LOS ANGELES – A nonprofit founder known for holding massive toy drives in Los Angeles claims his concealed carry permit got taken away after getting in a shootout with would-be robbers at his own home.
Earlier in the month, Vince Ricci made headlines after he used his own gun to fend of apparent would-be robbers at his Mid City home. Ricci is seen on camera, which was taken November 4, walking up to his house, drink in hand and taking his keys out of his pocket.
Two armed suspects jumped the fence of his home and one of them rushed Ricci from behind.
“When I turned around, the first thing I feared for my family and for my daughter,” Ricci told FOX 11’s Marla Tellez in a Nov. 14 interview.
Ricci, who was at his own home, fought back by opening fire at the suspects. Both suspects fired back before taking off from the scene.
Now, a report from FOX News claims Ricci’s concealed carry permit has been revoked.
“When the incident happened, there were only two things I could rely on: myself and the Second Amendment; and now that’s in jeopardy. The leftist gun grabbers do not care about your safety. The NRA does,” Ricci said in an interview with FOX News.
Following FOX News’ article, the Los Angeles Police Department released a statement saying while city police are investigating the Nov. 4 shootout, LAPD did not revoke Ricci’s permit.
Leading up to the apparent loss of the permit, Ricci had openly supported law enforcement.
“I support the police department,” Ricci told Tellez in the Nov. 14 interview. “I think they’re not getting the support that they need.”
This is not the first time Ricci’s home was targeted. The Mid City dad told FOX 11 in the Nov. 14 interview that his house had been robbed in the past and that the suspects “took every piece of valuable thing we had in the home.”
“There was no arrest made,” he added. “There was no follow-up investigation.
Some viewers may recognize Ricci from previous interviews with FOX 11. Last winter, he and the nonprofit organization he founded, Trina’s Kids Foundation, made a push for a record-breaking toy drive. This year, he plans to once again go big for the children.
“There’s no fear that any criminal could put in my heart that will stop me from giving back This community has embraced me,” Ricci said in the Nov. 14 interview with Tellez. “I’m not [from] California and I’m from New York and they’ve taken me in and I will always give back.”
FOX 11 made calls to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department but could not be reached for comment Saturday, November 19.