world info on this one, but from my own personal experience. the armed thugs in my neighborhood actively avoid those of us that they know are carrying, and they spread the word as to who they know to be carrying. im not advocating this as a social model by any means, im just saying what worked in my neighborhood when it went through a rather rough period due to aggressive drug dealers and too much gunplay. lots of pop--pop-pop that summer. a number of us that are trained and capable with firearms let it be known that was the case, and all got our carry permits that year. while that may sound like a setup for serious community disaster, in actuality the demonstrated presence of a viable deterrent was all that was really necessary. "no sheep here fellas, and those ones are with us..."
things have since calmed down quite a bit, and i no longer feel the need to carry if im on foot after dark in my own neighborhood. so i dont, and am glad of it. more importantly, neither do any of my friends -- who like many here have no desire to take part in such ugliness. this i respect, and those that were there then certainly dont dis on those of us that were willing to, oddly enough.
similarly, when i was six i got real upset at the neighborhood bully for picking on my little brother. i surprised us both by beating him up, and after that we were better friends and just didnt have a bully that summer. the intimidation spell was broken, and all the little prisoners (most notably the bully) were free to play and have fun.
so ya see, it's all about peace and love ;)

be all that as it may, i would advise most people considering carrying one - NOT to. the responsibility is overwhelming and its not like youre gonna get paid for it. civilians that use them in self defence are routinely pursued more aggressively by prosecutors than violent felons that use them illegally in committing a crime. in michigan if the assailant dies, even if he was armed and pulled first, you have to go to trial for murder and be cleared by jury. even if you are cleared of criminal charges, you may still face civil suits from the assailant's family that can cost you everything. in short, if your neighborhood gets really bad, just move. or maybe make friends with the guys that the thugs know to avoid...

Like needing a license/permit/background check has anything to do with harming another human being in this manner. Same guy would have brained him with tire iron to get what it was he wanted from him if a gun weren't available.

I'm not a gun owner, but I do like the availability should I see a purpose to own one in the future (I happen to live in Alaska and protection against wildlife whilst enjoying the great outdoors is something I think about seriously, ref. grizzly mauling of the girl mountain biking through an urban greenbelt in Anchorage, Alaska this past weekend). I'm not interested in killing a wild animal for sport but given the choice between my kids and the animal... there really isn't a choice.

One need not own a gun to appreciate the right to own one - not unlike thinking abortion IS killing a child, but still feeling just as strongly that it should still remain safe and available to those who feel it is necessary for THEIR pursuit of life, liberty and happiness - I'm not interesting in regulating people's personal lives.

I'll be thinking about this young man and his family - although his injury is serious and the mugging surely terrifying - they must be celebrating his survival, I would be.

Murder rates are determined by the people who live in a place, not by access to guns.

So, according to this logic, outlawing gun ownership will have no effect on murder rates. It will, however, reduce the incidence of accidental shooting deaths, etc.

best wishes to brian and his circle in what must be an incredibly difficult time.

btw, any bets on when this thread will shift to healthcare costs? spleenectomies ain't cheap, nor are bullet wounds. who pays in a case like this?

My sympathies to Mr. Beutler and I hope he makes a full recovery.

As someone who lived in Adams-Morgan long before the yuppie hordes took over, I am always amazed at how much has changed over the past few decades. Back when I attended elementary school at the old Morgan Community School (the annex was on Euclid Street),I felt protected by the watchful eyes of the "village". Sure, drugs and crime existed. However, from Columbia Road to U Street, my friends and I knew and WERE KNOWN by the largely working-class or professional families that had lived in the same neighborhood for decades. These families attended the same schools and churches, patronized the same stores and made Adams Morgan a relatively safe place for children.

Several of the police officers, shop owners, teachers and administrators at the former Adams and Morgan Community Schools lived in the neighborhood and their children attended these schools. During the late seventies, entire families were displaced due to gentrification and Adams Morgan became a trendy shell of its former progressive self. Violent muggings (like the one in which Mr. Beutler was assaulted) were once extremely rare but now seem to be the norm.

As Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, Shaw, and Dupont Circle increasingly become enclaves for the wealthy, crimes of opportunity will continue to increase. What was once a very tightly-knit community is now a fashionable address that is less safe than the so-called grittier neighborhood it replaced. Adams Morgan lost its soul years ago when it became the upscale but relatively transient place that it is now.

I hope Brian makes a full recovery. All you liberals protect these thugs to relieve your guilt and look, they hate you too.

Guess it's the gun's fault huh? Those evil guns just go off in the hands of little punks on parole who don't give a damn about any law or any person.

How about those DC gun laws. YAY. Maybe if Brian didn't need a piece of paper from a corrupt and bloated bureaucracy that gave him permission to protect himself (f'king absolutely ridiculous)then he could have been carrying and made the fight fair.

It's the keyboard's fault I used the the F word. Not mine. It's my car's fault that I speed.

Liberal idiots. Get over your arrogant selves and your stupid white guilt and live in the real world.

such an important reminder. "thanks mom!"
reminds me of the exhortation of Tara, from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. sounds flowery, but its actually kinda scary: "Be Fearless, Choose Love."

The problem is that DC has a ridiculous amount of black people.