Jupiter, Florida — What is it about the 4th of July that brings out the crazies?
We don’t know, but here’s another example of why you carry all the time!
Police said it was just past midnight, in the early morning hours of Thursday, July 4th when 65-year old Louis Rivera heard noises outside his home at The Sophia Abacoa apartment complex.
Rivera and his fiancée, Charleen Alioto, went outside to check on his vehicle.
Rivera is a property maintenance manager for several apartment complexes, and the tools in his vehicle were his livelihood.
That’s when things went crazy.
Witnesses say that they saw 32-year-old James Dorcilien, dressed in a tuxedo, wielding a knife and yelling at Rivera.
Dorcilien had been an employee of Rivera in the past, working as a maintenance worker, but had recently been fired.
Witnesses say that Dorcilien was acting strangely, and louder and more aggressive with his knife.
He lunged and stabbed Rivera in the arm, severely wounding him.
That’s when Louis Rivera pulled out his personal protection weapon and shot at Dorcilien three times.
Police haven’t released how many times Dorcilien was hit but did say that he ran from the scene.
His body was later found on the grounds of the apartment complex.
Bruce Balsam, a witness said that he heard three gunshots, and then a “high pitched whining noise.”
Because of the holiday, many people who heard the gunshots wrongly assumed they were fireworks.
Another witness, Kevin Molidor said, “”Heard some verbal altercation, then heard three gunshots. It was just mayhem. Helicopters and cops everywhere.”
Rivera’s fianceé Charleen Alioto has said that Rivera sustained a serious injury to his arm, and that he will need surgery to correct the damage.
She went on to say, “It’s devastated our family. Nobody ever wants to take someone’s life, but he had to protect our family.”
You never know who is mad, or holding a grudge over a lost job, or who is high on some substance, or who mistakes you for somebody else that they’re angry with.
We carry every day because we don’t know who all the crazies are, or when they’re going to decide to act in a dangerous manner.
Thank goodness Rivera had his weapon on him, or his wounded arm might be the least of his problems.