Queens senior citizen Charles Foehner, once a familiar face in Kew Gardens, reported to prison on Wednesday to begin a four-year sentence for criminal weapons possession after a fatal confrontation in 2023.
On May 31, 2023, Foehner, then 65, was returning to his Queens Avenue apartment around 2 a.m. after buying cigarettes when he was confronted by 32-year-old Cody Gonzalez, who demanded a cigarette and Foehner’s phone; Foehner fired a fatal shot from his revolver in what was described as a defensive act, though he was never charged in Gonzalez’s death.
The New York Post reported that after the incident, investigators uncovered a massive stockpile of unregistered weapons in his home, leading to felony gun charges.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the sentencing update on Wednesday as Foehner was locked up at the Eric M. Taylor Center in the Bronx.
The issue has sparked heated debate over self-defense rights and gun ownership laws in a city where both are tightly regulated. Many are questioning whether Foehner’s punishment fits the circumstances of that fateful night. Let’s unpack the timeline and the broader implications of this case.
That night in May 2023, Foehner faced a menacing Gonzalez, who had a long record of arrests and a history of mental illness.
Foehner initially pointed his revolver at the ground to deter him, but when Gonzalez lunged with what Foehner thought was a knife—later identified as a pen—he fired one shot. Building security cameras captured the grim encounter.
Foehner called 911 immediately after and cooperated with authorities. He wasn’t charged for the death, which raises eyebrows about where the line is drawn between self-protection and tragedy. But the real twist came next.
Detectives searched Foehner’s apartment and stumbled upon what Katz called an “arsenal”—26 unlicensed weapons, over 13,000 rounds of ammunition, 152 large-capacity feeding devices, and two bulletproof vests.
A retired doorman and self-described lifelong gun enthusiast, Foehner admitted to being a “doomsday prepper.” That’s not exactly the hobby one expects from a Queens senior.
The sheer scale of Foehner’s collection—ranging from .38-caliber pistols to semi-automatic assault rifles—paints a picture of someone deeply invested in firepower. Katz’s office even released photos of the stockpile, as if to hammer home the severity. But was this a dangerous obsession or just a man’s eccentric passion?
Foehner pleaded guilty to one count of criminal weapons possession in November, a deal that landed him four years behind bars and five years of post-release supervision. Queens Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino finalized the sentence on Wednesday. One has to wonder if this penalty is more about making an example than delivering justice.
“He kept coming closer and clearly he was going to attack me,” Foehner told The Post in December, reflecting on that night. His words carry the weight of a man caught in a split-second decision. But in a city quick to vilify gun owners, did his honesty stand a chance?
“I didn’t want to hurt anyone. He left me no choice,” Foehner added in the same interview with The Post. If that’s not a plea for understanding, what is? Yet, the focus shifted from the threat he faced to the arsenal he kept.
After the shooting, Foehner moved to Pennsylvania, perhaps seeking distance from the fallout. In his final weeks of freedom, he cherished time with his wife, Jenny Foehner-Speed, and their 8-year-old dog, Biscuit, recently diagnosed with cancer. It’s a humanizing detail in a story too often reduced to cold legalities.
Now, as he faces incarceration, Foehner’s goal is simple: “survive.” He’s even considering learning to weld or tutor while inside. That resilience is admirable, though one can’t help but question if he should be there at all.
Foehner has taken responsibility, admitting a man died because of his actions, but he believes jail isn’t the answer. In a society that often seems to punish law-abiding citizens harsher than career criminals, his case feels like a cautionary tale. Are we so obsessed with control that we forget the right to defend oneself?
The progressive push for stringent gun laws often ignores the reality on the streets, where threats like the one Foehner faced aren’t theoretical. Gonzalez’s history of mental illness and arrests adds a layer of complexity—shouldn’t the system have intervened long before that night? Instead, a senior citizen bears the brunt.
