Hi, my name is Heidi Rockey. I’m a resident of the state of Nevada and I have a home in Oceanside, California. I’m married to a retired career Marine Corps Major. I’m a mom and I’m a grandma.

I grew up around firearms, I wasn’t afraid of them. There was no mystery. But in my adult life, when I moved out of my parents’ home, I had no need for one or I felt I had no need for one. And then one sunny day in July I had a revelation. I was under my car in my driveway changing my oil and out of the corner of my eye I see a car drive into the intersection. Two men get out of the car, one reaches into his waistband, pulls out a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and fires five rounds up the street. And I’m looking at this oil filter in my hands and thinking this really isn’t fair and now what do I do?

The kids are in the house, the garage door is open, I’ve got to do something. So I crawled out from under the car and I went straight in and called 911. The police dispatcher asked me if I was sure I had seen a shooting. Dur…yes. And then asked me if the shooters were still outside. I had to pause for minute and then I asked the police dispatcher, I said “You go look and see if they’re out there”. It’s their job not mine and I reminded the dispatcher that I was armed with an oil filter and they had a semi-automatic pistol.