A Texas tattoo artist is recovering this week after he was robbed and shot shortly before midnight on August 4th. Baytown tattoo artist, 42-year-old Gary Spratley, was ambushed by two unidentified assailants after he turned up at the Village Lane apartment complex to give a tattoo to an unidentified inhabitant who resides in the complex.
The robbers managed to get away with Spratley’s tattoo equipment, which he claims was worth $8,000, and he was also shot in the shoulder. Police arrived and found the wounded Spratley, who was not able to identify his attackers. However, it is believed that at least one of the attackers fled the Village Lane apartment complex in a white Ford Crown Victoria.
At the risk of sounding petty and insensitive, perhaps this incident is further proof as to why tattoo artists should be required to be licensed to work at studios. I mean really, wandering around at midnight with a bunch of tattoo equipment in order to do a tattoo on someone in their apartment? It just sounds like you’re asking for trouble. No disrespect to Gary Spratley because, well, that really sucks that he got shot and lost all his gear, but the incident would have been far less likely to have occurred had Spratley worked in a legitimate shop with legitimate hours.
Still, I could be all wrong on this. For all I know, Gary Spratley does work from a studio and was only out doing a favour for a friend. But based on the information that I have on this case, it just seems to me that it’s yet another reason for a change in the laws that govern – and protect – tattoo artists and their clients.