A woman in Harris County, Texas has been treated for injuries after being shot in the head for not handing over her cell phone during a mugging. Was a phone really worth it?
The woman, who only gave her name as Courtney, was returning from the dumpster at her friend’s house when she was accosted by a man who demanded her phone, a Samsung Galaxy that Courtney says is worth $700. When Courtney told him that she wasn’t amenable to his terms, the mugger said that he’d shoot her if she didn’t hand the phone over. Instead of complying, Courtney crouched down and waited for the bullet. The mugger shot her in the head.
While Courtney believes she made the right decision, it’s hard to agree. On one hand, your phone is probably more important than most things you own. It has all your contacts, your photos, important emails and possibly nude pictures you wouldn’t ever want anyone to see, not to mention your internet browsing history. Trying to get everyone’s numbers again is a huge pain, so I understand Courtney in that regard. On the other hand, who cares about your phone if you’re dead? You’ll be gone and whoever wanted the phone would still take it! Courtney disagrees. She says she works for herself and she bought the phone on her own. For her, the phone is much more than an object.
After rushing back into her friend’s house, Courtney called 911 and was rushed to the emergency room, where her wound was stapled shut to stop the bleeding. Talking to KHOU news, Courtney says she doesn’t understand why she almost lost her life over a $700 phone. What’s confusing, though, is that Courtney tells KHOU that the man didn’t have to shoot her, he could have punched her instead. Wouldn’t that have achieved the same result? Pain, suffering and loss of phone. If you’ve got alternate ideas of how a mugger should hurt you, shouldn’t that be a sign to just give up the phone?
The management of the complex at which the shooting took place says they will change the locks to make it harder for unauthorized people to enter the area. KHOU reports, however, that these safety measures will come at a price for the residents.
