http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogList.aspx?id=21Can’t get enough Armed Citizen experiences from the magazines? Read additional accounts of Americans using their 2nd Amendment rights to defend home and family. (c) 2010 All rights reserved.5http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-14-2013Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Ernest Robinson, an assistant high school basketball coach, was escorting two of his female team members from the building one evening when they were approached by two teenage boys.&nbsp; One of the teenagers wielded a gun. The gunman ordered the girls to leave as the other teen yanked at the chain Robinson wore around his neck.&nbsp; Robinson quickly pulled out his concealed pistol and fired at both assailants, killing one and wounding the other. The surviving perpetrator is now being charged with one count of armed robbery and one count of assault with intent to rob while armed. (<a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Detroit News</em></a>, Detroit, MI, 2/15/13)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Three masked men entered Plaza Jewelers one afternoon, one carrying a gun while the other two wielded hammers. Store owner Alfonso Angela spotted the men through the store window and grabbed the gun he kept hidden behind the counter. The two men with hammers, one carrying a bag, were approaching the glass cases of jewelry when Angela cocked the hammer of his gun. Within seconds, the men were making a hasty exit. Police were called and two male suspects were later taken into custody. (<a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/" target="_blank"><em>San Jose Mercury News</em></a>, Fair Oaks, CA, 1/21/13)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>June 1982</em>: Rev. Martin Jarreau was asleep in the rectory of St. Ann's Catholic Church in Miami when he heard strange noises. He grabbed a .38 cal. revolver and went to investigate. He found a would-be burglar trying to exit via a bathroom window. Fr. Jarreau held the man, who had a long criminal record, for police. (<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Herald</em></a>, Miami, Fla.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-14-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-may-7-2013Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Debi Keeney, 55, was at home with her sister, Donna Carlyle, 47, when she stepped outside to smoke a cigarette. As she closed the door behind her, a man approached and pushed his way inside the apartment. The man threw Keeney to the floor and put Carlyle in a choke hold. He demanded money as Carlyle gasped for air. Keeney was quickly able to get to a .22-cal. derringer she kept hidden in a side-table drawer. She warned the man to release her sister or she would shoot. When he continued to demand money, Keeney fired. The 33-year-old intruder was later taken to a local hospital to be treated for two gunshot wounds and was listed in critical condition. (<em><a href="http://www.stltoday.com/" target="_blank">St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a></em>, Highland, MO, 2/11/13)<br /><br /><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />A 72-year-old South Side woman on oxygen held a man at gunpoint in her home Wednesday evening after he crashed through her porch window and onto her couch. Phibbie Underwood told the intruder, 26, that "you broke into the wrong house" and "I'll kill you" after he came through the window about 8 p.m. Wednesday police reports state. She fired one shot in his direction. Police said they arrived to find the intruder lying on the floor and Underwood pointing a .22-caliber revolver at him. Underwood put on a clinic on how to defend your home with a gun, according to the police chief. "She's a brave lady," he said. "She did exactly what she's supposed to do with a home defense firearm. Good for her." "She didn't use the gun until she felt threatened." (<a href="http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/" target="_blank"><em>Tribune Chronicle</em></a>, Youngstown, OH, 3/29/2013)<br /><br /><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>October 1973:</em> Vaughn Elliot picked up his muzzle-loading rifle and hurried from his Highgrove, Calif., apartment to aid his brother, who was being attacked by burglars next door. Elliot shot one of the attackers in the chest, killing him. The second suspect and two other accomplices were caught by police. (<em>The Evening Telegram</em>, San Bernardino, Calif.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-may-7-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-april-30-2013Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Michael and Amy Stephens were at home with their two young daughters when they saw deputies speeding past their home. The couple then overheard on their police scanner that there was a man in the area being sought by police. Michael grabbed a flashlight and headed outside to investigate and to make sure his family's home was secure. As he stepped outside, he saw the 26-year-old fugitive nearby. Michael attempted to detain him while Amy dialed 911. The fugitive was able to grab Michael's flashlight and started swinging it wildly over his head. Amy appeared with a .243 rifle and warned the man that she would shoot. Soon after, the fugitive was arrested and booked ons several preliminary charges. Michael suffered a few stitches, but was otherwise unharmed. (<a href="http://www.dailyinterlake.com/" target="_blank"><em>Daily Inter Lake</em></a>, Evergreen, MT, 1/5/13)<br /><br /><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />A woman scared off men accused of breaking into homes by using her gun for protection, according to court documents. James Deweese, 30, of Michigan City, and David Keck, 26, of Crown Point, each were hared with residential entry and criminal mischief in connection with the March 11 incident. A resident there told police she saw a black Ford Fusion pull up on her driveway. A man left the car, walked to her door and began knocking and ringing the doorbell for several minutes, court records state. The woman told police she grabbed her handgun for protection because she was suspicious of the man. The man allegedly kicked in her door, and the woman pointed her gun at him. The man ran back to the car, which was driven by another person, and the woman took a picture of the car on her cellphone, court documents state. (<a href="http://www.nwitimes.com/" target="_blank"><em>North West Indiana Times</em></a>, 3/22/13)<br /><br /><strong>From the Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br />March 1968: Four hoodlums beat and robbed a Cleveland, Ohio, woman, then scattered. One dashed into an apartment building at E. 55th St., only to be confronted by the revolver-armed manageress, Mrs. Victoria Roginski. Police dog at her side, Mrs. Roginski held the hoodlum until police arrived. (<em>Cleveland Press</em>) </span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-april-30-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-april-23-2013Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Roger Mundell, Jr. entered his garage one morning only to be confronted by a seemingly rabid bobcat that had gained entry through an open door. The bobcat attacked Mundell, biting him in the face and clawing at his arms. Mundell was able to escape the garage and thought the bobcat was still trapped inside. Before he could warn his 15-year-old nephew, Michael, of the danger, the bobcat was spotted nearby. The cat lunged at Michael grabbing him by the arm. As Mundell tried to pull the cat off of his nephew, his wife, Cindy, then retrieved a firearm and handed it to Mundell who shot the bobcat. The family was treated for injuries and vaccinated for rabies. It was later determined that the bobcat was, in fact, rabid. (<a href="http://www.southbridgeeveningnews.com/118975.113119body.lasso?publication=SPE" target="_blank"><em>Spencer New Leader</em></a>, Amherst, MA, 1/18/13)<br /><br /><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />A clerk at a Casper hotel used a gun she kept in her lunchbox to thwart a robbery at her business early Friday, police said. The worker pulled out the gun after two men with covered faces approached her and said they were going to rob the hotel. The would-be robbers ran from the building and remain at large, said Sgt. Deahn Amend. No shots were fired and no one was injured in the incident. (<a href="http://trib.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Casper Star Tribune</em></a>, Casper, Wyoming, 1/5/13)<br /><br /><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>November 1959:</em> Virgil Ruskin got out of bed and returned to his Columbus, Ohio, restaurant on a hunch that the place might be burglarized. The restaurant had been broken into three times in recent weeks so Ruskin, armed with a cal. .45 pistol, hid inside until an intruder broke in through a window. The proprietor fired one shot and the burglar meekly surrendered. (<em>The Columbus Citizen</em>)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-april-23-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-april-16-2013Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Hasib Kuric, a homeless man living behind a gas station, spotted two men putting on masks and gloves outside the building. Kuric ran inside to warn the clerk, Leonard Carr. The men followed Kuric inside and began shooting. Carr retrieved his own firearm and returned fire. One of the masked men was fatally wounded while the other fled and was arrested a few blocks away. He was charged with two counts of second-degree Attempted Felony Murder, one count of second-degree Felony Murder, and one count of Armed Occupied Burglary. Kuric and Carr were not injured. (<a href="http://www.Local10.com" target="_blank">Local10.com</a>, Hollywood, FL, 1/15/13)<br /><br /><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />Police in Casper say a hotel clerk used a gun she kept in her lunch box to foil a robbery attempt. Two masked men entered the Quality Inn on Poplar Street before 1 a.m. on Friday and announced they were staging a robbery. The two men ran from the building after the female clerk pulled out her handgun. A spokeswoman for the Casper Police Department says the two remain at large. The Casper robbery attempt came three days after a pair of men with bandannas over their faces robbed a hotel in Laramie. The men in that case made off with an undisclosed amount of cash and have not been captured. Police are investigating whether the two cases are connected. (<em>The Sunday Ranger</em>, Casper, WY, 1/6/13)<br /><br /><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>February 1975:</em> Freelance news photographer Abel Guy was driving to a market in Westminister, Calif., when he heard over his car radio that a robbery was in process at the market. As he drove up to the market, a youth carrying a .30-30 rifle and a paper bag dashed past him. Grasping a .38 revolver, Guy jumped out of his car and ordered the youth to halt and drop the rifle and the bag. The robber dropped the bag but swung around and pointed the rifle at Guy. Eventually he obeyed Guy's repeated orders to drop the rifle and surrendered. (<em>The Register</em>, Orange County, CA)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-april-16-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-april-9-2013Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">After confronting a man lurking in his front yard the previous morning, Clint Lowery called police a second time when the same man tried to gain entry by forcing open the door to his home. With his 2-year-old daughter sleeping inside, Lowery did what he had to do to ensure his family's safety. Lowery met the intruder on the front porch with a 12-ga. shotgun and held him there until police arrived. Lowry said, "I just did whatever anybody would do to protect their family." (<a href="http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/" target="_blank"><em>Peninsula Daily News</em></a>, Port Angeles, WA, 1/23/13)<br /><strong><br />The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />A 21-year-old Texas man is being credited with protecting his family when he retreated into his family's bedroom, retrieved a gun and fatal shot one of three intruders who forcefully entered his home. The family was reportedly baking a cake in their home near Houston when the men knocked on the front door and pushed the father to the ground. The men lunged for the mother, and the 21-year-old got his father's gun and opened fire, killing one of the intruders. Police later spotted a vehicle with two men who matched the suspects' descriptions and took them in for questioning. (<a href="http://www.khou.com/" target="_blank">KHOU.com</a>, Houston, TX, 2/23/13)<br /><br /><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>August 1969:</em> After two milk deliverymen were killed in separate holdups in Miami, Fla., last year, Lewis Wilhite, Sr., armed his wholesale candy and tobacco truck with a carbine. Recently an ex-convict, pistol in hand, tried to break into the truck. Lewis, Jr., warned him off. When he persisted, Lewis, Jr., fired four shots from the carbine and wounded the ex-convict. (<em>Clearwater, Fla., Sun</em>)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-april-9-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-april-2-2013Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">When two men walked into Rafael Lantigua's store after dark with their hoods pulled tight exposing only their eyes, he grew suspicious. Understandably so, as one of the men produced a gun and pointed it at him. Lantigua quickly reached for his own firearm from his waist band and pointed it in their direction. Both men jumped back in surprise before fleeing the premises. It was last reported that both men were still at large. According to police, Lantigua was unharmed and nothing was stolen from his store. (<a href="http://www.eagletribune.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Eagle-Tribune</em></a>, Lawrence, MA, 1/14/13) <br /><br /><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />A homeowner shot and injured an intruder who broke into his home and refused to leave early Sunday, then held the man at gunpoint until sheriff's deputies could arrive at the scene. Police later determined the intruder was high on methamphetamine. At 4:45 a.m. Sunday the homeowner heard someone talking outside his home. He called 911 then armed himself with a pistol while waiting for the police to respond. The intruder burst into the home and approached the homeowner who was standing in front of his bedroom door to protect his wife. The homeowner warned him to stop, but was charged at instead. The homeowner fired one shot, hitting the intruder who kept coming at him and tackled the homeowner. The two fought until the homeowner could break free, and hold the intruder at gunpoint until police arrived 20 minutes after receiving the call. (<a href="http://www.komonews.com/" target="_blank"><em>Komo News</em></a>, Chehalis, WA, 3/1/13)<br /><br /><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>February 1963: </em>While walking her dog, Mrs. Victoria Roginski, an apartment house manager in Cleveland, Ohio, noticed three men working on a car in the darkness behind the house. She got her .32 pistol and returned to find the trio removing the tires and battery from a station wagon. One of the car strippers ran when Mrs. Roginski appeared, but the other two remained stationary while a neighbor called the police. (<em>Cleveland Press</em>) </span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-april-2-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-march-26-2013Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Bryan Lee, owner of the Almond Avenue Pharmacy, had no choice but to fire his .45-cal. pistol when a 31-year-old male entered his store firing a similar model. The gunman entered the store and immediately fired multiple rounds striking Lee's mother, Sophie Lee, in the leg. Bryan Lee returned fire, causing the man to flee. He collapsed a block away and later died at a local hospital. Lee was unharmed and his mother was expected to make a quick recovery. Lee said, "We just did what we had to do to survive." (<a href="http://www.fresnobee.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Fresno Bee</em></a>, Madera, CA, 1/11/13)<br /><br /><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />A 46-year-old woman told Myrtle Beach police she fended off a would-be robber early Friday by kicking him and then pointing her gun at him, according to a police report. The victim told officers that at 2:50 a.m. Friday she arrived for her shift at the Bagel Factory when a man opened the driver's door, police said. The victim said she kicked at the robber, who had something covering his face and a hooded sweatshirt over his head and a black hat, and he pushed her into the vehicle in an attempt to get her purse, according to the report. The victim said she continued to kick at the man until she reached into the glove box and retrieved her handgun. The victim said she pointed the gun at the suspect and he turned and ran. Detectives are investigating the incident. (<em><a href="http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/" target="_blank">The Sun News</a></em>, Myrtle Beach, SC, 2/16/13)<br /><br /><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>July 1959</em>: Thwarting a holdup in Indianapolis, Ind., recently was liquor clerk Victor Sclipcea who reached under the counter for his revolver when a bandit entered brandishing a pistol. Sclipcea fired, critically wounding the gunman and bringing to three the number of would-be holdup men he has shot. (<em>The Indianapolis Times</em>, Indianapolis, IN)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-march-26-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-march-19-2013Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A 35-year-old woman called 911 after a man followed her home from a gas station and forced his way inside through the front door. The woman allegedly ordered the man to leave then retreated to her bedroom. The intruder picked up a knife from the kitchen table and followed her. It was reported that he threatened the woman with the knife and ordered her to take off her clothes. She warned the man that she would shoot him, but he continued to push her to undress. She retrieved a 9 mm handgun from underneath a pillow on her bed and pointed it at the intruder. When he continued toward her, she pulled the trigger. The suspect was fatally wounded. (<a href="http://www.santafenewmexican.com/" target="_blank"><em>Santa Fe New Mexican</em></a>, Alcalde, NM, 11/8/12)<br /><br /><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />A man with a concealed carry permit held two people at gunpoint Tuesday after they rammed him on Highway 29 in Wausau and then beat him in a road rage incident, according to police. A 49-year-old man called 911 saying the van he had passed was ramming his SUV from behind. The dispatcher told the caller to pull over and wait for officers. The couple in the car followed, and proceeded to hit and stab him with car keys. The driver then pulled out his gun and held them at gunpoint until the police arrived and arrested the two. (<a href="http://www.jsonline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Associated Press Journal Sentinel</em></a>, Wausau, WI, 12/7/12)<br /><br /><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>February 1960:</em> In 1956 a bandit who robbed Decatur, Ill., liquor clerk James W. Miller of $1052 was captured 3 days later and sentenced to prison. Recently paroled from his 20-year term, the bandit returned to the Decatur store with drawn pistol and again announced a stickup. Miller, unrecognized by his old assailant, dropped to the floor and came up firing a cal. .32 pistel, felling the paroled felon with four bullet wounds. (<em>The Review</em>, Decatur, IL) </span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-march-19-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-march-12-2013Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Roger Webster, owner of Webster's Store, and a female customer were standing in front of the store when two men approached and forced them back into the store. Webster and the customer were held at gunpoint and ordered to give up money from the cash register. Webster complied. When the men demanded even more money, Webster motioned as if retrieving more cash, but instead retrieved his handgun from the register and fired several rounds at the armed suspect. Both men fled. Neither Webster nor the customer were harmed. (<a href="http://maryland.newszap.com/dorchesterbanner/" target="_blank"><em>Dorchester Banner</em></a>, Cambridge, MD 11/2/12)<br /><br /><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />A 75-year-old Bellingham homeowner held two teenage burglars at gunpoint until officers showed up early Tuesday, Nov. 27, according to police. The man was awakened at 2:20 a.m. by strange sounds coming from a detached garage at his home in the 2800 block of Lynn Street, said a Bellingham police spokesman. The man grabbed a shotgun and went outside. In the garage he caught two brothers, age 15 and 17, rifling through one of his vehicles. According to police, one brother shouted, "Don't shoot!" The homeowner aimed the shotgun at them while a relative, who lives in the home, called 911. Four minutes later, police arrived and arrested the brothers. The brothers were booked into juvenile detention on investigation of residential burglary in the second degree. (<a href="http://www.bellinghamherald.com/" target="_blank"><em>Bellingham Herald</em></a>, Bellingham, WA)<br /><br /><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>May 1960:</em> When two bandits said, "It's a stickup; everybody stay put," Los Angeles jewelry clerk Kenneth Walton lunged for the cal. .38 revolver he kept handy on top of the safe. One bandit scuffled with Walton, bit him on the arm, and Walton fired three times. The robber fell with a bullet to the chest and the accomplice fled during the melee. (<a href="http://www.latimes.com/" target="_blank"><em>Los Angeles Times</em></a>, Los Angeles, CA)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-march-12-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-march-5-2013Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A 35-year-old woman woke around 3:30 a.m. and checked on her husband, who was up late working on his computer. The couple was startled when their home alarm sounded. The woman's husband checked the surveillance footage on his computer only to discover four masked men working to pry open a window. One of the men carried a rifle. As the woman dialed 911, her husband retrieved his own firearm. The intruders gained entry within minutes. The homeowner crouched behind a sofa and fired. The intruders returned fire before fleeing the home. No one was reportedly injured. (<a href="http://www.nola.com/t-p/" target="_blank"><em>The Times-Picayune</em></a>, New Orleans, LA, 11/16/12)<strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />A naked Miami man jumped the fence of a Little Haiti home, and began choking a Rottweiler. The dog's yelp awakened the homeowner, who came outside armed and confronted the attacker. The intruder turned his attention from the dog to the homeowner. He jumped on the homeowner, and began choking and biting him, according to Miami police. The homeowner fired his gun twice, hitting the intruder once in the foot. Despite being wounded, the intruder was not deterred. The homeowner restrained the assailant, until police arrived. The intruder attempted to bite the police as well. They took him to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he was treated, and he now faces several charges. (<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Miami Herald</em></a>, Miami, FL, 1/5/13)<strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><em><br />October 1968</em>: Three gunmen met a deadly fusillade from a .38 revolver when they attempted to hold up Andrew Snyder, proprietor of the Serve-U Market in Union Gap, Wash. When one of the trio barked, "This is a holdup," Snyder whipped a revolver from his belt, killed 2 of the men and critically wounded the third. (<a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/" target="_blank"><em>Post Intelligencer</em></a>, Seattle, WA)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-march-5-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-february-26-2013Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Douglas Downs, 48, was at home with a friend, 36-year-old Andrew Boyd, shortly after midnight when several armed men broke into his home and tried to rob him. Boyd was forced into the basement before Downs managed to retrieve a handgun from a chair in the living room. Downs fired numerous rounds until the first man dropped his weapon. He then exchanged gunfire with a second intruder. A third intruder appeared and helped his accomplices out of the home to a vehicle where a fourth man waited. Police were later notified that a man with multiple gunshot wounds had been taken to a nearby hospital. All four men were later found, arrested and charged for their involvement in the home invasion. Downs and Boyd were uninjured. (<a href="http://www.ydr.com/" target="_blank"><em>York Daily Record</em></a>, York, PA, 10/24/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />A masked gunman was killed and the two young men he was trying to rob were wounded in a shootout during a home invasion. The shooting occurred "inside and outside" the home where two males were playing video games when they were confronted by a man who came to the door, a Pittsburgh police officer said. "There was a knock on the door, and one of the kids opened it to see a man wearing a mask and holding a gun," an officer said. "He tried to shut the door, and the gunman fired, hitting the kid in the side of the face." Both parties fired several shots at each other. The masked man died at a nearby hospital from a shot to the head, and the condition of the other two men was not known. (<a href="http://triblive.com/" target="_blank"><em>Pittsburgh Tribune-Review</em></a>, Pittsburgh, PA, 1/24/13)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br />November 1970: Opening his front door at 11:00 p.m., Robert Epstein of Brattleboro, Vt., discovered two men with stockings drawn over their faces, one of them carrying a knife. Epstein quickly slammed the door and yelled out that he had a gun, whereupon the strangers fled. (<a href="http://www.reformer.com/" target="_blank"><em>Daily Reformer</em></a>, Brattleboro, VT)&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-february-26-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-february-19-2013Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Two men knocked on the door of a residence with ill intent. The door was answered by an 83-year-old woman using a walker. The men pushed against the door and gained entry with ease. One of the men stayed close to the elderly resident, while the second intruder made his way into the bedrooms. Fearing for her safety, the woman went to a desk in her living room where she kept her pistol. Upon seeing the gun, the suspect urged the other to "come on." The men fled with cash and jewelry, but the resident was left unharmed. (<a href="http://www.greenevillesun.com/home" target="_blank"><em>The Greeneville Sun</em></a>, Greene County, TN, 11/2/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />A North Bend resident pulled out his .45-caliber handgun to detain a homeless man who allegedly "sucker punched" another transient outside the Fred Meyer store in Coos Bay. Jeffory Snyder told <em>The World</em> newspaper he grabbed 53-year-old Donald Johnson's shirt when the man tried to get away after the attack. When the homeless man started to come toward him, Snyder took out the gun and pointed it at him. Police Capt. Chris Chapanar said there was mild confusion when officers arrived and saw Snyder pointing the gun at the unarmed Johnson. Snyder, who has a concealed weapons permit, placed the gun on the ground and was put in handcuffs. After speaking with witnesses, police released him and arrested Johnson on suspicion of fourth-degree assault. (<a href="http://www.bendbulletin.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Bulletin</em></a>, Coos Bay, OR, 1/25/13)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>July 1965:</em> Jaime Montalvo was in the back room of his Brooklyn, N.Y., grocery store when he heard someone tell his clerk, "This is a stick up." Montalvo grabbed a cal. .38 revolver, for which he had obtained a permit only the day before, and rushed into the store. He fired once at the armed thug. The wounded bandit fired 2 shots which missed Montalvo, and ran from the store. He collapsed and died on the pavement 100 ft. away. (<em>New York Herald Tribune</em>, Brooklyn, NY) </span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-february-19-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-february-12-2013Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Jill Stucker, 64, was at home watching television around 9:20 p.m. when a 26-year-old man broke in through a window. When Stucker heard the glass shatter, she armed herself with a handgun and proceeded to exit through the back door. As she fled her own home, the intruder followed. When Stucker realized she was being chased, she turned and fired a single shot striking him in the chest. The intruder fled, but later collapsed on nearby doorstep. he was reportedly hospitalized in critical condition. (<a href="http://www.lakecityreporter.com/" target="_blank"><em>Lake City Reporter</em></a>, Lake City, FL, 10/23/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />Rochester police are investigating a burglary in which a city man used a semi-automatic rifle to chase two burglars from his home. According to police, two male suspects entered the home just after midnight Tuesday. Unbeknownst to the suspects, two male roommates, ages 21 and 22, were inside the house at the time of the break-in. One of the roommates heard a noise, saw the suspects inside the house and notified his roommate of the break-in. Moments later, one of the alleged burglars noticed the roommate and pointed a weapon, which was later determined to be a BB gun, at him. One of the roommates retrieved his legally owned AR-15, and once confronted, the suspects ran out of the house. The roommates then called 911. Police are still investigating the incident. <br />(<a href="http://www.democratandchronicle.com/" target="_blank"><em>Democrat and Chronicle</em></a>, Rochester, NY, 1/24/13)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>June 1971:</em> After foiling two robbery attempts in one month with his .38 revolver, Richard Petersen, a Brooklyn, N.Y., pharmacist, was unable to stop a third when he was caught unarmed. Police had impounded his revolver for laboratory tests because Petersen, who nicked a bandit in the first holdup, killed the lone gunman who confronted him in the second attempt. The third holdup succeeded when a gunman locked the unarmed pharmacist in a restroom and escaped with drugs. Released by a customer, Petersen said: "If only I'd had my gun." (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/" target="_blank"><em>The New York Times</em></a>, New York, N.Y.) </span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-february-12-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-february-5-2013Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Cindy Schachter, an employee at Furnari Jewelers, was working when two men entered the store around 4 p.m. Schachter's boss, Anthony Furnari, was sitting at his desk facing the showroom. Something about the men made Schachter uneasy, so she gave her boss a quiet warning right before they pulled clothing over their faces and jumped over the counter. Furnari quickly pulled his .38-cal. handgun from his desk and fired several rounds at one of the suspects as he came toward him. Furnari was severely beaten as both men tried to gain control of his firearm. When Furnari fought back, the men grabbed a display of gold chains and fled. One suspect was later taken into custody after seeking treatment for several bullet wounds. It was last reported that the second suspect was still at large. Furnari suffered a broken nose, a concussion, multiple stitches to the face and hand, and a fractured rip. Schachter was reportedly unharmed. (<a title="The Republican" href="http://www.repub.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Republican</em></a>, Chicopee, MA, 10/17/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />Authorities say an Army veteran who uses a wheelchair wielded a pistol to run off a man who broke into his home near Athens. Mark Sikes, 53, was in bed at his home in western Clarke County around 1 p.m. Wednesday when someone kicked in his front door. Sikes said he reached into his nightstand and grabbed his pistol. He said he pointed the gun at the intruder and told him he should get out. Sikes said the young man "flew like a bat" and is lucky that he wasn't killed by the veteran. Athens-Clarke County police and Oconee County sheriff's deputies have yet to find the intruder. (<a title="The Augusta Chronicle" href="http://chronicle.augusta.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Augusta Chronicle</em></a>, Athens, GA, 1/26/13)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong></span><span style="font-size: small;"><em><br />August 1978</em>: Armed with a handgun, Joseph Ankenbrandt of Decatur, Ill., encountered two men in his kitchen late at night after he had been awakened by loud noises. While one of the men fled, Ankenbrandt forced the other to lie on the floor until the police could be summoned. (<em>The Herald</em>, Decatur, Ill.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-february-5-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-january-29-2013Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Jack and Linda Dillon were roused from their sleep at approximately 2:45 a.m. when they realized someone had just broken into their home. The intruder gained entry through an unlocked window. He allegedly entered the home with intent to steal electronics. Linda called 911 as Jack retrieved a firearm and confronted the 29-year-old intruder in their living room. Jack fired when the man lunged at him. The intruder's wound proved fatal. (<a href="http://www.morningjournal.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Morning Journal</em></a>, Elyria, OH, 10/20/12) <br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />One man was killed and another was at large Wednesday after a woman put her father's lesson in firearms to use during a burglary in southeast Oak Cliff. "I just hate that she didn't get both of them,' said Charles Brown, the homeowner. Dallas police say Brown's daughter was upstairs about 11:30 a.m. when the two men kicked down the front door of the family's home&hellip; The woman, alerted by a home alarm, fired several shots at the men, striking at least one of them as they charged up the stairs. Both men ran out of the front door, where one of them collapsed. The armed intruder was taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. (<a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Dallas Morning News</em></a>, Dallas, TX, 10/18/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br />Rev. Ellis Parker, a retired minister, heard someone open a window and enter his Gainesville, Fla., home one morning. Armed with his cal. .38 pistol, he fired once when the door to his bedroom opened, wounding an intruder in the stomach. A second prowler leaped through a window and escaped into a nearby woods. (<em>The Sentinel Star</em>, Orlando, Florida) </span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-january-29-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-january-22-2013Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">While at home with his wife and daughter, a homeowner prepared to go outside to investigate a sudden power outage. His wife asked him to carry his firearm with him as a precaution. As he opened the front door to step outside, three men charged him in an attempt to gain entry. The homeowner pushed his wife aside as he fell backward and fired at the intruders. His daughter, a student in her early 20s, hid in another room and called police. One of the three home invaders suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was listed in serious condition. The remaining two suspects managed to escape. The homeowner and his family were not seriously injured. (<a title="Sun Sentinel" href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/" target="_blank"><em>Sun Sentinel</em></a>, Miramar, FL, 10/2/12)<br /><br /><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />As he stared down the barrel of a would-be robber's gun Tuesday, the 70-year-old owner of Eddie's Market had one thought. "He said, 'Don't move. Don't move.' I thought, 'This is my house. Why am I not going to move? You don't move,'" recalled Edilberto Fontanez, who has run the corner store for four decades. So, when the armed assailant tried to jump the high counter, the shop-keeper grabbed his own handgun and fired two shots. The robber fled, but was apprehended a short time later&mdash;and police now are eying him as a suspect in a series of other armed robberies in the Hill neighborhood. (<a title="The New Haven Register" href="http://www.nhregister.com/" target="_blank"><em>The New Haven Register</em></a>, New Haven, CT, 9/27/12)<br /><br /><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br />A courageous girl of 17, Gail Baldwin, was aroused by a noise at a window of her Los Angeles, Calif., home in a burglar ridden neighborhood. Getting a 12-ga. shotgun from a closet, she fired a blast through the window. It hit a prowler in the head. Police held the man as a suspect in three previous burglary attempts just prior to the shooting. (<em>Herald Examiner</em>, Los Angeles, California) <br /><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-january-22-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-january-08-2013Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">George Polanin, 66, went to bed early one evening only to be awakened by noises coming from inside his home. He was upstairs and followed the sound of footsteps to the basement. when he reached the stairs. Polanin said he could see only the intruder's feet. "&hellip; I got my weapon and basically told him I had a weapon, it was loaded and I will use it," Polanin said. He then ordered the intruder to come out as he dialed 911. Polanin held the intruder at gunpoint until police arrived. (<a title="Kenosha News" href="http://www.kenoshanews.com/home/" target="_blank"><em>Kenosha News</em></a>, Kenosha, WI, 10/17/12)<br /><br /><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />Jack Thompson estimates it was three seconds between his back door being kicked in until his bedroom door began opening, and he started shooting. "It's terrifying when you see somebody in your bedroom door," said Thompson, 78, of Brewers. Thompson got off three shots with his Walther .32-caliber semiautomatic about 4 a.m. Monday when the pistol jammed. "Then I was in trouble," Thompson said. He grabbed the loaded 12-gauge shotgun that always lies on his dresser and fired once. "All I could see was the silhouette of him coming in the door," he said of the intruder. Deputy sheriffs found Mitchell Saddoris, 22, of Kirskey lying in a pool of blood on the back porch of Jack and Judy Thompson's home on Oak Grove Church Road minutes later. He had a pistol wound to the abdomen and had taken a shotgun blast to his shoulder. He was going in and out of consciousness. Sheriff Kevin Byars said investigators believe a second person was with Saddoris at the home, but escaped. "Mr. Thompson did exactly what he was allowed to do," Byars said. "There won't be any kind of criminal charges against Mr. Thompson, because he was definitely defending his home." Byars believes the shooting was a burglary gone wrong. The intruders didn't realize the Thompsons had slept with their windows open, and Thompson had time to get his pistol when the couple heard talking and footsteps. Marshall sheriff's detective Matt Hilbrecht said investigators tried to interview Saddoris at Marshall County Hospital, but emergency room staff had put a tube down his throat. Afterward, Saddoris was transferred to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., where he was in critical condition and having surgery. Hilbrecht said Saddoris would face robbery, burglary and possibly other charges once released from the hospital, if he survives. "I'm sorry, but I had no other choice," Thompson said of shooting Saddoris, and added, "That's all that saved my life, I guess, was having a weapon." (<a title="The Paducah Sun" href="http://www.paducahsun.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Paducah Sun</em></a>, Paducah, KY, 3/20/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br />"Give me all the money you have here," demanded a man armed with a big knife of Cleveland, Ohio, van lines clerk, Mrs. Patricia Cawthon. Mrs. Cawthon walked calmly to a nearby closet, picked up a snub nosed automatic pistol, turned to the knife-wielding bandit and said: "Where do you want it?" The thief ran out the door. (<em>Plain Dealer</em>, Cleveland, Ohio)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-january-08-2013#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-01-13Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Kendra St. Clair, a 12-year-old at home alone one day during her fall break, called her mother at work to say there was a man repeatedly ringing the doorbell and banging on the door. When no one answered the door, she said he disappeared. St. Clair's mother instructed her daughter to get her .40-cal. Glock pistol and go into a bathroom closet. St. Clair heard him break in through the back door. As the man made his way through her home, 911 dispatchers kept St. Clair on the phone. He was inside the home for approximately six minutes before he made his way to the bathroom where St. Clair was hiding. When she saw the door knob begin to turn, she fired the gun. The 32-year-old intruder was taken into custody after being treated for a gunshot to the chest. (<a title="The Oklahoman" href="http://www.oklahoman.com/news" target="_blank"><em>The Oklahoman</em></a>, Durant, OK, 10/20/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />Police said a man was shot dead early Friday after he became violent and threatened his mother at a home on the Northwest side. According to an incident report, Marcello Passeri, 38, had been in a struggle with several people at a home in the 7000 block of Midway Depot just after midnight when one shot him. Eugene Binkley, 67, told police he and other residents pushed furniture and other heavy items to barricade the front door and prevent Passeri from coming inside, but he forced his way in and fought with them. Binkley reportedly told police he shot the man in the head. Witnesses said Passeri had a drinking problem and had bipolar disorder but was not taking his medication. They also said the man was upset because he had just lost his job. Passeri's mother, who was hiding in a back bedroom, told police Passeri had threatened to kill her and that he was upset because she called police the night before after he caused a disturbance at the home. Passeri was flown to University Hospital, where he died from his injuries. Police spokesman Matt Porter said it does not appear as though the shooter will be charged. (<a title="San Antonio Express-News" href="http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/" target="_blank"><em>San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio</em></a>, CA, 4/7/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>July 1974:</em> As Memphis, Tenn., shoemaker E.L. King put new heels on a man's shoes, the stocking-footed patron drew a gun and demanded money. King promptly pulled a pistol and order the gunman to leave. Two accomplices vanished, but the "customer" lingered briefly to ask for the return of his shoes. King opened fire and the man raced away barefoot. (<em>The Memphis Press-Scimitar</em>, Memphis, Tenn.) </span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-01-13#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-25-2012Tue, 25 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Zachary Rogers, 26, was working late one night at the 21st Amendment liquor store. It was just past midnight when an armed man wearing a ski mask entered the store and forced Rogers and another store employee, Alicia Grabarczyk, 25, down a hallway toward an office where the safe was kept. With a concealed handgun in his front pocket, Rogers chose his moment of opportunity carefully. In one quick motion, Rogers pushed Grabarczyk to the floor and fired at the armed robber. He then helped Grabarczyk into the office and out of the line of fire. Although the burglar had been struck, Rogers saw him raise his firearm. Rogers fired three more rounds at the gunman which proved fatal. Neither Rogers nor Grabarczyk were harmed. (<a href="http://www.indystar.com/" target="_blank"><em>Indianapolis Star</em></a>, Indianapolis, IN, 10/11/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />Around 5 a.m. on October 9, 2012, 72-year-old Jerry Duncan called police to report that he had fired a single shot at someone who had cut his electricity and was attempting to break into his home. Before Duncan fired he told the perpetrator to go away, but 51-year-old William Ragsdell of Lake Elsinore did not acquiesce. The shot was fatal, and Ragsdell died at 6:15 a.m. at the Inland Balley Regional Medical Center in Wildomar. (<em><a title="Read more from The Press-Enterprise." href="http://www.pe.com/" target="_blank">The Press-Enterprise</a></em>, Riverside, CA, 10/9/12)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>December, 1967: </em>An Illinois State Penitentiary parolee who couldn't kick the crime habit paid with his life when he and 2 other men broke into the Sleepy Hollow, Ill. home of Dr. Roland Russell. As the gunmen were occupied tying Russell's wife and son to a bed, the doctor edged back to a table where he kept a loaded revolver. He fired 4 times, mortally wounding the parolee. The dying man's companions fled. (<em>Chicago Daily News</em>)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-25-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-18-2012Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">After locking up, a female employee of Cakes and Confections 4U was leaving the business through a back door when she realized she was cornered by two strange men. One man struck her in the jaw while the other ripped off her necklace and earrings. When the men then attempted to sexually assault the woman, she produced a concealed .32 cal. firearm from her waistband and fired. Both men immediately dropped the stolen jewelry and ran. It was last reported that the assailants were still at large. After the incident, the woman said her firearm saved her life and that she had a strong message to all women, &ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t have a gun or you&rsquo;re scared of guns, get familiar with them and get a gun.&rdquo; (<a href="http://www.foxcarolina.com/" target="_blank">FOX Carolina 21</a>, Landrum, SC, 8/29/12)<br /><br />Pharmacist John Agyemang was working alone around 2 p.m. at Jolin&rsquo;s Pharmacy when an armed man entered and demanded painkillers. Agyemang distracted the robber by telling him there was someone entering the store. When the suspect turned around, Agyemang dashed to the store&rsquo;s back room where he kept his gun. According to police, multiple shots were fired and the suspect was able to get away on a mountain bike. It is unknown whether or not the suspect was wounded. There were no other reported injuries. (<a href="http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/tag/winslow-township-nj/" target="_blank">CBS</a>, Winslow Township, NJ, 9/12/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>December 1979</em>: Dr. Herbert B. Frank was working late at his Philadelphia, Pa., office when two men, one armed with a pistol, waited until the office was empty and then announced a holdup. Frank, who wears a .38 cal. revolver under his smock, drew his gun and fired twice, killing one man and seriously wounding the other. (<a href="http://www.philly.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Inquirer</em></a>, Philadelphia, Pa.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-18-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-11-2012Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Scott Stith was in his bedroom when he heard a loud crash coming from the first floor of his home. He grabbed his .45 cal. pistol and crept downstairs to investigate. He spotted the silhouette of a man, but did not fire because he had teenage sons in the house and was not 100 percent sure of his target. He called out only to discover the man was an intruder who had broken through the glass of the back door. Stith held the 29-year-old intruder at gunpoint until police arrived. Everyone involved was reportedly unharmed. (<a href="http://www.sanduskyregister.com/" target="_blank"><em>Sandusky Register</em></a>., Milan, OH, 9/29/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Just before 2 a.m., a 25-year-old man shot another man in the head at Bonnie&rsquo;s Food and Spirits after he was asked to leave. He then fatally shot another customer outside the pub. When he pointed his pistol at Mark Ktytor, however, Ktytor produced his own firearm and fired multiple rounds, leaving the assailant in critical condition. The suspect will be charged with criminal homicide and attempted homicide upon his release from the hospital. (<a href="http://thetimes-tribune.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Times-Tribune</em></a>, Plymouth, PA, 9/11/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>December 1970</em>: Frank Messineo of Downey, Calif., ignored his door bell when it rang at 3 a.m. But a few minutes later, he heard someone entering his apartment through a side window. Messineo took a .25 automatic and captured the burglar. (Huntington, Calif., <em>Daily Signal</em>)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-11-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-4-2012Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Two armed men stormed into a Dollar General store one evening and attempted to rob it. While the men held the store manager at gunpoint, a 57-year-old man carrying a concealed .45 cal. handgun, who had been shopping at the store at the time of the robbery, took action. The customer did not hesitate to draw his gun and fire at the suspects. One of the men robbing the store suffered fatal wounds to the head, chest and shoulder. The second suspect fled, but was later caught and charged with robbery and felony murder. There were reportedly no other injuries. (<a href="http://jacksonville.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Florida Times-Union</em></a>, Jacksonville, FL, 8/29/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives:</strong><br /><em>December 1985:</em> Willie Griffin had forced a robber out of his Florence, Calif., store and was phoning police when the man returned. As the robber came at him with a piece of steel pipe, the shopkeeper mortally wounded him with a single shot from his handgun. (<a href="http://www.latimes.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Times</em></a>, Los Angeles, Calif.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives:</strong><br /><em>December 1988:</em> Jackson Watkins was watching television when he heard someone remove a third-floor window at his North Philadelphia, Pa., home. Watkins, armed with a handgun, went upstairs where he was charged by an intruder. The 72-year-old homeowner fired a single shot, killing his attacker. No charges were filed against Watkins. (<a href="http://www.philly.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Inquirer</em></a>, Philadelphia, Pa.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-4-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-27-2012Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Brianne Rodriguez heard a knock at her front door just before 9 a.m., but ignored it. A few minutes later, Rodriguez heard loud noises coming from her bedroom. When she went to investigate, she discovered a man wearing a ski mask in her home. The confrontation led to a struggle and Rodriguez was pushed to the floor and kicked in the face and ribs. The masked man then grabbed her screaming 2-year-old daughter and bolted for the door. Rodriguez quickly retrieved a shotgun she kept in her bedroom and followed. Upon seeing the gun, the man dropped the child and fled. He escaped with Rodriguez&rsquo;s purse and some jewelry, but Rodriguez and her daughter sustained no serious injuries. (<a href="http://www.ksee24.com/" target="_blank">KSEE 24 NEWS</a>, Fresno County, CA, 8/28/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">When the ex-husband of a woman living at Windmill Cove Apartments was not granted access to his ex-wife&rsquo;s home by employees of the apartment complex, he warned that he would kick in the door. His ex-wife and a 35-year-old male friend were inside when they heard yelling and someone violently kicking the door. When the door gave way and the man came inside, the friend fired several rounds from his handgun. The man suffered multiple gunshot wounds that proved fatal. (<a href="http://www.ksl.com/" target="_blank">KSL</a>, Sandy, UT, 9/2/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>November 1976</em>: Boat owner Norman Long of Chicago, Ill., was awakened by his wife who heard noises aboard their yacht. Long grabbed a 9 mm pistol and surprised a burglar. When the intruder tried to flee, Long halted him by firing four shots into the air.&nbsp; He soon was arrested. (<em>The Chicago Daily News</em>, Chicago, Ill.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-27-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-20-2012Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Brianne Rodriguez heard a knock at her front door just before 9 a.m., but ignored it. A few minutes later, Rodriguez heard loud noises coming from her bedroom. When she went to investigate, she discovered a man wearing a ski mask in her home. The confrontation led to a struggle and Rodriguez was pushed to the floor and kicked in the face and ribs. The masked man then grabbed her screaming 2-year-old daughter and bolted for the door. Rodriguez quickly retrieved a shotgun she kept in her bedroom and followed. Upon seeing the gun, the man dropped the child and fled. He escaped with Rodriguez&rsquo;s purse and some jewelry, but Rodriguez and her daughter sustained no serious injuries. (<a href="http://www.ksee24.com/" target="_blank">KSEE 24 NEWS</a>, Fresno County, CA, 8/28/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">When the ex-husband of a woman living at Windmill Cove Apartments was not granted access to his ex-wife&rsquo;s home by employees of the apartment complex, he warned that he would kick in the door. His ex-wife and a 35-year-old male friend were inside when they heard yelling and someone violently kicking the door. When the door gave way and the man came inside, the friend fired several rounds from his handgun. The man suffered multiple gunshot wounds that proved fatal. (<a href="http://www.ksl.com/" target="_blank">KSL</a>, Sandy, UT, 9/2/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives:</strong><br /><em>February 1981:</em> NRA Life member Richard Willard awoke to the sounds of someone rummaging about his Woolwich, Maine, home. Armed with a pistol, he entered his living room and confronted an intruder who threw a chair at him. Willard fired one shot that sent the man crashing through a door in a hasty retreat. (<a href="http://www.wiscassetnewspaper.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Newspaper</em></a>, Wiscasset, Maine)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-20-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-13-2012Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">John Mutter was asleep in his bed around 2:15 a.m. when he was awakened by a man with a shotgun pointed at his head. Mutter, a paraplegic living alone, kept his own gun nearby for protection. He quickly grabbed his gun and fired multiple times killing the intruder. Police investigating the incident believed the man had entered the home looking for medication, money or anything of value. (<a href="http://www.dispatch.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Columbus Dispatch</em></a>, Johnstown, OH, 7/22/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Gerald Mirto, 67, heard noises coming from his backyard and went to investigate. When he noticed the screen door had been broken, Mirto spotted the culprit standing just outside. The 25-year-old suspect was not wearing any clothing and was asked to leave repeatedly. There was a struggle in which Mirto was bitten in the arm and punched in the head. Mirto was able to escape and retreat to the second floor of his home where he retrieved a handgun. He then found the intruder attempting to steal his television. The intruder reportedly instigated a second physical altercation. That is when Mirto shot the man in the chest. Police apprehended the intruder a short time later. (<a href="http://milford.patch.com/" target="_blank">Milford Patch</a>, Milford, CT, 7/23/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>November 1987</em>: At first, William Tolbert thought the early morning noise in his Ensley, Ala., home was only his dog scratching at his window. But when he heard the noise again, the homeowner quickly armed himself. He discovered an armed man entering his home and ordered the man to lay down his weapon. The man refused, and Tolbert opened fire, wounding the burglar. Police disclosed the man was sought on warrants for burglary and rape in two earlier incidents. (<em>The Post-Herald</em>, Birmingham, Ala.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-13-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-6-2012Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Guns and Ammo Gunsmith was targeted by three burglars shortly before 4 a.m. The store owner, Stephen Bayazes Jr., 57, and his wife were asleep in their apartment at the back of the business when they heard a loud crash accompanied by the activation of a silent alarm. Bayazes grabbed a rifle and found three men loading guns into a van that had crashed through the side wall of the store. Bayazes fired multiple times after being threatened by the men. He then retreated to his bedroom to reload. When Bayazes emerged, he witnessed two of the men drive away leaving behind their accomplice who was badly wounded; the burglar later died at the hospital. The other two burglars were found a short time later when they sought help for injuries of their own. (<a href="http://chronicle.augusta.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Augusta Chronicle</em></a>, North Augusta, SC, 8/9/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Two women were taking a walk in their neighborhood one morning when they encountered two loose pit bulls; a male and female. The male dog attacked one of the women, 48, biting her right elbow and leg. The aggressive dog had the victim on the ground when a neighbor heard her screams. He came outside to assist the injured woman and her friend when the dog reportedly turned on him. When the dog came at the neighbor in an aggressive manner, he shot the dog in the shoulder with his pistol. The dog ran off, but was later found and euthanized. The female pit bull was not involved in the attack and was taken to a local animal shelter. The victim of the attack had suffered a broken elbow and was taken to the hospital to be treated. Neither the woman&rsquo;s friend nor the neighbor had been injured. (<a href="http://www.dailyranger.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Ranger</em></a>, Riverton, WY, 7/6/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>December 1982</em>: A man entered Wilbur Bury's LeRoy, Ill, home and proceeded to bludgeon him with a wooden hoe handle. Despite a broken wrist, Bury reached for a nearby handgun and fired three shots, driving off his assailant. (<em>The Journal</em>, LeRoy, Ill.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-6-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-30-2012Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Martha Lewis was at home with her two daughters when she heard a loud noise. It was 3 a.m., so Lewis immediately called police and grabbed her gun. She went to her daughters&rsquo; room and told them each to get something with which to defend themselves. They were at the top of the stairs when a man, who had kicked in the door and entered the home, spotted them. When the man started up the stairs toward them, Lewis warned the intruder that she would shoot him. When he ignored her warnings, Lewis fired causing him to stumble outside where police found him. The 25-year-old male was hospitalized in stable condition. After the incident, Lewis said, &ldquo;There&rsquo;s so much talk about banning guns and gun control, but they&rsquo;re for protection. There&rsquo;s no way that I could have fought him off.&rdquo; (<a href="http://www.theblaze.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Blaze</em></a>, Dora, AL, 8/17/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>September 1985</em>: Dino Starn awoke to find a man climbing through the bedroom window of his New Jersey home. "He picked the wrong window," said Starn, who, for the second time in two years, used a handgun for protection. He shot once at the intruder, who was apparently hit in the arm and ran. Starn had previously used the gun to capture two burglars in his home. (<a href="http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Press</em></a>, Atlantic City, N.J.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>November 1977</em>: A would-be rapist met an untimely end when he attempted to molest an unidentified New Orleans, La., woman cab driver. When the man jumped into the front seat and attacked, she drew a cal. .357 revolver and fired, killing him. (<a href="http://www.nola.com/t-p/" target="_blank"><em>The Times-Picayune</em></a>, New Orleans, La.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-30-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-23-2012Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">When a 23-year-old male followed a woman from the garage area of an apartment complex and assaulted her, the woman went to an apartment for help. The tenant, a friend of the woman&rsquo;s, was home with his young son. The woman told him the man following her had tried to grope her and made unintelligible statements to her. When the tenant allowed her inside his unit and closed the door, the man began pounding on the door. The tenant grabbed a gun from his bedroom for protection. Before he was able to call police, the perpetrator kicked in the door of the apartment. When the intruder took several steps toward the woman and the boy, the tenant shot him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. (<a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/" target="_blank"><em>San Jose Mercury News</em></a>, Oakland, CA, 8/9/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Lisa Goude called police when she noticed a man lurking outside her house at about 1:15 a.m. Just two minutes into the call, the man broke through the glass of a kitchen window and entered the home. The 28-year-old intruder refused to leave and attempted to enter Goude&rsquo;s bedroom. Goude retrieved a handgun and shot the man once before instructing him to leave her home once again. Despite suffering a gunshot wound, the intruder reportedly came at Goude causing her to fire two more rounds. After suffering two gunshots to the neck and one to the abdomen, the intruder was pronounced dead at the scene. (<a href="http://www.gastongazette.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Gaston Gazette</em></a>, Gastonia, NC, 8/10/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>October 1973</em>: Three men arrived for an appointment at the Winchester, Ind., coin shop of Leon Hendrickson carrying pistols in an apparent robbery attempt. But in the scuffle that followed, Hendrickson's wife shot one of the intruders fatally with a pistol and her husband held another suspect at bay with a shotgun. The third would-be bandit escaped by car and eluded police. (<a href="http://www.thestarpress.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Muncie Star</em></a>, Muncie, Ind.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-23-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-16-2012Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A 36-year-old male wearing black gloves and a mask over his face entered a Dairy Queen restaurant carrying a samurai-style sword. The man approached employee Michael Wehbe, 20, unsheathed the 41-inch blade and swung it into the cash register several times. When Wehbe&rsquo;s older brother, Christian, 23, also an employee, witnessed the man&rsquo;s violent behavior on the surveillance cameras from the back of the restaurant, he immediately took action. Christian emerged from the back with his 9 mm handgun and shot the assailant twice. Police found him lying wounded just outside; he later died at the hospital. There were no other reported injuries. (<a href="http://www.lvrj.com/" target="_blank"><em>Las Vegas Review-Journal</em></a>, Las Vegas, NV, 8/21/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>October 1964</em>: Alone in his Little Rock, Ark., beverage store, Floyd Strickland was approached by 2 thugs, one of whom was carrying a single-shot rifle with a sawed off barrel. Without saying a word, the armed bandit fired at Strickland, wounding him in the arm. Strickland pulled out his pistol and fired 5 shots at the intruders. Both robbers were felled&mdash;one was dead and the other had 2 broken arms. (<a href="http://www.arkansasonline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Arkansas Gazette</em></a>)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>December 1979</em>: When three masked men, two of them armed, burst into an Irvington, N.J., bank, security guard Johnnie C. Mason reached for his revolver and ducked out of sight. After two of the robbbers ran behind the counter, Mason ordered the third, who was standing guard by the door, to surrender. The robber whirled to fire, but Mason shot first and killed him. Mason then turned toward the counter and fired again, mortally wounding the other gunman. The unarmed robber thereupon surrendered. (<a href="http://www.nj.com/starledger/" target="_blank"><em>The Star Ledger</em></a>, Newark, N.J.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-16-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-9-2012Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">When a homeowner heard noises coming from the first floor of his home, he called out. One of two intruders reportedly identified himself as a police officer so the resident descended the stairs to investigate. One man hurled a hatchet at the homeowner, but missed. The resident fought back and fired a shotgun striking one of the intruders. Both men fled upon hearing the gunshot. The wounded suspect was later arrested when he sought medical treatment. (<a href="http://www.kitsapsun.com/" target="_blank"><em>Kitsap Sun</em></a>, Tacoma, WA, 6/28/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>August 1969</em>: Suddenly awakened, Mrs. Margaret King, Godfrey, Ill., found an intruder standing in her bedroom. She fired two shots from a cal. .22 pistol. The intruder fled. Police later detained a man who sought treatment for gunshot wounds in the chest at a nearby hospital. (Belleville, Ill., <a href="http://www.bnd.com/" target="_blank"><em>News-Democrat</em></a>)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>May 1987</em>: At a Cleveland, Ohio, doughnut shop a knife-wielding robber ordered two female clerks to lie on the floor. When he ordered Bonnie Kerkhoff to hand over her purse, she complied but produced a .38 revolver from it and fired at the intruder, wounding him. Police charged a wounded suspect with aggravated robbery. (<a href="http://plaindealer.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Plain Dealer</em></a>, Cleveland, Ohio)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-9-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-2-2012Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A man entered Smith&rsquo;s Marketplace one afternoon and purchased a knife. Police say the man then used the knife as a weapon and attacked several people. One victim was stabbed in the abdomen while another was stabbed in the head and arms. All the while, the knife-wielding assailant had been yelling at his victims that they had &ldquo;killed his people.&rdquo; Before he was able to locate another target, a citizen with a concealed firearm intervened. The man with the knife was told to drop his weapon or be shot. He complied and was detained until police arrived. (<a href="http://www.abc4.com/default.aspx" target="_blank">ABC4</a>, Salt Lake City, UT, 4/27/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>October 1973</em>: Bartender Billie Snyder was alone in a St. Louis, Mo., tavern when three men came in. After one of them pulled out a pistol and announced a holdup, Snyder quickly reached for his handgun and fired four shots, wounding the armed man in the arm. The assailants were held at gunpoint until police arrived. (<a href="http://www.stltoday.com/" target="_blank"><em>The St. Louis Post-Dispatch</em></a>, St. Louis, Mo.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>July 1986</em>: Joe Gonzalez looked up from the counter of his Daytona Beach, Fla., grocery store just in time to see a man pull a pistol and start shooting. Both Gonzalez and his wife grabbed handguns of their own, however, and wounded the would-be robber. Arrested at a hospital, the man was a suspect in two murders in an earlier robbery. (<a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Sentinel</em></a>, Orlando, Fla.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-2-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-25-2012Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Ruby Hodge, 89, heard someone knock at her back door twice before she decided to answer. By the third knock, however, Hodge heard the door being kicked in. The intruders, two males ages 31 and 42, entered her home and went into the guest bedroom opposite her own. When they turned around Hodge had her .38-cal. pistol waiting. Both men fled, but were later caught. Sheriff Fred Knight said, &ldquo;I was just amazed. When she told me she met the intruders with a handgun pointed at them, she said they went out faster than they came in. She is my hero!&rdquo; (<a href="http://www2.scnow.com/" target="_blank">SCNOW</a>, Blenheim, S.C., 7/24/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>November 1969</em>: Mountain View, Ga., service station night manager Donald Grant wounded and captured a careless robber who put profit before more immediate matters. The slipshod heist artist put down his pistol and used both hands to stuff money taken from Grant into his pockets. This gave Grant a chance to grab his own gun and fire. (<a href="http://www.ajc.com/" target="_blank"><em>Atlanta Journal Constitution</em></a>)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>August 1987</em>: A 78-year-old Crestwood, Ala., widow heard a noise at her back door and saw a man cutting a hole in her screen door. After recognizing him as a man who had raped and robbed her previously and a suspect in a series of rapes, she drove off the intruder with gunfire. (<a href="http://www.bhamnews.com/" target="_blank"><em>The News</em></a>, Birmingham, Ala.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-25-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-18-2012Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A 19-year-old male allegedly knocked on the door of a rural home early one morning with ill intent. When the homeowner came to the door, the suspect threatened the man with a gun and stole $150 in cash and his licensed medical marijuana. The man didn&rsquo;t stop there. Instead of leaving the residence, he continued to threaten the homeowner by pointing his gun through the dog door. The homeowner retrieved his own firearm and shot the suspect six times. He was taken to the hospital for treatment and is expected to be charged after his release. (<a href="http://www.koat.com/" target="_blank">KOAT7</a>, Taos, N.M., 7/16/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>October 1959</em>: An ex-convict with a fresh bullet wound from a previous robbery attempt was killed by the owner of a Portland, Oreg., drive-in as he chopped his way into the restaurant with a hatchet. Proprietor Phil Anderson, awakened in his nearby home, sped to the restaurant with gun in hand. When Anderson entered, the burglar struck him on the arm with the hatchet and fled. Anderson shot him dead just as he reached the highway. (<a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/" target="_blank"><em>The Oregonian</em></a>)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>September 1975</em>: Discovering a prowler in her Rapid City, S. Dak., home, Mrs. Larry Resishus called her husband who confronted the culprit. The man pulled out a knife and began slashing and stabbing Reishus, who despite the attack was able to grab a revolver from a nearby drawer, fire and slay his assailant. (<a href="http://rapidcityjournal.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Rapid City Journal</em></a>, Rapid City S. Dak.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-18-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-11-2012Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Georgi Layous, 66, owner of Starlight Jewelry, was inside the small shop with his wife and two young grandchildren when 19-year-old Musa Thomas entered. Thomas produced a gun and ordered Layous to empty the cash register. He got angry when he found only $11 in the register and pushed Layous and his wife to the floor. Thomas continued to threaten their lives as he took jewelry from display cases and even snatched a necklace from Layous&rsquo; 4-year-old granddaughter&rsquo;s neck. Thomas turned his back as he tried to retrieve surveillance video from a computer. Layous told his wife in Arabic to give him the .380-caliber pistol he keeps in the store for protection. Layous then shot Thomas in the leg. Thomas was arrested and charged with armed robbery after being treated for his gunshot wound. (<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/" target="_blank"><em>Chicago Tribune</em></a>, Chicago, Ill., 5/3/12)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>August 1970</em>: Thomas A. Ciccone returned to his Wilmington, Del., home one evening to find the first floor ransacked. Hearing a noise on the third floor, he got his revolver, quietly climbed the stairs and captured the burglar. (Wilmington, Del., <a href="http://www.delawareonline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Morning News</em></a>)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>September 1988</em>: Awakened by his dog's growls, Savannah, Ga., resident Dennis Warren reached for his handgun and went to his bedroom door. Discovering a man advancing toward him in the hallway, Warren announced he was armed and ordered the intruder to stop. But, as Warren backed into his bedroom, the burglar lunged at him, and the resident fired. He then held the wounded man at gunpoint while his wife summoned police, who charged the man with burglary. (<a href="http://savannahnow.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Evening Press</em></a>, Savannah, Ga.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-11-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-4-2012Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A couple was approached by 29-year-old Christopher Rigby as they sat in a vehicle in the parking lot of Earl&rsquo;s True Value around 11 p.m. Rigby, who appeared homeless, asked the couple for a dollar. When they refused, he walked away. Approximately 15 minutes later, Rigby returned and approached the driver&rsquo;s side window. Rigby then produced a knife and tried to stab the man in the driver&rsquo;s seat. The driver quickly grabbed a gun from the console and shot Rigby in the chest as the woman in the car dialed 911. Rigby was pronounced dead at a local hospital. (<a href="http://fredericksburg.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Free Lance-Star</em></a>, Stafford, Va., 5/24/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>August 1973</em>: A man broke into the Bartow, Fla., home of Mrs. Emily Johnson and proceeded to attack her with a knife. Though stabbed several times, Mrs. Johnson managed to reach a .22 revolver and kill her assailant. (<a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/" target="_blank"><em>Orlando Sentinel</em></a>, Orlando, Fla.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>May 1987</em>: A Bridgeport, Conn., resident went to help two men who said their car had broken down near his home. But when his wife saw the pair strike her husband with a hammer, she came out of the house firing a .38. She struck one of the assailants, and two suspects were arrested at a local hospital where the injured man sought medical treatment. (<em>The Evening Post</em>, Bridgeport, Conn.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-4-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-28-2012Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Duanne Ammann, 60, owner of a convenience store, was filling a cooler with drinks around 6 p.m. when brothers Quinten Felton, 17, and Eddie Felton, 20, entered the store. Both men were wearing bandannas and ski masks. Eddie was carrying a rifle. With the barrel of the rifle pointed at his face, Ammann was ordered to open the cash register. He was then knocked to the floor where Quinten began to violently kick the store owner. During the struggle, Ammann was able to reach the handgun he kept under the store counter. He fired once hitting Quinten in the abdomen. Ammann fired three more rounds in Eddie&rsquo;s direction, who still had the rifle pointed at him. They fled, but the bodies of both men were later found nearby. Ammann was treated for his injuries and released from the hospital. (<a href="http://www.dailyadvance.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Daily Advance</em></a>, Hobbsville, NC, 5/24/12)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>December 1967</em>: Police summoned to Ernest Carter's Middletown, Ohio, grocery found Carter and clerk Junior Langworthy sitting on a suspected robber. They said the suspect entered the store and pointed a&nbsp; pistol at Carter. Langworthy picked up a shotgun and covered him. The two then disarmed him and sat on him. (<a href="http://news.cincinnati.com/" target="_blank"><em>Cincinnati Enquirer</em></a>)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>June 1988</em>: Miami, Fla., cabdriver Mark Yuhr had just delivered his fare when the passenger pulled out a pistol and screamed demands for money. Instead, as the robber looked away momentarily, Yuhr, who was recently licensed for concealed carry under a new Florida law, reached for his own .45 and opened fire, killing his assailant. The man had an extensive criminal record that included armed robbery, firearm violations and the attempted first-degree murder of a police officer. Police said, "This sends a major message to the rest of the robbers out there." (<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Herald</em></a>, Miami, Fla.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-28-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-21-2012Tue, 21 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Just hours after being served with a restraining order that prohibited him from going within two miles of the house, 43-year-old Sean Parsons arrived at the home of his ex-girlfriend Christina Lewis, 51, and her boyfriend Doug Snarski, 55. Parsons entered the home yelling and brandishing both a shotgun and a handgun. He fired the guns up the stairs where Lewis and Snarski were hiding. Snarski, from around the corner of a doorway, showed Parsons that he also had a firearm. When Parsons continued to advance up the stairs, Snarski fired at him. Parsons died of gunshot wounds to his abdomen and right hip. Snarski said, &ldquo;I believe everyone should have some kind of pistol for their own protection &hellip; If I didn&rsquo;t think like that I wouldn&rsquo;t be here right now.&rdquo; (<a href="http://www.spokesman.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Spokesman-Review</em></a>, Spokane, WA, 5/15/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>April 1986</em>: A knife-wielding man and his gun-toting accomplice demanded all the receipts from Patrick Brennan's Colchester, Vt., store. All the shopkeeper presented them, though, was the muzzle of a revolver. The panicked robbers dove tot he floor, crawled out the door, and fled. (<a href="http://www.rutlandherald.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Herald</em></a>, Rutland, Vt.)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>September 1973</em>: Convinced that no one was home, two burglars broke down the back door of Heil DeHaven's Buckingham, Pa., home. The 79-year-old DeHaven leveled his 12-ga. shotgun at the smashed door and fired. The bandits fled and were arrested when they sought medical aid. (<a href="http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer_news/" target="_blank"><em>The Daily Intelligencer</em></a>, Doylestown, Pa.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-21-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-14-2012Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">After dropping off her teenage grandson, 57-year-old Lulu Campbell was sitting in her vehicle searching for her cell phone when two men approached with guns. Brenton Spencer, 32, and Dantre Shivers, 30, shouted at Campbell to open the door and give them her money. As Campbell reached for her .38-cal. revolver, she reclined the car seat in an effort to take cover as both men began to shoot at her. Campbell returned fire, striking Spencer in the chest and causing Shivers to flee the scene. Campbell was uninjured. (<a href="http://www.macon.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Telegraph, Macon</em></a>, Ga., 4/24/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>August 1969</em>: After 2 milk deliverymen were killed in separate holdups in Miami, Fla., Lewis Wilhite, Sr., armed his wholesale candy and tobacco truck with a carbine. Recently an ex-convict, pistol in hard, tried to break into the truck. Lewes, Jr., warned him off. When he persisted, Lewis, Jr., fired 4 shots from the carbine and wounded the ex-convict. (<em>Clearwater, Fla., Sun</em>)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>July 1986</em>: Awakened by her dog's barking, Tracy Strawn picked up a revolver and stepped outside her bedroom just in time to see a man's head poking around a corner in her apartment. The young Lubbock, Tex., nurse fired just as the intruder charged. She managed to get off one more shot before he overpowered her, but that was enough. The wounded burglar fled and was arrested nearby. (<em>The Evening Journal</em>, Lubbock, Tex.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-14-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-7-2012Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">When 14-year-old Brady went to the kitchen for a glass of water late one night, he heard voices. Brady said, &ldquo;I walked to the edge of the stairs and I [heard] them talking. I didn&rsquo;t recognize their voices and I went back to my room and got my 12-gauge shotgun. I loaded it.&rdquo;&nbsp; The boy confronted the men. The intruders had their own firearms pointed at Brady, but fled upon seeing his shotgun pointed back at them. (<a href="http://www.fox16.com/default.aspx" target="_blank">FOX16</a>, Little Rock, Ark., 4/30/12)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>May 1987</em>: Dennis Donovan was talking to a customer in a Portland, Oreg., convenience store when an armed man wearing a ski mask burst through the door. "This is for real, hit the floor," the man shouted, and he began firing. Donovan reached for a .357 Mag. under the counter and shot back, forcing the robber out the door. It was not known if the intruder was hit. (<a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/" target="_blank"><em>The Oregonian</em></a>, Portland, Ore.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>November 1969</em>: Hearing a scream for help in his apartment building, Gary Collins of Dallas, Tex., rushed into the hallway with a gun to investigate. He found a man attempting to assault a woman in the doorway of her apartment, and held the assailant at gunpoint while the woman summoned police. (Dallas, Tex., <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/" target="_blank"><em>Morning News</em></a>)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-7-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-31-2012Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Two men forced their way into a home early one afternoon and began to assault the resident. During the scuffle, the resident managed to pull a handgun from his pocket and fire it multiple times. Both men fled the scene on foot. The body of Jacob Clark was found a short distance from the residence; he had suffered a single gunshot to the chest. The second alleged intruder, Joey Pugh, 18, was not injured. He was caught soon after the incident, arrested and charged with aggravated burglary. (<a href="http://www.knoxnews.com/" target="_blank"><em>Knoxville News Sentinel</em></a>, Crossville, Tenn., 5/23/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>November 1969</em>: Mrs. Katharine Lawrence, 72, of Atlanta, Ga., went to her bedroom and obtained a pistol when a man kept beating on her front door and demanding a drink of water. When the intruder kicked in a window and threatened to kill her, Mrs. Lawrence fatally wounded him. (<a href="http://www.ajc.com/" target="_blank"><em>Constitution</em></a>, Atlanta, Ga.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>August 1987</em>: A man entered Jim Barr's La Habra, Calif., jewelry store to ask for directions. But when an accomplice entered and pulled a gun, Barr grabbed a .38 revolver from a shelf only to come under fire from the two robbers in the store and two others outside, who smashed a window with a sledgehammer. After the store owner emptied his revolver, the robbers fled. (<a href="http://www.ocregister.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Register</em></a>, Orange County, Calif.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-31-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-24-2012Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Raymond Hiles, 25, was arrested after being treated for a gunshot wound to the neck. He was shot after breaking into the home of Fred Ricciutti, an 84-year-old Korean War veteran. Ricciutti had been asleep with his wife, who was ill at the time, and heard a noise at about 4:30 a.m. He then saw someone come into the room. Ricciutti quickly drew a gun from a nearby drawer and shouted a warning at Hiles before firing once. (<a title="Read more at the York Daily Record." href="http://www.ydr.com/" target="_blank"><em>York Daily Record</em></a>, Elizabeth, Pa., 5/10/12)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>July 1983</em>: Because he hadn't heard anything from his guard dogs, Justice of the Peace Cameron Gray of Grand Prairie, Tex., was hesitant when his wife told him an intruder was in their home. Nevertheless, after grabbing a .38 cal. revolver, he found the prowler in the kitchen. Judge Gray ordered him to get on the floor, but he began backing toward the door. Gray cut the escape short by firing a warning shot. The intruder surrendered immediately. (<em>The Daily News</em>, Grand Prairie, Tex.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>July 1986</em>: Alerted by the sound of smashing glass in his Jeaneretta, La., home, Harlan Lucas fetched his pistol and investigated. He confronted a burglar who lunged and struck him with a tire iron, but stopped the attack by killing the burglar with several shots. (<a title="Read more from the Daily Iberian." href="http://www.iberianet.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Daily Iberian</em></a>, Iberia, La.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-24-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-17-2012Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Police were called after a man shot a pit bull that had attacked his 11-year-old son. The dog belonged to a neighbor and had broken free of its leash before it bit the boy. The boy&rsquo;s father retrieved a handgun and fired one shot when the dog lunged toward him. The wounded dog ran off, but was later located and taken to be euthanized. The boy was treated for his injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. (<a title="Read more from The Press-Enterprise." href="http://www.pe.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Press-Enterprise</em></a>, Riverside County, CA, 4/8/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>July 1977:</em> A gang of juvenile delinquents was terrorizing a 67-year-old woman across the street from the Oklahoma City home of Noel D. Highfill, 72. Highfill reached for a shotgun, ran into his yard and fired, sending the youthful criminals running. (<a title="Read more from The Oklahoma Journal." href="http://journalrecord.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Oklahoma Journal</em></a>, Oklahoma City, Okla.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>May 1981:</em> John and Deby Matthews were asleep early one morning in their Las Cruces, N.M., home when they heard the sounds of cabinet doors opening and closing. John leaped from bed and tackled the intruder, while Deby grabbed a 12-ga. shotgun and followed behind. They held a youthful housebreaker until police arrived. (<a title="Read more from The Sun-News." href="http://www.lcsun-news.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Sun-News</em></a>, Las Cruces, N.M.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-17-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-10-2012Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Willie White, 75, was watching a basketball game at about 1:15 a.m. when he heard a steady banging at his door. White armed himself with a rifle before an 18-year-old intruder was able to kick in the door. White said, &ldquo;I was nervous&mdash;I figured if someone&rsquo;s hostile enough to break your door down, he&rsquo;s capable of anything. So once he came inside my house, I shot him.&rdquo; The intruder sustained a single gunshot wound that proved fatal. His two accomplices fled the scene. (<a title="Visit the home page of the Detroit News." href="http://www.detroitnews.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Detroit News</em></a>, Detroit, MI, 3/29/12)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>August 1977</em>: Mrs. Gloria Catrett, a nurse, arrived at her Opp, Ala., home to find three burglars ransacking the place. She drew a revolver from her purse and held the trio, aided by a friend, Mrs. James Mitchell, who rushed to the Catrett home when she heard about the burglars on a police scanner. (<a title="Read more from The Opp News." href="http://www.oppnewsonline.com/v2/content.aspx?IsHome=1&amp;MemberID=1964&amp;ID=23250" target="_blank"><em>The Opp News</em></a>, Opp, Ala.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>May 1981</em>: Gary Boozer has suffered two burglaries at his Metaline Falls, Wash., pharmacy and was in no mood for more. When a silent alarm alerted him to a break in, Boozer grabbed a gun and caught two culprits with cash and drugs. (<a title="Read more from the Daily Chronicle." href="http://www.daily-chronicle.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Daily Chronicle</em></a>, Spokane, Wash.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-10-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-3-2012Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Rev. Henry Guyton, 71, a Baptist church pastor, called 911 one afternoon when a man at the church began acting as if he was having a heart attack. The man, 38-year-old Jesse Gates, left the church after being examined by EMS. Gates returned to the church later that day carrying a shotgun. The reverend&rsquo;s grandson, Aaron Guyton, 26, spotted the shotgun and locked the doors. Gates, however, kicked open a side door of the sanctuary and pointed the gun at the pastor and congregation. As a concealed carry permit holder, Aaron acted quickly to detain Gates at gunpoint until police arrived. Everyone was reportedly unharmed. (<a title="Visit GoupState.com." href="http://www.goupstate.com/" target="_blank">goupstate.com</a>, Boiling Springs, S.C., 3/25/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>July 1977:</em> Two holdup men, disguised as electric company employees, entered the New York City apartment of Carlos Rodriguez and forced his wife and small son into a rear room. As the two thieves ransacked the place, Rodriguez and a friend, Manual Liriano, unexpectedly walked in. The robbers opened fire, wounding Rodriguez, but Liriano, firing his own legally-registered pistol, killed on thug and wounded the other. (<a title="Visit the home page of The Daily News." href="http://www.nydailynews.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Daily News</em></a>, New York, N.Y.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>August 1978:</em> Hearing screams, Perfect Oliver, a retired Army officer, grabbed his pistol, and ran out behind his diner in Hamilton Township, N.J. and came upon a man raping a woman on the sidewalk. Seeing Oliver, the attacker left the woman where she was lying and advanced toward him, whereupon Oliver raised his gun and fired one fatal shot. (<em>The Daily Advocate</em>, Dover, N.J.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-3-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-26-2012Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Just after 2 p.m. one afternoon, a woman was home alone when she heard a knock at her door. The two men at the door began inquiring about a friend of hers. Suddenly she was forced back into the house at gunpoint and into a closet. That closet, however, was where the woman kept a gun of her own. She fired at the intruders causing them to flee. One of the intruders suffered a gunshot wound and collapsed on the sidewalk outside. He was later pronounced dead. The woman was uninjured. (<a href="http://www.kctv5.com/" target="_blank">KCTV5 News</a>, Kansas City, Mo., 4/9/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of <em>American Rifleman</em>)<br />April Hope Moore and her 20-year-old daughter were at home on a Monday night when Moore's estranged husband, Jeffrey Phillip Moore broke into the home. April Moore called the police, reported that Jeffrey was assaulting her daughter and requested assistance. Before police could arrive, April retrieved a handgun and shot Jeffrey in the struggle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. After further investigation, authorities ruled that April has acted in self-defense and did not press any charges against her. (<a title="Visit the home page of the Asheville Citizen-Times." href="http://www.citizen-times.com/" target="_blank"><em>Asheville Citizen-Times</em></a>, Asheville, N.C., 5/5/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>June 1982</em>: Frank Rock heard someone breaking into his Racine, Wis., home. He grabbed a .22 rifle and went to investigate. He found a youthful burglar just inside a bedroom window. Despite the homeowner's order to freeze, the intruder tried to dive out the window. Rock fired once, hitting him in the buttocks. Police caught up with the would-be burglar at a nearby hospital. (<a title="Read more at The Journal Times." href="http://www.journaltimes.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Journal-Times</em></a>, Racine, Wis.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-26-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-19-2012Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A man came to the door of Herschel Matheny, 82, and Jacqueline Hicks, 75, one morning and asked to use their telephone. When the man was given a phone to use, he reportedly stabbed Matheny in the chest and demanded money from Hicks. While giving the man the impression she was leaving the room to get money, Hicks retrieved a firearm instead and forced the man to leave. Matheny was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover. The suspect is at large. (<a href="http://thesouthern.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Southern Illinoisan</em></a>, Herod, IL, 4/24/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of <em>American Rifleman</em>)<br />It was nearly 10 p.m. in Wilkinsburg, Pa. when two young men approached a home on Montier Street and knocked on the door. The homeowner, upon seeing the two late-night visitors, retrieved a handgun from the bedroom and returned to the front door. The owner opened the door to hear his guests out and was greeted by the barrel of a shotgun. He opened fire first, striking the shotgun wielder and sending the accomplice fleeing down an embankment. The wounded intruder was taken to the hospital and his friend turned himself into police not long after. (<a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/" target="_blank"><em>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</em></a>, Pittsburgh, Pa.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>June 1982</em>: A youthful hoodlum leaped over the counter of Alma Harris' South San Diego, Calif., restaurant and attacked her. As he tried to strangle her with a telephone cord, she grabbed a revolver and shot him four times. The assailant fled, but only made it about a block before collapsing. (<a href="http://www.utsandiego.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Union</em></a>, San Diego, Calif.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-19-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-12-2012Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">When a resident returned home one evening, he was confronted in his driveway by a man with a gun. The victim was ordered inside the residence where his family was being held hostage. Once inside, the victim was shot in the back. Wounded, he still managed to get a firearm and return fire. The alleged assailant fled on foot and was later located at a nearby residence. Both men were taken to the hospital for treatment and the victim&rsquo;s family was reportedly unharmed. (<a title="Visit the home page of the Jeffersonian." href="http://www.daily-jeff.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Jeffersonian</em></a>, Cambridge, Ohio, 2/29/2012).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of <em>American Rifleman</em>)<br />A woman and her husband were asleep in their apartment late on a Monday night when they were awoken by a banging sound at their front door. The woman, 28, went to the living room to find a stranger wandering around. She called the police, retrieved a nearby handgun and held the intruder, Carlos Rodriguez, until they arrived. Rodriguez told police that he thought he&rsquo;d returned to his own apartment and that he&rsquo;d broken in when he couldn&rsquo;t get the door to open&mdash;it was later found that Rodriguez had the right apartment number, just the wrong building. He was also reportedly sporting a .21 BAC. He faces possible residential entry and criminal mischief charges. (<a title="Visit the home page of The Times." href="http://www.nwitimes.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Times</em></a>, Portage, Ind., 5/1/2012)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>June 1982</em>: C.H. Meadows, 83, awoke to find an intruder choking his wife. When the Longview, Tex., householder tried to intervene, the criminal threatened him with a butcher knife. When the intruder began ransacking the house for loot, Meadows grabbed a .410 shotgun and opened fired, hitting the assailant in the shoulder and putting him to flight. (<a title="Check out the home page of the Herald Zeitung." href="http://herald-zeitung.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Herald Zeitung</em></a>, New Braunfels, Texas)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-12-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-5-2012Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">People fled in terror when a gunman entered a medical building and took several people hostage. A doctor at the practice, Jeff Ferguson, retrieved his gun and guarded an exit, allowing an estimated 50 people to escape down a stairwell, warning them, &ldquo;If this guy opens this door, I&rsquo;m going to have to shoot him.&rdquo; Ferguson said after the ordeal, &ldquo;I was absolutely prepared to shoot him, yes.&rdquo; Despite negotiators&rsquo; best efforts to get 28-year-old Dominic Oliver to surrender peacefully, he was later shot during a confrontation with police. He died at a local hospital hours later. (<a title="Visit the home page of FOX News." href="http://www.foxnews.com/" target="_blank">FOX News</a>, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2/28/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of <em>American Rifleman</em>)<br />A Michigan man was at home watching television with his family when an intruder ripped open the house&rsquo;s storm door, began beating on the inner door and demanded entry. Homeowner Mark Goodman retrieved his personal firearm and held it up to the window. The intruder fled immediately, &ldquo;like he had seen a ghost,&rdquo; according to Goodman. (<a title="Visit the home page of the Macomb Daily Paper." href="http://www.macombdaily.com/" target="_blank"><em>Macomb Daily Paper</em></a>, Macomb County, Mich., 4/29/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>June 1982</em>: Rev. Martin Jarreau was asleep in the rectory of St. Ann&rsquo;s Catholic Church in Miami when he heard strange noises. He grabbed a .38 cal. Revolver and went to investigate. He found a would-be burglar trying to exit via a bathroom window. Fr. Jarreau held the man, who had a long criminal record, for police. (<a title="Visit the home page of the Miami Herald." href="http://www.miamiherald.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Herald</em></a>, Miami, Fla.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-5-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-29-2012Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Dale Vigliarolo and his wife were walking into Holiday Market when they spotted 43-year-old David Shuten in the parking lot wilding a large hunting knife. After a failed attempt to break into a vehicle, Shuten turned his attention to a nearby couple with an infant child. As Shuten approached the family, Vigliarolo drew his .38 Special and demanded he drop his weapon. Shuten dropped the knife and sat on the ground until police arrived. He was then transported to a nearby hospital for psychiatric evaluation. (<a title="Learn more about the Royal Oak Review." href="http://www.candgnews.com/About/Royal-Oak" target="_blank"><em>Royal Oak Review</em></a>, Royal Oak, Mich., 3/14/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of <em>American Rifleman</em>)<br />Upon hearing a noise at his back door late one Monday evening, a resident of Wilton, Maine decided to check things out&mdash;and was surprised to find a hand through the exterior door on his porch. The door had a hook latch on the inside, and the suspect was slowly ripping the door open. The resident yelled for the suspect to stop and told his elderly mother to call police, retrieving his shotgun in the process. He told the intruder to stop and warned that he had a gun, but the suspect continued his efforts to break the latch. One round fired toward the door did what the warning couldn&rsquo;t, and the suspect fled up a nearby hill. (<a title="Visit the home of the Lewiston Sun Journal." href="http://www.sunjournal.com/" target="_blank"><em>Lewiston Sun Journal</em></a>, Lewiston, Maine, 2/23/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>May 1981</em>: A stickup man had been plaguing convenience stores in the Salisbury, Md. area, so when Robert Brown saw a man fitting the robber&rsquo;s description approaching his store, he reached for a gun. When the would-be robber pulled a pistol from his coat, Brown drew his own gun and the criminal fled. (<a title="Read more from The Daily Times." href="http://www.delmarvanow.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Daily Times</em></a>, Salisbury, Md.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-29-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-22-2012Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Miguel Lopez Hernandez, 25, and an armed accomplice entered Kelly Jewelers. The accomplice produced his handgun, ordered the store manager to get on the floor, then tossed a roll of duct tape to Hernandez. The manager, however was quickly able to retrieve his own handgun. The armed assailant dashed out the door upon seeing the firearm, leaving Hernandez armed only with the roll of duct tape. Hernandez was arrested and is under investigation for aggravated robbery; his accomplice remains at large. (<a title="Visit the home of KSL 5 News." href="http://www.ksl.com/" target="_blank">KSL 5 News</a>, Midvale, Utah, 3/10/12).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of <em>American Rifleman</em>)<br />Hall Palmer was taken captive in his own home in July 2011, and it was an antique firearm and family heirloom that helped free him. Palmer was awoken in the early morning hours by an armed intruder that first bound his hands and then demanded cash and the PIN number for a bank card that Palmer owned. The 70-year-old Palmer went along with things for awhile, before finally wriggling free of his bonds and heading upstairs. With his captor in hot pursuit, Palmer retrieved a .38 Colt Army Special that he'd inherited from his father years before and fired a single shot in the intruder's direction. The invading gunman immediately turned and fled out through the garage. (<a title="Learn more about the St. Petersburg Times." href="http://www.tampabay.com/publication/" target="_blank"><em>St. Petersburg Times</em></a>, St. Petersburg, Fla., 1/20/2011).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>May 1981:</em> A Lynchburg, Va., housebreaker suffered the ultimate indignity when he was caught trying to enter Buford Thornhill's home. The armed homeowner forced the sneak thief to call police and report the crime himself. (<em>The News</em>, Lynchburg, Va.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-22-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-15-2012Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Four armed intruders began to kick down the door of a two-story apartment, so the three inhabitants locked themselves in an upstairs bedroom and exited onto the balcony where they had no escape. One of the occupants grabbed a rifle kept in the bedroom. One of the home invaders, dressed in camouflage with a black cloth covering his face, managed to kick open the bedroom door. The occupant raised the rifle and shot one round at the intruder, causing the home invaders to flee. Derrick Timmons, 20, was pronounced dead when his body was later found. The other offenders are still being sought by police. (<a title="Read more from the Courier Herald." href="http://www.courier-herald.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Courier Herald</em></a>, Dublin, Ga., 3/15/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of <em>American Rifleman</em>)<br />Michael Moffitt was at home with his girlfriend when an 11 p.m. knock drew him to the apartment door. When the couple looked through the peephole they realized that it was being covered from the outside. Moffitt retrieved a legally owned AR-15 rifle and checked the peephole again. This time it was uncovered, so Moffitt opened the door to investigate. A masked intruder armed with a handgun tried to force his way through, leading Moffitt to open fire. The intruder was fatally wounded, and police declared that Moffitt had acted in self-defense. A second masked man was reportedly seen on the back of the building, but fled after hearing the gunfire. (<a title="Read more from The Tennessean." href="http://www.tennessean.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Tennessean</em></a>, Nashville, Tenn., 4/20/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>May 1981:</em> Burglars had broken into Dean French&rsquo;s Cedar Flats, Wash., home a dozen times within a year, so one morning he pretended to leave for work, and then surreptitiously returned to keep watch for housebreakers. His patience was rewarded when he captured an 18-year-old burglar at gunpoint. (<a title="Read more from The Daily Olympian." href="http://www.theolympian.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Daily Olympian</em></a>, Olympia, Wash.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-15-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-8-2012Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Between 2 and 3 p.m. a woman was stopped along the highway when a man approached her car door. He pulled out a knife that appeared to already have a bloody blade and demanded that she go with him. He threatened her, telling her that if she did not comply she would &ldquo;end up like that woman on TV.&rdquo; The woman believed he was referring to a missing teacher confirmed dead just days before. She told the man to wait while she got her cigarettes, then reached down and pulled out a gun. The man quickly fled. (<em><a title="Visit the home page of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle." href="http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/" target="_blank">Bozeman Daily Chronicle</a></em>, Bozeman, Mont., 1/14/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of <em>American Rifleman</em>)<br />A man in Illinois entered a convenience store with less than noble ideas on the night of March 15, and wound up getting more than he bargained for. The suspect in question brandished a gun barrel from beneath his white t-shirt and demanded that the store employees give him all of their money. One clerk sprung into action, retrieving a legally owned pistol and firing it upward at a 45-degree angle. The shot sent the would-be robber scrambling for the door and into an alley. Police are still investigating. (<em><a title="Visit the home page of the State Journal-Register" href="http://www.sj-r.com/" target="_blank">The State Journal-Register</a></em>, Springfield, Ill., 3/17/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>May 1981:</em> When he saw three robbers speeding away from a grocery store near his El Paso, Ark., service station, Jim Smith grabbed a .44 Mag. Revolver and a 12-ga. Shotgun and gave chase. He pursued the trio for several miles, eventually catching one stickup man and holding him for police. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a Christian and I go to church,&rdquo; Smith said, &ldquo;but I don&rsquo;t want people running over us.&rdquo; (<em>The Arkansas Gazette</em>, Little Rock, Ark.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-8-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-1-2012Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Police received a call from a 15-year-old girl claiming there was someone trying to get into her house while she was home alone. She reported that she heard the front door jiggle, looked out the window and saw two men there. One man managed to get into the garage where he was attempting to steal a pickup truck. After retrieving her father&rsquo;s handgun, the girl confronted the man in the garage causing him to immediately flee. His accomplice, who had already made his way inside and was ransacking the contents of the home, quickly followed suit. (<em><a title="Read more at The Daily News." href="http://galvestondailynews.com/" target="_blank">The Daily News</a></em>, Texas City, Texas, 1/15/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of <em>American Rifleman</em>.)<br />A 25-year-old Bedford Heights, Ohio, homeowner spotted an intruder breaking into a neighbor&rsquo;s home, which prompted a quick call to 9-1-1. The homeowner remained on the phone while he confronted the intruder, who had climbed through a broken kitchen window. The intruder proceeded to grab a kitchen knife and threaten the homeowner, who retrieved a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol and fired. The intruder was taken to the MetroHealth Medical Center for treatment and is in the custody of the Bedford Heights police. (<em><a title="Read more from the Cleveland Plain Dealer." href="http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/" target="_blank">Cleveland Plain Dealer</a></em>, Cleveland, Ohio, 4/25/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>April 1980</em>: Two men, one carrying a crowbar, entered a Norwich, N.Y., motorcycle shop, approached the owner&rsquo;s son, and asked to see an item from a wall display. When owner Loren Frink walked into the room and saw his son being beaten with the crowbar, he drew his pistol and fired. The would-be robbers fled unharmed but soon were arrested. (<em><a title="Read more at the Sun-Bulletin." href="http://www.pressconnects.com/" target="_blank">The Sun-Bulletin</a></em>, Binghamton, N.Y. 1/23)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-1-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-april-24-2012Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Home alone, a 17-year-old girl did not answer the door when the door bell rang. Shortly thereafter, she heard someone jump over the gate in the backyard. She then saw a man reach through the home&rsquo;s doggie door and attempt to unlatch it. The girl quickly armed herself and fired a shot at the doggie door. Without hesitation, the suspect fled. It is unknown whether or not the man was injured. The area was heavily searched, but police were unable to locate the man. (<a title="Visit the home of the Arizona Republic." href="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/" target="_blank"><em>The Arizona Republic</em></a>, Glendale, Ariz., 2/07/12)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of <em>American Rifleman</em>.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A man, his pregnant sister-in-law and her small child were at home on a Thursday morning when they were startled by a banging sound on the apartment door. Looking out the window, the residents saw two individuals trying to break in. The people in the home tried barring the door with a couch, but the home invaders got through anyway, one brandishing a pistol. The male apartment resident drew his own firearm and opened fire first, striking the armed intruder and sending his partner scurrying away. The wounded suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, and police immediately began a search for his accomplice. (<a title="Visit the home of the Houston Chronicle." href="http://www.chron.com/" target="_blank"><em>Houston Chronicle</em></a>, Houston, Tex., 9//24/2010)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>April 1980</em>: Awakened by the cries of her 6-year-old daughter, a Baytown, Tex. Woman spied a male intruder hiding beside her bed. The woman grabbed a pistol she kept under the pillow, took the child in her arms, and ran into the next room. When the intruder followed, she shot him. The wounded man fled, but police later found him hiding in some nearby bushes and wearing only a pair of socks. (<a title="Visit the home of the Houston Chronicle." href="http://www.chron.com/" target="_blank"><em>Houston Chronicle</em></a>, Houston, Tex., 1/9)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-april-24-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-april-11-2012Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">The owner of the Quick Time Liquor Market fought back when Armand Isaac, 21, and Leonard Higgins Jr., 20, entered the store and attempted an armed robbery. As the store owner and Higgins struggled, Isaac fired a shot at the owner barely missing his head. The owner then grabbed a pistol and shot Higgins twice, causing the men to quickly flee. Both men were later arrested at a local hospital as they sought medical treatment for Higgins&rsquo; gunshot wounds. (<a title="Find this account and others like it here." href="http://www.thetelegraph.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Telegraph</em></a>, Alton, IL, 1/07/12)<strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><em><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A California homeowner was at home one afternoon when suddenly he heard noises emerging from the lower level of his house. He grabbed a gun and went to investigate, soon after discovering a woman in his living room rummaging through his things. He told her to drop everything, and held her at gunpoint and dialed 9-1-1. The woman tried to flee but was caught and arrested by the authorities. (<a title="Find more accounts like this one." href="http://www.dailyrepublic.com/" target="_blank"><em>Daily Republic</em></a>, Fairfield, CA, 02/15/12)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives<br /></strong><em>April 1980: </em>When 89-year-old Fred Freen saw a man leaving one of his vacant San Antonio, Tex., rental houses, he called the police, found his pistol and confronted the intruder, who started toward him in a threatening manner. When his warnings to halt were ignored, Green fired a shot near the would-be burglar's legs and thus pursuaded him to wait peaceably until police arrived. <em>(The Daily News,</em> Amarillo, Tex. 1/26)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-april-11-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-march-29-2012Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Early one morning, a resident awoke to the sound of someone shuffling around inside his home. He grabbed his gun and proceeded to search the premises and discovered a man hiding in his basement. The resident fired two rounds from his firearm striking the suspect both times. The injured suspect reached his vehicle and fled the scene. The suspect was later hospitalized; in his wounded state he had struck several parked cars and then crashed the vehicle about a block away. (<em>Associated Press</em>, FL, 12/21/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em><br />A supermarket employee was stunned one evening when a man walked into the store, held a sharp object to her back and demanded money. The suspect forced the employee into the store's office, but he wasn't prepared for what would happen next. Another employee was waiting there with a gun and fired a shot at the suspect, striking him. The would-be robber later died in the hospital. <em>(<a title="Check out more accounts here." href="http://www.courier-journal.com/" target="_blank">The Courrier-Journal</a>, </em>Indianapolis, IN, 12/28/11)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>March 1975: </em>Aroused at 5 a.m., Mrs. Estelle Beavan, 61, a Seattle widow, found a young man "tearing up the whole front of the house." She telephoned police. But when the man, after ripping off a storm door, bashed through a thick double-locked door, Mrs. Beavan fired one shot at about 10 ft. with a small .22 handgun that she had bought on the advice of a "relative in law enforcement." A bullet in the chest halted the intruder. Police said he was crazed by drugs.<em> (<a title="Check out modern-day accounts like this one on The Seattle Times." href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home/index.html" target="_blank">The Seattle Times</a>, </em>Seattle, Wash.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-march-29-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-march-21-2012Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A would-be burglar was arrested after a homeowner called 9-1-1 while detaining the criminal at gunpoint. The intruder, 22-year-old Jacob Pino, entered the home wearing several layers of clothing, gloves, a black nylon mask and shoes covered with plastic bags to avoid leaving identifiable prints. A backpack containing a 22-cal. handgun and a money clip belonging to the homeowner was also recovered at the scene. (<a title="Read the full account here." href="http://www.chieftain.com/news/crime_beat/homeowner-catches-and-detains-burglar/article_1bd59732-2623-11e1-a31a-0019bb2963f4.html" target="_blank"><em>The Pueblo Chieftain</em></a>, Pueblo, CO, 12/14/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><em><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">At home with her 10-year-old son and two dogs, a Houston homeowner was going through her morning routine when suddenly two intruders broke in. Immediately, she told her son to hide in a closet with a phone, and told him to call 9-1-1. The woman grabbed a .22 rifle and confronted the two men who were carrying large household items out her front door. She fired a shot, causing the men to flee. Authorities were in pursuit of the suspects when this went to press. (<a title="Read more here." href="http://www.myfoxhouston.com/" target="_blank">myfoxhouston.com</a>, Houston, TX, 02/09/12)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives<br /></strong></span><em><span style="font-size: small;">March 1975: </span></em><span style="font-size: small;">When Cecil and Edna Doggett, aged 67 and 66, opened the door of their Oakland, Calif., home to what they thought were Halloween trick or treaters, four young men rushed in and began attacking them with billy clubs. During the struggle, one of the intruders dropped a .22 revolver, giving Doggett time to get his own .357 Magnum revolver from a living room drawer. The youths fled as Doggett fired twice. Two suspects, each wounded in the left leg, were taken into custody by police. (<em>The Oakland Tribune, </em>Oakland, Calif.)</span><em><br /></em></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-march-21-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-march-14-2012Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Tim Patterson was cooking at The Big Yellow Mobile Kitchen as he did every day when he heard a scream coming from the parking lot of a nearby Goodwill store. He rushed toward the cries for help and didn&rsquo;t hesitate to draw his Kimber 1911 .45 when he saw that a man had grabbed hold of a woman and had a knife to her throat. &ldquo;Drop it or I&rsquo;ll shoot you!&rdquo; Patterson warned. The assailant immediately released the woman, dropped the knife, raised his arms and fled. The victim, a Goodwill employee who was carrying a bank deposit in her purse at the time of the attempted robbery, was not injured. (<em><a title="Find local news and other accounts here." href="http://www.cdapress.com/" target="_blank">Coeur d&rsquo;Alene Press</a></em>, Coeur d&rsquo;Alene, ID, 11/30/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A pregnant California homeowner saw two men enter her home one morning, but couldn't get to a phone, so instead she grabbed a handgun to defend herself. When she came face-to-face with the intruders, she ordered them to flee, saying she didn't want to have to shoot them. The men advanced toward her and she fired a shot, missing the suspects but causing them to flee. Police were in pursuit of the men when this went to press. (<a title="Read the full account here." href="http://www.times-standard.com/ci_19825171?IADID=Search-www.times-standard.com-www.times-standard.com" target="_blank"><em>The Times Standard</em></a>, Eureka, CA, 01/26/12)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>March 1975: </em>While Dan Cassin was stacking shelves in his Atlanta, Ga., store, two robbers rushed in, fired at least one shot, and then started thrashing the store cleanup man. Cassin immediately pulled out his cal. .38 pistol and shot one intruder to death. "They came in like storm troopers, shooting and beating people," Cassin said. "I just couldn't stand and watch." (<em>The South Middlesex News</em>, Framingham, Mass.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-march-14-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-february-23-2012Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Food delivery drivers have statistically one of the 10 most dangerous jobs in America. Whether that weighed on the mind of a Papa John&rsquo;s delivery driver when he obtained a concealed-carry permit isn&rsquo;t clear, but he was glad he did when a man stuck a stolen pistol through his car window and said, &ldquo;What you gonna do is drop off that money.&rdquo; The driver drew a .38-cal. revolver and emptied the cylinder. The wounded assailant dropped his pistol and ran into a house across the street, where he was found by police. (<a title="Read the full account on the Commercial Appeal website." href="http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/nov/04/armed-pizza-delivery-man-shoots-would-be-robber/" target="_blank"><em>The Commercial Appeal</em></a>, Memphis, TN, 11/05/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A Michigan homeowner awoke late one night to the sound of breaking glass and discovered someone had broken into his home. He retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun and called 9-1-1, and shortly after came in contact with the suspect. The homeowner shouted for the suspect to stop and get down, but when the suspect continued to advance toward him, the homeowner fired several shots. The suspect, who was on parole at the time of the crime, was treated at a nearby hospital and faced charges upon his release. (<a title="Find accounts like this one and local news at The Grand Rapids Press online." href="http://www.mlive.com/" target="_blank">The Grand Rapids Press</a>, Paris, MI, 12/08/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><em><br />February 1977: </em>An armed robber made the mistake of holding up Jack Moga's Milwaukee, Wis., tavern twice in a week. Though the crook got away with his loot the first time, Moga was prepared when the greedy criminal came back for more, and shot him in the head. A local judge complimented Moga's marksmanship, saying "I think you are going to be free of armed robberies in the future." (<em>The Sentinel</em>, Milwaukee, Wis.)<strong><br /></strong></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-february-23-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-february-15-2012Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">The first thing John Chapman did upon returning home to find his front door propped open was retrieve his Taurus .38-cal. revolver. He slowly went upstairs to investigate, noting that drawers in the bedroom had been opened and items were strewn about. An intruder then sprang from behind the bedroom door. Chapman told him not to move, but the intruder rushed at him anyway. Chapman fired two shots. The intruder ran outside and collapsed on the sidewalk. He will be arrested after his release from the hospital. (<a title="Find this account and more from The Charleston Gazette." href="http://wvgazette.com/" target="_blank"><em>Charleston Gazette</em></a>, Charleston, WV, 11/03/11)<strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><em><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A residential landscaper arrived for work one morning and quickly realized that his client's house was being burglarized. The landscaper confronted the burglar and fired a shot, striking the suspect. The suspect faced charges upon his release from the hospital. (<a title="Find this account and more from The Everett Herald." href="http://heraldnet.com/article/20110818/NEWS03/708189908" target="_blank"><em>The Everett Herald</em></a>, Tacoma, WA, 08/18/11)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives<br /></strong><em>February 1977: </em>Two thieves were stashing the money they had robbed from 65-year-old Joe Fereira's grocery in a paper bag and had turned toward the front door, when Fereira, whose Fresno, Calif., store had been robbed just a few months before, drew his handgun and fired. He wounded one robber in the arm, forcing him to drop the cash. A passer-by chased and caught the other crook. (<a title="Check out more accounts like this one and local news from The Fresno Bee." href="http://www.fresnobee.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Bee</em></a>, Fresno, CA)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-february-15-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-february-6-2012Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">It was 4 a.m. when Donna Hopper awoke to a stranger attempting to enter her home. When she refused to open the door, the man announced, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming in!&rdquo; Hopper wasn&rsquo;t sure what to do. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s when it came to me&mdash;I had a gun,&rdquo; she recalled. Hopper had purchased a .38-cal. revolver just months prior for safety following the death of her husband. She retrieved the gun just in time as the burglar began prying open the window. That&rsquo;s when she heard the voice of her father, a longtime police officer, in her head: Two hands, Donna. Keep your elbows straight. She opened fire and connected with the burglar on the third shot. The next day she returned to the gun store where she purchased her firearm to buy a cleaning kit. Shoppers praised her actions. &ldquo;They all said, &lsquo;Thank you. You&rsquo;re a brave woman,&rsquo;&rdquo; noted Hopper. &ldquo;I said, &lsquo;No, I&rsquo;m a scared old woman who just happened to have a gun.&rsquo;&rdquo; (<a title="The Record Searchlight provides local news and other accounts like this one for the Redding, CA, area." href="http://www.redding.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Record Searchlight</em></a>, Redding, CA, 10/23/11)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><em><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Ater having his home burglarized several times in previous weeks, a Louisiana homeowner was prepared when he heard someone forcing their way into his house one evening. The homeowner retrieved his .38-cal. pistol, faced the intruder and&mdash;fearing for his life&mdash;fired a shot, striking the man. After receiving medical attention, the intruder was arrested. (<em>The Rayne Indepenent, Rayne, LA, 05/27/10)</em><br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>February 1977: </em>When two armed men bent on robbery strolled into R.M. Coulon's New Orleans La., pharmacy, Coulon pulled a cal. .38 revolver, shot one robber and sent the other running straight into the hands of detectives who had been following the pair. (<a title="Find this account and more on The Times-Picayune website." href="http://www.nola.com/t-p/" target="_blank"><em>The Times-Picayune</em></a>, New Orleans, La.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-february-6-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-january-11-2012Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Hard-working attorney Curt Crowley was at the office late one evening when he heard a filing cabinet open and close. Knowing he should be the only one in the office, he retrieved his .40-cal. handgun, peered out the door and discovered a burglar rifling through cabinets. &ldquo;I told him to freeze, but not in language you can repeat,&rdquo; Crowley recalled. &ldquo;He ended up begging me not to kill him.&rdquo; Crowley held the suspect at gunpoint until police arrived. (<em><a title="Find this account and others like it in The Clarion-Ledger." href="http://www.clarionledger.com/" target="_blank">The Clarion-Ledger</a>,</em> Jackson, MS, 10/10/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><em><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A Virginia gas station employee had closed up shop for the night and made his way out to his car to warm it up before heading home. While sitting in the driver's seat, the man made a phone call. Just then, two men opened his door and grabbed him, zapping him on the arm with a stun gun. A concealed carry permit holder, the man pulled out his handgun and fired two shots at his would-be attackers who fled on foot. (<em>PW Pulse, </em>Woodbridge, VA, 12/23/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><em><br />January 1966: </em>In his Newark, N.J., home, Edward W. Williams, who was watching television, was alerted, first by his growling dog, and then by a woman's screams. He heard: "Don't let the man kill me..." Grabbing a rifle Williams ran outside the house and saw a man hitting a woman and dragging her toward some tall weeds. Williams shouted for his wife to call the police and then trained his rifle on the man. He held the would-be attacker until police arrived. Newark Chief of Police Charles M. Zizza recommended Williams for an outstanding public service award. (<em>Newark Star-Ledger</em>, Newark, NJ)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-january-11-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-january-6-2012Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">It was not a good day on the job for one would-be burglar. First, he tried to climb in the window of 77-year-old Donald McElrea&rsquo;s home, but was caught in the act. Pistol in hand, McElrea confronted the burglar. The gun startled the burglar so badly that he lost his footing and plummeted 20 feet over the side of the elevated deck. McElrea told the burglar to stay on the ground while his wife called the police, and the burglar should&rsquo;ve just cut his losses at that point. Instead he got up and charged McElrea, who opened fire. Police arrived to find the burglar injured from the fall, shot in the arm and considering a new line of work. (<a title="Find this Armed Citizen account and other accounts like it on the Harrison Daily Times online." href="http://harrisondaily.com/" target="_blank"><em>Harrison Daily Times</em></a>, Harrison, AR, 10/18/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">It was a seemingly quiet afternoon in a Pittsburgh, Pa., car repair shop when suddenly a masked man entered through an open door, wielding a gun and demanding money from the shop owner. After the owner handed over his money, the masked intruder stunned him in the back of the head with a stun gun. A Vietnam veteran and NRA firearms instructor who specializes in personal protection, the owner stumbled to his feet and grabbed his gun. When the intruder pointed his gun at him, the owner fired one shot, killing the man. (<a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Pittsburgh Post Gazette</em></a>, Pittsburgh, PA, 12/18/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>January 1966: </em>When two gunmen in Upland, Calif., took $150 from liquor store owner Hugh M. Davenport and fled, Davenport ran out of the store with his carbine and riddled the fleeing bandits' car, bringing it to a halt. Davenport ruptured the left front tire and put holes in the radiator, the gas tank and the oil pan. The thugs then fled on foot. However, they were captured minutes later by the police. (<a href="http://www.latimes.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Los Angeles Times</em></a>, Los Angeles, CA)<em> </em><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-january-6-2012#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-29-2011Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Upon noticing a car following him into his neighborhood late one night, a homeowner had a bad feeling. Once he turned into his driveway, the car crept by, turned around and again drove by before stopping. Then he heard someone running up the driveway. He retrieved a pistol from the glove box and got out of the vehicle just in time to spot two suspects sprinting toward him. They were armed and demanded cash. &ldquo;It was all probably a second,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;It was just so fast.&rdquo; The homeowner aimed and fired at one of his assailants, killing him. The second man fled. Though the suspects could have killed him, the homeowner harbors no ill will. &ldquo;My prayers go out to the family,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That was still someone&rsquo;s child.&rdquo; (<a href="http://www.goupstate.com/" target="_blank"><em>Herald-Journal</em></a>, Spartanburg, S.C., 08/30/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Out of jail for less than a week, a California parolee made a bad call one morning when he knocked on the door of a nearby home and, after getting no response, forced the door open. The intruder was met by the homeowner who held a firearm and demanded the intruder leave his property. The intruder refused, charging at the homeowner who fired a shot and struck the suspect in the leg. The would-be thief fled in a nearby car. (<a href="http://www.thecalifornian.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Salinas Californian</em></a>, Prunedale, CA, 10/21/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From the Armed Citizen Archives</strong><em><br />December 1978: </em>When a Lexington, Ala., restaurant owner got home and heard his wife screaming, he ran next door, got his father's shotgun and returned to confront two armed men who were trying to tie up his wife. In the ensuing exchange, the restaurateur sustained several small caliber wounds but still managed to mortally shoot both of the attackers. (<a href="http://www.dailycorinthian.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Daily Corinthian</em></a>, Corinth, Miss.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-29-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-15-2011Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">As a repo man prepared to repossess a car, a strange confrontation occurred. Police say a 26-year-old man cursed at the repo man and tried to prevent him from taking the car. Oddly, the suspect was not the owner of the car and didn&rsquo;t live at the address where it was parked. Yet he pulled out a gun and fired. The repo man, who has a concealed-carry permit, drew his handgun and fired. The suspect was killed. (<a href="http://www.naplesnews.com/" target="_blank"><em>Naples Daily News</em></a>, Naples, FL, 09/16/11)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A woman was in her home one afternoon when she spotted a man getting into her husband's truck through her bedroom window. She immediately grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun and called out to the man to stay put. She held him at gun point until police arrived to arrest the would-be theif. (<a href="http://www.journalnet.com/" target="_blank"><em>Idaho State Journal</em></a>, Pocatello, ID, 04/22/10)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><em><strong><br /></strong>December 1978: </em>An armed bandit forced his way into a Snohomish County, Wash., home and pointed his gun at the head of a 68-year-old resident. Hearing the commotion, the victim's son got a .243 cal. rifle from the bedroom and shot the holdup man through the hand, shattering both the pistol and the hand. The robber fled but was arrested later at a hospital. (<a href="http://heraldnet.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Herald</em></a>, Everett, Wash.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-15-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-23-2011Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A young woman walked out the door on her way to work when she spotted a pit bull with a history of aggressive behavior on the loose. She quickly ducked back inside her father&rsquo;s home and called police to report the wandering dog. After waiting for the dog to leave, the father got a firearm for safety and escorted his daughter to the vehicle. Within moments the dog appeared and again began acting aggressively. The homeowner tried to slowly back his way into the home, but the dog backed him against an exterior wall. He fired a shot, killing the dog. (<a href="http://heraldnet.com/" target="_blank"><em>Everett Herald</em></a>, Everett, WA, 08/18/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">The owner of a small deli was working late one night when two men entered his shop toting guns and demanding money. With a gun pressed to his chest, the store owner grabbed his own .357 Magnum revolver and fired several shots at both men, striking them and causing them to flee. Both men were later apprehended when they called 9-1-1 seeking medical attention for their wounds. (<a href="http://www.arkansasonline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Arkansas Democrat-Gazette</em></a>, Little Rock, AR, 01/06/11)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>October 1979: </em>When an armed robber smashed the plate glass window of a San Miguel, Calif., market, Gilbert Buckman, the owner's son-in-law, heard the commotion, armed himself and investigated. Buckman apprehended the burglar and held him at gunpoint until police arrived. (<a href="http://www.sanluisobispo.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Telegram-Tribune</em></a>, San Luis Obispo, Calif. 7/16)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-23-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-16-2011Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Phillip Ramsey was drinking coffee in his kitchen when there was a knock at the door. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t recognize him and I didn&rsquo;t answer the door,&rdquo; Ramsey recalled. Shortly thereafter a second unknown man knocked at the door. When Ramsey didn&rsquo;t answer, the man circled toward the rear of the house. Ramsey heard glass breaking and grabbed his 9 mm pistol, which he usually stores in the bedroom. &ldquo;For some reason, I had it with me in the kitchen today,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;God must have been watching out for me.&rdquo; Ramsey called 9-1-1 and when he got to his bedroom, the man was getting off the bed below a broken window. Ramsey held the suspect at gunpoint until police arrived. Following the incident he offered the following safety advice to fellow citizens: &ldquo;Get a gun and learn how to use it.&rdquo; (<a href="http://www.postandcourier.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Post and Courier</em></a>, Charleston, S.C., 8/31/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">After placing an ad on Craigslist to sell his iPhone and getting an offer, a Tacoma, Wa., man went to meet the potential buyers near a local mall. But the so-called buyers&mdash;two teenage boys&mdash;had another plan. As the owner was showing the teens the phone, one of them grabbed it and the other shoved the man to the ground and then took off running. Grabbing his gun that he is licensed to carry, the man demanded that the boys stop. He held them at gunpoint until police arrived. (<a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/" target="_blank"><em>The News Tribune</em></a>, Tacoma, WA, 07/03/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>October 1979: </em>After being robbed the previous night, Indianapolis, Ind., motel manager, Mike Murray surprised three early morning burglars in the process of removing a TV set from one of the motel units. Murray halted the three and held them at shotgun point until police could take them into custody. (<em>The Star</em>, Indianapolis, Ind., 7/16)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-16-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-3-2011Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Normally Raven Smith leaves his gun in the vehicle before he goes into a restaurant, but something made him reconsider one evening. The concealed-carry permit holder kept his .380-cal. handgun holstered as he stepped out of the car to have dinner with his girlfriend. Before he&rsquo;d taken three steps, a masked man rushed up behind his girlfriend with what appeared to be a gun. &ldquo;Get down, get down!&rdquo; Smith yelled to his girlfriend as he fired four shots. The suspect dropped to the ground with four gun-shot wounds and will be arrested after his release from the hospital. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve only had practice doing casual shooting, as a hobby,&rdquo; said Smith, an airline mechanic. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s completely different using it in a situation like this.&rdquo; His girlfriend calls him her hero, adding, &ldquo;I saw orange flashes over my head. And then my ears were ringing.&rdquo; (<em>St. Petersburg Times</em>, St. Petersburg, VA, 08/08/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A 92-year-old Ohio farmer was outside of his home feeding his cats when he saw a white Chevrolet car racing down his driveway. Upon stopping, several men exited the vehicle and began taking cooper wiring and other supplies from the farmer's barn and putting them into the truck of the car. When the homeowner called out to the men, telling them to stop, one of the suspects began charging at him, so the homeowner grabbed his .38-caliber handgun and fired a warning shot into the ground. The suspects attempted an escape, but their car got stuck in a nearby ditch. They were later charged with breaking and entering. (<a href="http://portsmouth-dailytimes.com/" target="_blank"><em>Portsmouth Daily Times</em></a>, Portsmouth, OH, 03/31/10)<br /></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>October 1979: </em>A barking dog and the sounds of forced entry woke Barbara Squires in her Ft. Wayne, Ind., apartment. Squires secured a .38 cal. revolver and investigated, finding a youth in the front hallway of the darkened house. She held the would-be burglar at gunpoint while calling the police. (<em>The Journal Gazette</em>, Ft. Wayne, Ind. 7/6)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-november-3-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-26-2011Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">When Ronald Bracey awoke to his wife&rsquo;s screams, he leapt from bed, got his handgun and stepped out of the bedroom where, to his immense terror, two men were holding guns to his wife&rsquo;s head. The men wore hats that read &ldquo;police,&rdquo; but Bracey knew immediately that these were no officers of the law. He opened fire, expending eight rounds in succession and striking one of his wife&rsquo;s attackers. The two men fled and were joined by a pair of accomplices. That evening police K-9 units found three of the four suspects. (<a href="http://www.marconews.com/" target="_blank"><em>Marco Eagle</em></a>, Marco Island, Fla., 07/26/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<em><br /></em></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A California man and his girlfriend were at home with their two small children when two teenagers broke into their home through a back window in search of money. When the intruders were confronted by the homeowners, they fired their guns, striking the man and his girlfriend. But the couple did not give up. Though wounded, the man wrestled the gun from one of the teens and returned fired, killing him. The other teen was charged with the murder of his accomplice under the provacative-act doctrine, which holds accomplices responsible when their crime partners act in a way that leads to death, and was also accused of two counts of attempted murder, attempted residential robbery and one count of burglary. The man and woman were hospitalized and faced no charges. (<em><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/" target="_blank">The San Francisco Chronicle</a>, </em>San Francisco, CA, 06/10/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>October 1979: </em>When two men entered an Albuquerque, New Mex., convenience store demanding money, night clerk Reno Petrucci thought they were joking. One of the thugs, however, punched Petrucci and two companions. At that, Petrucci pulled a .38 and held the assailant until police arrived; the second man fled the scene. (<em>The Tribune</em>, Albuquerque, N. Mex., 7/10)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-26-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-october-21-2011Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Upon stopping at an intersection, a motorist noticed a man approaching. Before he could react, the man reached through the window and punched him several times. Stunned by the blows, the motorist reached for his handgun, which he has a permit to carry. As his attacker reached behind his back, as if for a weapon, the motorist drew his gun and fired a shot, striking the assailant in the upper torso. The suspect will be charged following his release from the hospital. (<a href="http://www.news4jax.com/index.html" target="_blank">WZXT-TV</a>, Jacksonville, Fla., 7/15/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A Tenneesee man was at home in his bedroom late one evening when he heard loud banging on his front door. When he went to see who it was, three men burst through his door and approached him. The homeowner grabbed a shotgun and fired one round, causing the men to flee. He later found one of the suspects collapsed in his driveway with a bullet wound. The suspect was in serious condition at the time of this posting. (<a href="http://www.timesnews.net" target="_blank">timesnews.net</a>, Piney Flats, TN, 06/22/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives<br /></strong><em>October 1979: </em>After repeated break-ins at his father's Moses Lake, Wash., gas station, Michael Curtis began sleeping at the station. The vigil ended when Curtis, armed with a shotgun, apprehended three burglars, two of whom were former employees. (<em>The Daily Herald</em>, Moses Lake, Wash. 7/11)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-october-21-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-12-2011Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A 68-year-old grandmother was lying in bed when she was startled by the sound of someone breaking in. So she got up and grabbed her .410 shotgun, a gun she&rsquo;s kept for self-defense for many years, a gun she was never sure she could actually use on a human being and didn&rsquo;t want to find out. However, when her French doors flew open and her burglar alarm went off, that was all it took&mdash;mortal fear&mdash;and she fired upon the three men. Her first volley of bird shot struck one suspect in the face and a second suspect was struck in the chest. All three men fled and are in police custody. At least one had been armed, as police found his handgun&rsquo;s magazine in the yard. The woman received many calls and e-mails cheering her actions. &ldquo;One of them said &lsquo;Go, Granny, Go&rsquo;,&rdquo; she recalled. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t consider myself old, but apparently everyone else does.&rdquo; (WTVF-TV, Nashville, Tenn., 08/11/01)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">An elderly Washington man was at home early one morning when he heard what sounded like someone breaking into his car. When he went to investigate, the intruder burst into the kitchen and wrestled him to the ground. The homeowner managed to get free, and ran to grab his gun. He shot the suspect twice, and held him at gunpoint with a neighbor until police arrived. (<a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home/index.html" target="_blank"><em>The Seattle Times</em></a>, Seattle, WA, 04/08/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives...<br /></strong><em>October 1979:</em></span><span style="font-size: small;"> Shortly before closing-time, two armed men entered a Grand Rapids, Mich., grocery and announced a holdup. When one of them jumped on the counter and pointed a gun at part-owner Theodore Tonning, the grocer pulled a gun and fired, wounding him. The other robber, who was armed with a sawed-off rifle, took a shot at Tonning, but the rifle misfired; Tonning fired and killed the man. (<a href="http://www.mlive.com/grpress/" target="_blank"><em>The Press</em></a>, Grand Rapids, Mich., 06/18)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-12-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-5-2011Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">When a gunman entered U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell&rsquo;s home, attacked his daughter and demanded money, Boswell ran to the entryway and attempted to disarm the suspect. &ldquo;When you see one of the people that you love very much, you see they&rsquo;re in that kind of danger, why, you have to do something,&rdquo; Boswell said. Perhaps the intruder would&rsquo;ve picked a different home had he known Boswell is an NRA A-rated Democrat. As Boswell struggled with the man, his 22-year-old grandson retrieved a shotgun and trained it on the intruder. The suspect fled the home. (<a href="http://www.foxnews.com" target="_blank">FoxNews.com</a>, 07/17/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A 61-year-old Rochester, NY, man was walking down the street late one evening when two men approached him from behind and took cash from his back pocket. When the man turned to face the thieves, he saw one of them had pulled out a knife. Fearing for his life, the man drew a handgun he is licensed to carry and fired one shot, causing the two men to flee. (<a href="http://www.democratandchronicle.com/" target="_blank">Democrat &amp; Chronicle</a>, Rochester, NY, 04/22/10) <br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives<br /></strong><em>October 1979: </em>When Freda Himelfarv heard strange noises coming from the adjacent apartment of Broward, Fla., physician Wallace Knight, she called a neighbor, Martin Robinson, who armed himself with a .38 and investigated. Hearing Knight's screams for help, Robinson burst into the apartment and knocked the doctor clear of a knife-wielding assailant. Robinson held the attacker at gunpoint until police arrived, and Knight was rushed to a hospital for treatment of multiple stab wounds. (<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Herald</em></a>, Miami, Fla.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-5-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-28-2011Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">It&rsquo;s a familiar scenario: An armed citizen with a concealed-carry permit is likely once again to have saved multiple lives. Several customers were doing business inside a pawn shop when a man walked inside, pointed a gun toward the ceiling and announced a robbery. Did the gunman intend to shoot the clerk? Would he take hostages? We&rsquo;ll never know, because a customer with a concealed-carry permit promptly drew a pistol and shot the robber in the stomach. The robber has been charged with aggravated robbery. (<a href="http://www.ksat.com/index.html" target="_blank">KSAT-TV</a>, San Antonio, TX, 06/22/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version if American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">When a homeowner spotted three men outside of his apartment trying to get in, he grabbed his handgun and stood his ground. After trying unsuccessfully to get in, the three men kicked the door down and approached the man with knives. The homeowner fired three shots, causing the intruders to flee. Police caught up with two of the men immediately and arrested them. (<a href="http://www.kfoxtv.com/index.html" target="_blank">KFOX</a>, El Paso, TX, 04/22/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive</strong><br /><em>September 1971:</em> Donald Sims, owner of a restaurant in Bremerton, Wash., snatched a shotgun when he heard someone breaking a window to enter his place of business. Sims caught a suspect and held him for police. (<em>The Bremerton Sun</em>, Bremerton, Wash.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-28-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-22-2011Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">When a homeowner&rsquo;s dogs began barking in bizarre fashion, he grabbed a handgun to investigate while his wife called the police. The victim of two burglaries in recent weeks, the homeowner cautiously approached his detached garage. He confronted two prowlers lurking inside, drew his handgun and told them not to move. Initially it appeared the suspects would wait for police, but suddenly the desperate men charged. The homeowner made quick work of the criminals, opening fire and connecting with each shot. One suspect fell dead. The other lay wounded. The homeowner grabbed a medical kit and provided assistance to the wounded man until police arrived. (<a href="http://www.chronline.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Chronicle</em></a>, Centralia, WA, 05/23/2011)<br /><br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A man and a woman awoke in the middle of the night to the sounds of what they figured to be someone breaking into their home. When they went to investigate, their suspicions were correct; two masked men had entered their home. One of the intruders approached the man, demanding money and jewelry, and then pistol whipped him, giving the woman time to grab their shotgun. The woman handed the gun to the man, and he and the suspects exchanged fire. One of the intruders fled, and the other was fatally shot and found by police in the driveway of the home. The male resident sustained minor injuries. (<a href="http://heraldnet.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Daily Herald,</em></a> Tacoma, WA, 11/04/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong><br /><em>September 1971:</em> Mrs. Edith M. Barry, 41, woke up one morning and discovered a burglar in her bedroom. Seizing a .22 revolver, she shot him. He staggered outside and was later arrested. (<em>The Arizona Republic,</em> Phoenix, Ariz.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-22-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-14-2011Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Already on edge following a burglary that occurred just days prior, Omar Medina was awakened by loud noises coming from somewhere inside his home. He quickly retrieved his handgun and stepped out into the hallway. An intruder was in the living room. Medina fired three shots. The intruder grunted loudly, ran out the door, collapsed and died. Police say the man had an extensive criminal record and was a suspect in other burglaries. (<a href="http://www.theitem.com/news/local_news/article_a97ffdda-de06-54f3-9dba-2a2417e55aa8.html" target="_blank"><em>The Item</em></a>, Sumter, SC, 05/28/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A 60-year-old Minnesota homeowner was asleep one evening when suddenly he heard what sounded like knocking and then the sound of breaking glass. The man grabbed his .22-caliber revolver and went to inspect the noise. Just as he made it to his living room, the man was confronted by two intruders. Fearing for his life, the man fired two shots, causing the would-be burglars to flee. Police believe one of the suspects was shot.<em> </em>(<em><a href="http://www.winonapost.com/stock/functions/VDG_Pub/searchdetail.php?Page_next_page=&amp;choice=43451&amp;searchtext=invader+believed+shot+by+homeowner&amp;from=&amp;to=&amp;author=&amp;column=&amp;issue=3&amp;sort=score&amp;arrange=DESC" target="_blank">The Winona Post</a>, </em>Winona, MN, 08/17/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong></strong></span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>September 1971: </em>John Fortugno of Mount Vernon, N.Y., was forced off the road by a driver in another car. When the driver began threatening Fortugno with a baseball bat, Fortugno pulled a .38 and held him until a policeman came. The man was charged later with illegal possession of a starter's pistol, driving a stolen car and using a forged license. (<em>Daily Argus</em>, Mount Vernon, N.Y.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-14-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-7-2010Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">NRA Country superstar Craig Morgan was whitetail hunting when he received a terrifying phone call&mdash;his daughter&rsquo;s home was invaded, but luckily Morgan had taught her well. &ldquo;My daughter was smart enough to go in her bedroom and lock herself in, and she had a pistol, so she was waiting if he came through,&rdquo; Morgan explained. Rather than face an armed citizen, the suspect fled the home. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m grateful that we live in a country where we as citizens have the right to bear arms and protect ourselves,&rdquo; said Morgan. &ldquo;God bless the U.S.A.&rdquo; (<a href="http://www.nracountry.com" target="_blank">www.nracountry.com</a>, 06/29/11) </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong></span><em><span style="font-size: small;">(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">When a Tulsa homeowner's door was kicked in by two men late one evening, he was ready to put up a fight. The intruders pointed their guns directly at the homeowner's head, demanding money and pushing him around. A struggle ensued, and the homeowner wrestled the men out into the front yard. After being pistol whipped by one of the men, the homeowner was able to pin one of his attackers to the ground, and reached for a gun that had fallen to the ground. In the process, the gun went off, shooting off several of the attacker's fingers. The homeowner sustained minor injuries. (<a href="http://www.tulsaworld.com/" target="_blank"><em>Tulsa World</em></a>, Tulska, OK, 10/03/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives<br /></strong><em>September 1971: </em>When a man went berserk in a Lennox, Calif., apartment building and began terrorizing two women with a bayonet, Bert Prescott, 32, got a revolver and went to their aid. Failing to stop the assailant with his first shot, Prescott fired again, killing him. (<em>The Los Angeles Herald Examiner</em>, Los Angeles, Calif.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-september-7-2010#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-31-2010Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">When three men claiming to be contractors told 86-year-old Walter Peppel that his roof was leaking&mdash;and that he needed to pay them $11,700 to fix it&mdash;he smelled a rat. The roof was in good condition, and the men had no uniforms, business cards or logo on their vehicle. One of the men was so bold as to climb atop Peppel&rsquo;s roof without permission, claiming he needed to inspect it. Peppel told the men to leave the house. Instead, they shouted at Peppel, frightening his wife and demanding he pay them to fix the roof. That&rsquo;s when Peppel got his original Winchester Model 94 lever-action and pointed it at the scammers. They fled before the Peppels could record their license plate number. (<a href="http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110509/NEWS/105090324&amp;cid=sitesearch" target="_blank"><em>Pocono Record</em></a>, Stroudsburg, PA, 05/09/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citzen Extra</strong><em><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A Fresno, Calif., farmer was irrigating his fields late one evening when he noticed a car pull up to a man on a nearby road. When it became apparent that the men in the car were attempting to rob the man on the road, the farmer drew his handgun and intervened. Pointing his gun at the men in the car, he told them to get off of the property, and the men immediately sped away. (<em><a href="http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/08/17/2502566/farmer-turns-tables-on-would-be.html#storylink=misearch" target="_blank">The Fresno Bee</a></em>, Fresno, CA, 08/18/11)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives<br /></strong><em>August 1976: </em>Mackroy Griffin was checking the gas pumps at the Atlanta, Ga., car rental agency where he works when a man struck him on the head with a sawed-off shotgun and snarled, "Don't move or I'll kill you." Griffin knocked the weapon aside, drew a pistol and shot his assailant, who fled. Police later questioned a suspect with a gunshot wound who entered a local hospital. (<a href="http://www.ajc.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Atlanta Journal</em></a>, Atlanta, Ga.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-31-2010#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-26-2010Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Tim Lewis was at the park throwing a Frisbee for his German shepherd when he said &ldquo;all hell broke loose.&rdquo; Three pit bulls, all off-leash, quickly advanced upon his dog and one of them attacked. Lewis tried to pull the pit bull off, but then the other two joined in. The owner of the pit bulls showed up and helped Lewis pull back the most aggressive pit bull, but then it turned on Lewis. That&rsquo;s when Lewis, a concealed-carry permit holder, drew his pistol and fired a shot, striking the attacking dog. The wounded dog was recovering after surgery. &ldquo;If I didn&rsquo;t have my gun, I&rsquo;d be dead right now,&rdquo; Lewis said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not something I wanted to do. I love animals.&rdquo; (<a href="http://kirkland.patch.com/articles/kirkland-man-shoots-pit-bull-at-juanita-beach" target="_blank"><em>Kirkland Patch</em></a>, Kirkland, WA, 05/21/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Jason Bennett, the manager of a Florida pizza shop, had closed up the restaurant for the evening and was heading out to his car when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly, Bennett saw a man holding a gun to the back of his coworker's head, demanding money. Bennett moved quickly, knocking the gun out of the attacker's hands. Bennett's coworker, a concealed-carry permit holder, grabbed his .38-caliber revolver and held the would-be robber at gunpoint until police arrived. (<a href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/armed-worker-at-anytime-pizza-foils-robbery-in-st-petersburg/1185661" target="_blank"><em>St. Petersburg Times</em></a>, St. Petersburg, FL, 08/13/11)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>August 1976: </em>After waiting until all customers had left, two men, one wearing a long coat, entered a Fontana, Calif., book store and approached the clerk Larry Singleton. When Singleton saw a gun being pulled from under the coat, he snatched up a pistol from beneath the counter and fired two shots. Both would-be robbers ran. (<a href="http://www.sbsun.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Sun-Telegram</em></a>, San Bernardino, CA)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-26-2010#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-19-2010Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Robert Parsley was watching television one evening when he heard a noise outside. He quickly grabbed his Smith &amp; Wesson Model 360 revolver chambered in .357 Mag. to investigate. The doorbell rang several times. Parsley looked out the window and saw a man tugging on the locked screen door. Holding the gun behind his back, he turned on the porch light and asked the young man what he was doing. He claimed his wife was in labor, and heavily perspiring, he said that he needed help. But Parsley found the man&rsquo;s story suspicious. His instincts were correct: Earlier that evening the man stole an excavator and used it to severely damage a church. Parsley lowered the gun, bringing it into view. &ldquo;Sorry for waking you!&rdquo; the young man said as he ran off. Two police cruisers pulled up with their spotlights on searching for a suspect. Parsley told them in what direction the suspect had run and they found him breaking into a nearby home. (<a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/index" target="_blank"><em>WTVD-ABC</em></a>, Raleigh, NC, 05/20/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> Armed Citizen Extra</strong><em><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">When a female grocery store clerk saw three teenage boys take<em> </em>some potato chips from the store without paying, she demanded that they immediately return the food. Two of the teens gave the chips back, but the other refused. Then he pulled a gun, aimed it at the clerk and threatened to shoot. The clerk then pulled her own gun and shot the teen in the buttocks. Police said they would seek robbery charges upon the boy's release from the hospital. </span><span style="font-size: small;">(<a href="http://www.stltoday.com/" target="_blank"><em>St. Louis Post-Dispatch</em></a>, St. Louis, MO, 11/24/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>August 1976: </em>A ringing doorbell woke Monte Scales in his Austin, Texas, apartment. As he rose from bed, he heard what sounded like a key being inserted into the lock, then saw a man armed with a butcher knife and a screwdriver standing in the doorway. Scales threw an ashtray at the man and reached for a gun. The intruder fled. (<a href="http://www.statesman.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Austin American-Statesman</em></a>, Austin, Tex.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-19-2010#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-10-2010Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A woman in her early 50s was getting out of the shower when the bathroom lights suddenly went out. An intruder collided into her in the dark, causing her to fall backward into the shower and injure her back. She fought the man, but he put a knife to her throat. &ldquo;She was telling him that she has money and please don&rsquo;t hurt her,&rdquo; said Police 
Cpl. Edwin Ritter, adding that the attack was an attempted sexual assault. The intruder forced the woman into her bedroom, but that&rsquo;s exactly where she kept her .22-cal. pistol. She broke free, retrieved the gun and shot her would-be rapist several times. He ran outside, collapsed and died. &ldquo;Thank God she&rsquo;s okay and she had a weapon to protect herself with,&rdquo; said a neighbor. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s a nice lady, just a sweet lady.&rdquo; (<a href="http://www.ajc.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Atlanta Journal-Constitution</em></a>, Atlanta, GA, 05/12/11)<br /><br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account was not featured in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A man and a woman were standing outside their home when a man began yelling at them and walking toward them at an accelerated pace. As the homeowners moved into their vehicles to avoid the man, the suspect charged at the woman, grabbed her by the neck and dragged her onto the porch. The male homeowner retrieved a gun from the vehicle and confronted the suspect. When the attacker refused to retreat, the male homeowner shot him in the leg, and he fell to the ground where he remained until police arrived. (<a href="http://www.kansascity.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Kansas City Star</em></a>, Kansas City, MO, 06/24/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives<br /></strong><em>August 1976: </em>After asking to see a rifle on display in Harold Von Wahlde's Anderson, Ind., gun store, a man pulled out a revolver and demanded money. Von Wahlde, 71, attempted to grab the gun and a struggle ensued. When the robber's gun misfired, Von Wahlde grabbed a cal. .38 handgun from a shelf behind him and fired one shot that mortally wounded the thug. (<em>The Anderson Daily Bulletin,</em> Anderson, Ind.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-10-2010#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-4-2011Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Seeking help following an assault at the hands of her boyfriend, a woman phoned her parents. They quickly picked her up and brought her to their home, calmed their terrified daughter and she went to sleep. Then a banging at the door arose&mdash;the boyfriend had found her hiding place. The parents would not answer, so the suspect kicked in the door and began assaulting them. The mother was able to struggle free and ran to the bedroom to get her pistol. Meanwhile, the suspect turned his attention to the father. The mother returned to find the suspect badly beating her husband. She opened fire, killing 
the suspect. (<a href="http://orangeleader.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Orange Leader</em>,</a> Orange, TX, 05/16/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A 40-year-old man was asleep in his mobile home when he heard loud music and screeching tires outside. Within moments, two men forced their way into the mobile home, and shoved the homeowner to the ground. The homeowner ran to his bedroom, shut the door and grabbed a semi-automatic pistol. When the intruders forced their way into the bedroom, the homeowner fired at the men, injuring one and killing the other. (<a href="http://www.santafenewmexican.com/" target="_blank">The Santa Fe New Mexican</a>, Santa Fe, NM, 04/12/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives<br /></strong><em>August 1976: </em>A lone gunman entered a Bellville Ill., pharmacy and at gunpoint demanded drugs from store manager Leonard Lautz. Instead of handing over the drugs, Lautz drew a pistol and fired one shot over the would-be robber's head. The surprised crook quickly surrendered. (<em>The Steeleville Ledger</em>, Steeleville, Ill.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-august-4-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-28-2011Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">&ldquo;You&rsquo;re not supposed to knock old people down...I&rsquo;m too old to be going through all that!&rdquo; said 83-year-old James Brooks after a hair-raising burglary incident. It began when a man knocked on the door, claimed to have lost his cell phone and inquired whether Brooks had seen it. Soon after, a second man knocked on the door. &ldquo;He told me to go sit on the couch because he didn&rsquo;t want to kill me,&rdquo; Brooks recalled. At first he thought the suspect was joking, but his intent to do harm quickly became clear. As the 
suspect attempted to lift Brooks&rsquo; television, Brooks saw his opportunity to 
retrieve a firearm. He fired a shot, wounding the suspect, who fled the scene with the assistance of two 
accomplices. Brooks said he&rsquo;s lived in the neighborhood for more than 25 years and never had anything like this happen. &ldquo;These young people have got their whole lives to live, why spoil it?&rdquo; Brooks asked rhetorically. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m thinking [the suspect] got the message.&rdquo; (<a href="http://www.daytondailynews.com/" target="_parent"><em>Dayton Daily News</em></a>, Dayton, OH, 04/30/11)<br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Three armed men entered the Okay Auto Tire Service in Miami, Fla., and brandished their guns and held four employees at gunpoint, demanding their wallets and cash. The men then fired several shots at the owner of the store. Uninjured, the owner retrieved his own pistol and returned fire, hitting two of the suspects. The third man escaped on foot and was still being apprehended by the police when this article went to press. The other two suspects were treated and charged at a local hospital. (<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;ved=0CBgQFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.miamiherald.com%2F&amp;ei=1bgxTqPcG6br0gGH5emaDA&amp;usg=AFQjCNH3lQ7_69fycEs4NoNh7ygJT-pkbA&amp;sig2=MkBToinNVdh14qgSo4j8Lw" target="_blank"><em>The Miami Herald</em></a>, Miami, FL, 04/24/10)</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>July 1961: </em>In Como, Tex., proprietor Fred Brooks, Jr., fired a cal .32 pistol at a prowler in his cafe and killed him with 2 shots. The dead man was a felon on probation. (<em>Fort Worth Star-Telegram</em>)</span><em><br /></em></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-28-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-21-2011Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Denard Joe was stopped in his 
car at an intersection when a man wearing a red bandana tapped on the window and pointed a gun at him. Big mistake. Joe, a concealed-carry permit holder, drew a handgun and opened fire through the window, striking his assailant twice in the chest. The carjacker, who had just been released from state prison last 
November, ran a short distance and 
then died. (<a href="http://www.theledger.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Ledger</em></a>, Lakeland, FL, 
04/06/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><em><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A Chandler, Ariz., man and his wife were enjoying a party with friends when two univited male guests showed up and began stealing alcohol. When the host announced the party was winding down, the men&mdash;suspected gang members&mdash;got angry, threatening other guests and even attacking the Chandler man. A concealed-carry permit holder, the man drew a gun and fatally shot both men. Arizona police cleared him of any wrongdoing, saying he acted in self-defense.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> (<a href="http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/09/05/20100905chandler-shooting-two-dead.html" target="_blank"><em>The Arizona Republic</em></a>, Chandler, AZ, 09/06/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>July 1961: </em>Aroused by the sounds of a trespasser outside his home, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Albert Lee Stephens, Jr., slipped out of bed, got his pistol, and eased out the front door. Nearby, in the yard, he surprised a prowler who meekly submitted to the jurist's leveled gun. Police identified the arrested man as a felon with convictions for burglary in Kansas, Missouri, and Texas, and held him as a suspect in a recent outbreak of burglaries in the area. (<em>Los Angeles Examiner</em>)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-21-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-13-2011Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">When a noise woke an 
84-year-old grandmother, she noticed her hall light was on and knew something was awry. The sharp-thinking, independent woman opened a nightstand drawer and quickly grabbed her .38-cal. revolver. &ldquo;My mind told me to get that gun,&rdquo; she explained. No sooner had she done so than an intruder appeared at the bedroom door. The woman fired a shot, striking the wall. The intruder ran out the back door, which he had kicked in. (<a href="http://www.ktvu.com/index.html" target="_blank">KTVU-TV</a>, Oakland, CA, 03/03/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A 26-year-old man's burglary attempt was foiled when the homeowner of the house he was attempting to break into ended up being at home. When the homeowner discovered that his door was being forced open, he approached the would-be burglar with a gun, causing the man to flee on foot. He was arrested shortly after by police and charged with second-degree burglary. (<a href="http://pressrepublican.com/" target="_blank"><em>Press-Republican</em></a>, 02/05/11)<em><br /></em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive</strong><em><br />July 1961:</em> Because of recent burglaries, druggist John Skinner had been sleeping in his San Francisco store. Awakened by sounds of drilling, Skinner armed himself with a cal. .32 pistol and went around back to accost 2 men. Told to halt, they began edging in opposite directions. Skinner fired a warning shot, then felled one with a bullet to the leg as both ran. (<a href="http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/" target="_blank"><em>Oakland Tribune</em></a>)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-13-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-7-2011Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Sitting at his kitchen table, a long-time NRA member and competitive shooter was alarmed when a masked intruder walked through the front door wielding a knife. &ldquo;Who the [expletive] are you?&rdquo; the NRA member demanded, but the intruder just mumbled something and progressed toward him. The NRA member grabbed for the intruder&rsquo;s knife hand, receiving lacerations. He continued struggling with the intruder with his left hand, and reached into his pocket with his right, drawing a .38-cal. revolver. &ldquo;Get the [expletive] out of here or I&rsquo;m going to shoot you!&rdquo; the NRA member shouted. The intruder backed away, saying, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m an alcoholic; I&rsquo;m not going to get shot over this.&rdquo; He fled the scene. (<a href="http://union-bulletin.com/" target="_blank"><em>Walla Walla Union-Bulletin</em></a>, Walla Walla, WA, 03/30/11) </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><em><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Around 10 o'clock in the evening, a woman was home alone when an unknown man began knocking on her door and ringing the doorbell incessantly. Fearing a break-in, the woman called 9-1-1 and armed herself. When the man began to kick down the door, the homeowner fired two shots, causing him to flee. He was arrested later at a local hospital and charged with first degree burglary. (<a href="http://blog.al.com/live/2010/10/mobile_man_shot_trying_to_ente.html" target="_blank"><em>Press-Register</em></a>, Mobile, AL, 10/16/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives<br /></strong><em>July 1961: </em>Five years ago, when Martin Block was robbed in his Philadelphia haberdashery, he vowed, "I will not be held up again without a fight." Recently 2 bandits entered Block's shop, one shoving a Luger pistol in his face and demanding all the money. Block drew his cal. .25 automatic. The bandit squeezed the Luger's trigger and a hollow click sounded. Block fired and shot the gunman in the head at short range. The confederate fled the store. (<em>Philadelphia Bulletin</em>, Philadelphia, PA)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-july-7-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-29-2011Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Studies prove that Americans experience fewer &ldquo;hot&rdquo; burglaries&mdash;which occur when homeowners are present and therefore carry a greater risk of violence&mdash;because criminals in the United States fear being shot by homeowners. The notion was reaffirmed recently when a Portland, Ore., 9-1-1 
dispatcher received a wacky call. The caller informed the dispatcher that he had broken into a home and decided to take a shower when, in the midst of bathing, the homeowner returned. 
Terrified that the homeowner might have a gun, the intruder locked himself in the bathroom and placed the emergency call. The homeowner also phoned police, who arrested the intruder. 
(<a href="http://www.cnn.com/" target="_blank">CNN</a>, 03/08/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /><em>The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Two employees, a male and a female, were working one evening at local grocery store when a masked man entered the store and drew a handgun. The male employee immediately drew a handgun from behind the counter and shot the man. Police confirmed the would-be burglar died on the scene. (<a href="http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/Store-clerk-shoots-kills-alleged-robber-986800.php" target="_blank">San Antonio Express-News</a>, San Antonio, TX, 01/31/11)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive</strong><br /><em>June 1978: </em>Having broke into the house, the robber leveled his gun at Clara Hicks of Selmar, Tenn., and demanded all her money. Hearing the commotion, Hicks' son, an invalid, managed to get his own gun and confront the hoodlum. In an exchange of fire, Hicks' second shot struck the man in the side, putting an end to the gunplay. The burglar was arrested and taken to the hospital. (<a href="http://www.independentappeal.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Independent Appeal</em>,</a> Selmar, Tenn.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-29-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-24-2011Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A jewelry store manager was behind the desk when two men dressed in wigs and women's clothing burst through the door. The men, later reported to be illegal aliens from Honduras and Guatemala, carried guns and duct tape. This bizarre tale wraps up quickly: The manager drew the .357-cal. pistol that was holstered on his hip and promptly shot both men, killing one and critically injuring the other. Two weeks before, one of the men attempted to rob the same store. Resale shop owner Pam McCrory said what happened shocked her, considering her business is not far away. "I will be getting me a gun," she said. (<a href="http://www.wlbt.com/" target="_blank">WLBT-TV</a>, Pearl, MS, 03/23/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><em><br />The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">After a heated dispute one evening, two neighbors parted ways and returned to their homes. Later that evening, one of the men return to the other's home, forced his way in and began beating him. The homeowner drew his handgun and shot the attacker, killing him. Police say the homeowner was not charged because he was acting in self-defense. (<a href="http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/" target="_blank"><em>Hattiesburg American</em></a>, Hattiesburg, MS, 02/01/11)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>June 1978: </em>The last time Carl Evener's apartment in Chicago, Ill., was robbed, he was shot in the stomach. This time he was ready. Two teenagers pushed through his door about midnight, demanded money and then struck him over the head with a chair. From the floor Evener pulled out his revolver and shot, wounding one of them. They fled but were apprehended a short time later by the police. (<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;ved=0CCoQFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.suntimes.com%2F&amp;ei=uJkETvzeH-Ss0AHU0bnPCw&amp;usg=AFQjCNE9hdg5hNdTV1_fAxG8GY2WjXlHgg&amp;sig2=4nn66jzuHQJnChITYLlY0w" target="_blank"><em>The Sun-Times</em></a>, Chicago, Ill.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-24-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-16-2011Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">"Don't move!" a homeowner recalled telling a burglar after he heard a noise, grabbed his gun and found the unwanted visitor running through his home. The burglar did not comply, forcing the homeowner to fire a shot, wounding him. The burglar fell to the ground and the homeowner commenced holding him at gunpoint. To the homeowner's astonishment, the burglar handed him a cell phone and asked him to call 9-1-1. Unfortunately, when the homeowner unlocked the door for police, the burglar made a break for it. "He was moving," the homeowner said. "He hit the fence pretty hard. You could hear him." The suspect is still being sought by police. (<a href="http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/index" target="_blank"><em>KTRK-TV</em>,</a> Houston, TX, 03/26/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong>Two men broke in to a power equipment store late one night and began ransacking the place. A store employee who was working late came upon the two men, one of which was holding a chain saw. The employee pulled out a gun and fired a shot, fatally wounding one man, and held the other at gunpoint until police arrived on the scene. (<a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014782539_burglary16m.html" target="_blank"><em>The Seattle Times</em></a>, Georgetown, WA, 04/16/11)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>June 1978: </em>The Rev. Frank Lewis of New Orleans, La., had gone upstairs to get some record books when two gun-toting intruders entered the house. They tied up his bookkeeper and took a safe from the bedroom into the hallway. Starting upstairs, one of the burglars encountered an armed Lewis, standing at the top. The minister fired twice and the hoodlums fled empty-handed. (<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;ved=0CC4QFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nola.com%2Ft-p%2F&amp;ei=FPP4TfaBEMzOgAes6Pz5Cw&amp;usg=AFQjCNGx-dUV8hQVWScZC11srNgWSkMi2A&amp;sig2=vnbhF6l7Vr6fDHxUlBWZcA" target="_blank"><em>The Times-Picayune</em></a>, New Orleans, La.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-16-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-8-2011Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Four young men loitering near a dumpster approached a Wing Zone takeout driver while he was making a delivery. According to witnesses, the suspects demanded money and one of them flashed an illegally possessed gun. The driver, a concealed carry&nbsp; permit holder, didn't hesitate. He drew his handgun and fired four shots while attempting to run. One of the suspects was shot and fell to the ground. He was arrested at the hospital. His accomplices fled. Two were arrested, and one remains at large. Police said there had been several pizza delivery robberies in that area during a six-month period. (WLEX-TV, Lexington, KY, 03/12/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong>When a Knoxville, Tenn., man discovered two would-be theives attempting to steal car batteries from behind his home, he drew a firearm and held the suspects at gunpoint. The police arrived shortly thereafter, and both suspects were arrested and charged with theft. (<a href="http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/apr/06/authorities-armed-knox-homeowner-halts-would-be-th/" target="_blank"><em>News Sentinel,</em></a> Knoxville, TN, 04/07/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives<br /></strong><em>June 1978:</em> Aboard his boat in the early morning hours, Robert O'Neal of Sarasota, Fla., heard muffled voices from the deck. Prepared for the unexpected, O'Neal grabbed his handgun and confronted the intruders. They stayed aboard until the paddy wagon arrived to take them on a voyage to the city jail. (<a href="http://www.heraldtribune.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Herald-Tribune</em></a>, Sarasota, Fla.)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-8-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-2nd-2011Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Two people had just pulled up to a bank's drive-through automated teller machine when a man <br />approached them on the driver's side of the vehicle. The man drew a gun and demanded that the driver withdraw $600 and give it to him. The driver told him the bank wouldn't allow him to withdraw that amount, but the passenger told the driver to go ahead and withdraw it. Secretly, the passenger just wanted a diversion to allow him to draw his handgun. As the suspect watched the driver withdraw money, the passenger saw his opening. "He reaches over and pushes the suspect's gun out of the driver's face and shoots him twice," said Jackson, Miss., Commander Wendell Watts. The suspect returned fire and the passenger shot him an additional four or five times. The suspect survived, but lost a kidney and his freedom. (<a href="http://www.northsidesun.com/view/full_story/11543894/article-Robber-arrested-after-being-shot" target="_blank"><em>The Northside Sun</em></a>, Jackson, MS, 02/24/11)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong>Three 20-something men planned out an attack on a nearby home and decided to carry it out one night. Little did they know, the homeowner would be ready for them. Just after entering the home by breaking down the front door, two of the intruders were met by the homeowner and the end of his shotgun. One of the men fled, while the other was held at gunpoint until the police arrived. The men were charged with burglary and criminal conspiracy. (<em><a href="http://portlanddailysun.me/" target="_blank">The Portland Daily Sun</a>, </em>Portland OR, 09/24/10)<strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive</strong><br /><em>June 1978: </em></span><span style="font-size: small;">Victimized by seven previous break-ins, Irma Sharp, 76, of Akron, Ohio, bought a gun. It paid off recently, when a youth posed as a newspaper boy to get into her house. Suspicious that he might be an impostor, Sharp retrieved her weapon just as two other teenagers burst through the door. They knocked her to the floor and put a knife to her throat. Managing to get up, Sharp turned and fired. "Let's get the hell out of here," she heard them say as they bolted through the door. (<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;ved=0CB4QFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ohio.com%2F&amp;ei=JqXnTavVJ-LL0QHs_dH_Cg&amp;usg=AFQjCNEAROopLvBrSaouaOtWI8eVbguBFA&amp;sig2=TFaTu1OJez9vIWu8h5S1YA" target="_blank"><em>The Beacon Journal</em></a>, Akron, Ohio)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-june-2nd-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-27-2011Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Professional Firefighter Craig Moore was returning home when he noticed a pair of snow-covered boots that didn't belong to him. Fearing an intruder was inside, he readied his handgun and began a room-by-room inspection. As he entered an upstairs bedroom, he came face-to-face with a man hiding under a comforter at the foot of the bed. To Moore's further shock, he recognized the man as his neighbor. Moore yelled at him, demanding to know what he was doing in the house and asking if he'd stolen anything. The neighbor cowered and begged Moore not to shoot. As Moore phoned police, the neighbor leapt from a two-story window, ran back inside to retrieve his boots and fled. Police arrested the neighbor, who was out on bail for several other burglaries, and took him to the hospital for treatment of a broken ankle. (<em>The Record Enterprise</em>, Meredith, NH, 02/17/11)</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong></strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following excerpt did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />A 77-year-old man awoke to the sound of someone breaking into his home. As it turns out, the intruder was a 24-year-old neighbor who used a pair or 18-inch wooden handles to break a bedroom window and climb in. The homeowner grabbed his gun and fired a shot, causing the man to flee. The police later found the suspect asleep nearby, drunk with a bullet wound to his left arm. (<em><a href="http://www.ktvz.com/index.html" target="_blank">KTVZ</a>, </em>Chiloquin, OR, <em>09/04/09)</em><br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>May 1980: </em>A young San Francisco hoodlum charged at garage manager Wayne C. Casteel when he was surprised burglarizing the place and shouted "You can't shoot me. I'm just a kid." But Casteel fired his cal .22 target pistol, wounded the youth in the shoulder, and held him for police. The aggressive young thief later admitted to having robbed the garage on several previous occassions. (<em>Berkeley Daily Gazette</em>)</span></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-27-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-19-2011Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Pike County, Ohio, prosecutor Rob Junk made it easy for a journalist investigating a burglary. In fact, the entire story was essentially one long quote from the prosecutor. "[The armed citizen] was in his home, minding his own business, when these two individuals busted in, at least one of them armed," Junk said. "They trained a gun on him and threatened to kill him. The citizen later had marks on his body where they beat him." The homeowner retrieved a rifle and shot at the men, killing one of them. "The bottom line is that [the criminal] would be alive if he had chosen to obey the law and not burglarize people's houses," said Junk. "Most of our Pike County residents have guns. I have several. If somebody broke into my house, threatened me, my wife and my 5-year-old daughter, I would shoot them dead. Most people around here feel the same way." (<a href="http://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/" target="_blank"><em>Portsmouth Daily Times</em></a>, Portsmouth, OH, 02/15/11)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong>The owner of an Ohio storage unit was startled to find two men rummaging through his belongings. The owner grabbed a handgun and held both of the men at gunpoint until the police arrived. Both men were taken into custody, and they claimed they were trying to emulate the actions on a reality TV show "American Pickers." (<em><a href="http://www.ohio-share.coxnewsweb.com/News-share/Local_News-share/burglary-suspects-held-at-gunpoint-1094829.html?printArticle=y" target="_blank">Dayton Daily News</a>, </em>Dayton, OH, 03/01/11)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>May 1980: </em>About midnight, John Hamlin and his wife gathered the day's receipts, closed their Petersburg, Va., store and went to their nearby car. When the car door opened and the interior light came on, a man crouched in the back fired a pistol at Hamlin. Though suffering a chest wound, the storekeeper pulled his gun and shot his intended murderer. The highway robber died soon thereafter from 2 cal. .38 bullet wounds. (<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;ved=0CCcQFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timesdispatch.com%2F&amp;ei=vE7VTfOfHqjZ0QGrla22DA&amp;usg=AFQjCNHe06zetSbx7h5KQ01oYv3f-IYf6w&amp;sig2=WjiWkZLLgIM1d6io3ZNr5g" target="_blank"><em>Richmond-Times Dispatch</em></a>)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-19-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-12-2011Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">A couple in their sixties were awakened by loud, repeated banging on their apartment door. They went downstairs and the husband opened the door-and an intoxicated 28-year-old man pushed them aside and entered the home. The suspect shoved the husband and repeatedly claimed to live in the apartment, ignoring the couple's insistence to the contrary. The couple tried to push the man back out the door, but he punched the man in the groin and shoved the woman. That's when the husband informed the intruder he had a gun and would shoot him if he didn't leave; however, the intruder remained relentless in his assault. The husband fired a shot, killing him. (<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;ved=0CCcQFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lansingstatejournal.com%2F&amp;ei=sjTMTZPDLOXa0QGXpcnKBg&amp;usg=AFQjCNGLKBkvQ1cmuAkB_-QawWSCZh81zg&amp;sig2=I6t6Xb1dR9gz-sLVJtX5Lw" target="_blank"><em>Lansing State Journal</em></a>, Lansing, MI, 02/05/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following excerpt did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">A 20-year-old New Orleans homeowner awoke to the sound of shattering glass in the middle of the night. Little did he know, two would-be burglars had cut the power to his house and thrown a brick into a downstairs window. When the homeowner found the two men climbing through the window, he opened fire, hitting both of them. The two&mdash;who were 16 and 15 years old&mdash;were unable to flee the scene due to their injuries. The 16-year-old male was killed, and the other was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. (<em><a href="http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/neworleans/index.ssf?/base/news-17/129749582870471.xml&amp;coll=1" target="_blank">The Times Picayune</a>, </em>New Orleans, LA, 02/12/11)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive:<br /></strong><em>May 1980: </em>Two ex-convict brothers ended up a criminal spree of burglary, robbery, abduction, and rape by beating on the door of L.C. Mitchell in Bothell, Wash., and demanding gasoline from the owner. Mitchell repulsed the felons with a double-derringer, wounding one in the neck before they fled in their car. The sherriff's office arrested the pair after identification was made from the mug file. (<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;ved=0CB8QFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seattlepi.com%2F&amp;ei=HTTMTaW5G6jM0AHTtPH6Bg&amp;usg=AFQjCNG-Hlc8mxKLOIy5Y9Nk5c3GUuIgfw&amp;sig2=_bq0qsmEKEYWt-7nGSK0pg" target="_blank"><em>Seattle Post-Intelligencer</em></a>)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-12-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-6-2011Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Though Rocco Bombara's legs were amputated due to a medical condition, he is far from helpless. "He's not someone to mess with," said his daughter Nicco. "He's pretty tough. He does everything on his own." Rocco also understands that sometimes evil men perceive the physically challenged as easy prey. One such individual attempted to break into Bombara's apartment while his son, daughter and several of their friends were watching television. The intruder crawled halfway inside the window and randomly fired two shots from a rifle. Bombara drew a handgun from his wheelchair and returned a more precise shot, killing the intruder. (<a href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_716375.html" target="_blank"><em>Pittsburgh Tribune-Review</em></a>, Pittsburgh, PA, 01/03/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Armed Citizen Extra</strong></span><span style="font-size: small;"><em><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)<br /></em>When three teenagers entered a St. Louis grocery store one afternoon and tried to steal some snacks, the store owner approached them, demanding that they pay for the snacks or leave the store. Two of the teens returned what they had taken, but the third pulled out a gun and pointed it at the owner. The owner then grabbed her own gun and fired two shots at the teen, hitting him in the buttocks. The teen was found on a nearby corner and was taken to the hospital. He now faces robbery charges. (<a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_3daec6aa-f747-11df-8cc8-00127992bc8b.html" target="_blank"><em>St. Louis Post-Dispatch</em></a>, St. Louis, MO, 11/24/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive</strong><em><br />May 1980: </em>Cleveland housewife Mrs. Lenwood Layton returned from a shopping trip to find her home ransacked by a burglar. Mrs. Layton got her husband's hidden revolver and headed for a bedroom where she had heard the burglar at work. When sounds of the intruder came from the closet, Mrs. Layton threw open the door, fired one shot in warning, and a youthful burglar stepped out and surrendered. (<a href="http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/" target="_blank"><em>Cleveland Plain Dealer</em></a>)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-6-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-april-26-2011Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">It was less than a year ago that Chicago's government was forced to repeal many of its rights-infringing laws, and a southside resident recently joined the growing list of armed citizens owing their lives to the Supreme Court's ruling. Hearing glass breaking in her basement, a 45-year-old got her handgun and confronted two intruders already inside the home. "I was scared for my life," she explained, "I've never been so scared before in my entire life." One of the men wielded a tire iron, and the woman opened fire on him. He fell and died. His accomplice fled. "I thank God that I'm still here," the woman said. (<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Chicago Tribune</em></a>, Chicago, IL, 02/21/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Around 9 p.m. in the evening, a homeowner heard a noise at his back door and went to investigate. He discovered that someone had put a hand through an exterior door and was attempting to rip the door down. The homeowner returned to the door with a shotgun and warned the suspect to leave, but the person continued to try and break the door latch. The homeowner then fired one round from the shotgun, causing the suspect to flee. (<a href="http://www.sunjournal.com/" target="_blank"><em>Lewistown Sun Journal</em></a>, Lewiston, ME, 02/23/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive</strong><em><br />May 1980:</em> John F. Tress recently put 3 would-be bandits to flight by yanking out a pistol when they announced a stickup of his Baltimore liquor store. When another gunman tried the same thing in recent weeks, Tress again grabbed his cal .32 and shot him in the stomach. The wounded bandit gasped, "I was only fooling," and staggered out the door. Hospital officials later reported his admittance for treatment, and responding police placed him under guard. (Baltimore Evening Sun, Baltimore, MD)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-april-26-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-april-20-2011Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">When 70-year-old Watson Green discovered a man attempting to break into his home late one evening, he immediately called 9-1-1 and got his handgun. Green advised the 9-1-1 operator that he was armed. The operator told him to put the gun away and wait for the police but Green chose to do otherwise. In fear of his life, Green fired a single shot, killing the suspect. Two weeks prior to his death, the suspect was arrested for burglary in a separate incident. "We've had a lot of break-ins in Hobbs lately," said Hobbs, N.M., Police Officer Mike Stone. "The residents of the home were probably scared." (<a href="http://lrd.yahooapis.com/_ylc=X3oDMTVjNG5vODE0BF9TAzIwMjMxNTI3MDIEYXBwaWQDd3V5eXlOdlYzNEdRRzFCX0pqQ3BvYW1KUE1zRTJfdGJWMEtLODV5Q3NoN3RmNnA2Z2Vfcy5PWUZxV0xsdmFXdUdtaXgEY2xpZW50A2Jvc3MEc2VydmljZQNCT1NTBHNsawN0aXRsZQRzcmNwdmlkA3BwOUM4V0tJY3JwdnRhbkhIRU41Zy4wUHpicWh5VTJ2SUpFQUJ1M0k-/SIG=12i98917n/**http%3A//www.kasa.com/dpps/news/crime/homeowner-kills-would-be-burglar-_3727832" target="_blank">KRQE-TV</a>, Albuquerque, NM, 02/23/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong></span><span style="font-size: small;"><em>(The following account did not appear in the printed version of American Rifleman.)</em></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">During his shift at a small coffee shop, a male barista was approached by a man weilding a gun and demanding money. After allowing the robber to take cash from the register, the barista was asked to turn around and face the wall. Thinking he was about to be shot, the barista took one last look behind him and saw that the thief had looked away for a moment. The barista quickly drew his handgun and fired several shots at the suspect, killing him. After the suspect was down, his accomplice appeared with a gun, and the barista fired twice toward him, causing the man to flee. (<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;ved=0CBwQFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.statesmanjournal.com%2F&amp;ei=JSGvTdDwFaSD0QGPy-G9Cw&amp;usg=AFQjCNHRNbIN3wuXzn3c_X_UUxItvNNB_g&amp;sig2=-mMU8q5ikJaDWD8fryVWTg" target="_parent"><em>Statesman Journal</em></a>, Salem, OR, 01/21/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>May 1980: </em>A roof-top burglar eased himself through a bathroom window in Willie Dry's apartment in Palmetto, Fla., entered the bedroom, struck a match, and was killed when Dry fired his 12-ga. shotgun at him. (<em><a href="http://www.tampabay.com/" target="_blank">St. Petersburg Times</a>)</em><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-april-20-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-2011Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">Pike County, Ohio, prosecutor Rob Junk made it easy for a journalist investigating a burglary. In fact, the entire story was essentially one long quote from the prosecutor. &ldquo;[The armed citizen] was in his home, minding his own business, when these two individuals busted in, at least one of them armed,&rdquo; Junk said. &ldquo;They trained a gun on him and threatened to kill him. The citizen later had marks on his body where they beat him.&rdquo; The homeowner retrieved a rifle and shot at the men, killing one of them. &ldquo;The bottom line is that [the criminal] would be alive if he had chosen to obey the law and not burglarize people&rsquo;s houses,&rdquo; said Junk. &ldquo;Most of our Pike County residents have guns. I have several. If somebody broke into my house, threatened me, my wife and my 5-year-old daughter, I would shoot them dead. Most people around here feel the same way.&rdquo; (<a href="http://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/" target="_blank"><em>Portsmouth Daily Times</em></a>, Portsmouth, OH, 02/15/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong>Early one morning, a Tulsa homeowner awoke to his doorbell ringing repeatedly&mdash;little did he know it was a buglar testing to see if anyone was home. When no one came to the door, the burglar snuck around the back of the house and found a window he could pry open. After climbing inside, the juvenille suspect began rummaging through the home, apparently looking for narcotics. The homeowner suddenly approached the young man with a gun and held him there until police arrived on the scene.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> (<a href="http://www.tulsaworld.com/" target="_blank">Tulsa World</a>, Tulsa, OK, 03/05/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives<br /></strong><em>May 1980: </em>Deputy prosecutor Mary Ann Willin and retired judge Avrum K. Rifman were crossing a Baltimore, Md., parking lot shortly after dark when three men converged upon them. As one man pulled a gun, Willin drew her revolver from her purse and exchanged fire with the gunman. Apparently uninjured, the trio beat a hasty retreat. Willin and Rifman were also uninjured. (<em>The Journal</em>, Winston-Salem, NC)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-may-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-april-2011Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">*Jeff Gibson and his wife, Tammy,</span><span style="font-size: small;"> had returned home after an evening church service when Jeff noticed something awry. "The garage door was open," he recalled. "When I went to see what was going on, I saw a black car pulling out." The car sped down the driveway toward Tammy, who was checking the mail. "Jeff's first thought was, 'I have to neutralize this situation and protect my wife, because he's headed straight for her,'" Tammy explained. A concealed-carry permit holder, Jeff drew his handgun and fired eight shots at the vehicle, causing it to crash. Jeff held the suspects for police. "You never really think you'll have to use [your firearm]," Jeff said. "I didn't want to use it, but at least I was prepared for it when the time came." (<a href="http://www.wkrn.com/" target="_blank">WKRN-5</a>, Nashville, TN, 01/26/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">*Retired banker Hall Palmer heard a noise and got up to investigate. As soon as he opened the door, the 70-year-old was face-to-face with a man dressed in all black and armed with a pistol. The suspect ordered Palmer to sit on the bed. He wanted the PIN for a bank card he'd found downstairs. Palmer said the card was expired, but he could give him some money. The suspect bound Palmer's hands with twine, led him downstairs and found his billfold. The suspect then bound Palmer's feet, gagged his mouth and went outside. But he'd underestimated his victim. Palmer wriggled free and retrieved his late father's .38-cal. Colt Army Special revolver. When the suspect returned, Palmer fired a shot, causing him to flee. The suspect had been carrying a pillow; Palmer wonders if it was intended to muffle the sound of his execution. (<a href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/st-pete-homeowner-ends-ordeal-with-a-shot-in-the-dark-at-armed-robber/1146448" target="_blank"><em>St. Petersburg Times</em></a>, St. Petersburg, FL, 01/20/11)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong>In the middle of the night, a 47-year-old man awoke to the sound of shattering glass in his home. Assuming that a window had been broken by an intruder, the homeowner grabbed his .357 caliber revolver and went to investigate. When he spotted the male burglar, he fired six shots, killing him. Police arrived on the scene shortly after and the man was pronounced dead. (<em><a href="http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/" target="_blank">The Brunswick News</a></em>, Glynn County, GA, 11/11/10)<strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive</strong></span><span style="font-size: small;"><em><br />April 1960: </em>A customer walked into James W. Jackson's liquor store in Goulds, Fla., and momentarily diverted the attention of 2 bandits holding a gun on the proprietor. Jackson yanked a cal. .38 revolver from under the counter and fired at the pair who ran outside to join a lookout companion and flee the scene. Police soon picked up the lookout who informed on his accomplices. They were seized in a stolen car, one of them lying prostrate in the back seat with a stomach wound from Jackson's gun. (<em>The Miami News</em>, Miama, FL)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-april-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-march-2011Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>*</strong>Police said six men with ties to California's Sureno gang drove into a rural area intent on committing burglaries. Maybe they thought there wouldn't be as strong a police presence outside the city, but they forgot an important detail: Many rural homes contain firearms and folks who know how to use them. The gang members burst inside a home and were immediately greeted by gunfire. One suspect was killed, a second one was shot several times and the remaining four fled back to the city. Police arrested the five surviving suspects. (KXTV-10, Sacramento, CA, 12/10/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>*</strong>Jackson, Miss., police spokeswoman Colendula Green said she's seen an increase in the number of armed citizens protecting their homes and businesses. "They're going to protect themselves. That's why the Castle [Doctrine] Law is in effect," Green said, noting several incidents in recent months during which Jackson homeowners have shot would-be burglars. In the latest such incident, four suspects allegedly kicked down the door to a home and ordered the family inside to lie on the floor. The homeowner quickly retrieved his gun and opened fire, shooting three of the suspects. The wounded suspects were arrested at the hospital. The fourth is still being sought. (<a href="http://www.clarionledger.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Clarion-Ledger</em></a>, Jackson, MS, 12/12/10)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /><em>(The following account did not appear in the printed version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">When a domestic dispute broke out at home between a man and his girlfriend, the woman's 17-year-old neice&mdash;also a resident of the home&mdash;grabbed a handgun and demanded that the man stop choking her aunt. When the man advanced on her, she shot him twice in the chest, killing him and saving her aunt's life. Officials have said they will not press charges on the girl.<em> (<a href="http://www.standard.net/topics/domestic-abuse/2010/12/17/niece-killed-aunts-attacker" target="_blank">Standard-Examiner</a>, </em>Ogden, UT, 12/18/10)<em><br /></em></span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: small;">From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></span></strong><span style="font-size: small;"><em>March 1978: </em>When Miami, Fla., resident Vernon Murtelle saw his 84-year-old neighbor being mugged, he acted quickly. Murtelle, 72, got a pistol that he has owned for over 50 years, and shot the thug. Wounded in the arm, the youthful crook ran, but was later caught by Miami police. "I didn't even mean to hit him..." said Murtelle, but "I'm sick and tired of some punk coming around here every time he wants some money for dope." (<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Herald</em></a>, Miami, Fla.)<em><br /></em></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-march-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-february-2011Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">*Police said a 32-year-old man was leaving a fast-food restaurant when a robber approached him, demanded cash and threatened him with a box cutter. The would-be victim, who had a concealed carry permit, acted quickly, drawing a handgun and shooting his attacker. The suspect will be arrested pending his release from the hospital. &ldquo;[In a robbery], you ain&rsquo;t got time to wait for police,&rdquo; said local resident Billy Pompey. &ldquo;Got to protect yourself.&rdquo; (WALA-TV, Mobile, AL, 11/11/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">*Stories of armed citizens defending their homes during Hurricane Katrina are well documented, but many may be unaware that the looting and burglaries are ongoing. Lionel Lewis, 61, still lives in a FEMA trailer next to his hurricane-damaged home. One evening he heard someone forcing their way into his home, likely to steal copper pipes. Lewis phoned police, armed himself with a handgun and investigated. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t move,&rdquo; Lewis told the suspect. Instead, the suspect wheeled around and swung a two-by-four at Lewis, who ducked the blow. The assailant prepared for another swing but, before he could make it, Lewis shot him. Police arrested the would-be burglar and took him to the hospital for treatment. (<a href="http://www.nola.com/t-p/" target="_blank"><em>The Times-Picayune</em></a>, New Orleans, LA, 11/12/10) Waterbury, Conn., 09/28/10)<strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /> <em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">As an employee at a Chinese restaurant was ringing up a dinner order, a man drew a gun and began grabbing money from the register. The restaurant owner quickly drew a gun and shot the man who immediately fled and was later found dead a few blocks away. </span><span style="font-size: small;">(</span><span style="font-size: small;"><em><a href="http://www.rep-am.com/" target="_blank">Republican American</a>, </em></span><span style="font-size: small;">Waterbury, CT, 09/28/10)</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: small;">From The Armed Citizen Archive</span></strong><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><em>February 1961: </em>Delicatessen owner Stanley Wasik snatched his cal .38 revolver from under the counter and shot 2 bandits who entered his Chicago shop brandishing guns. One was captured at the scene; the other fled the store and was put under guard when he staggered into a hospital seeking treatment for a bullet wound in the back. (<em>Chicago American</em>, Chicago, IL)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-february-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-january-2011Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">*Boom! A ruckus woke a woman and her two young children. Her first thought was that an earthquake had occurred, and she quickly called her husband at work to confirm it. No earthquake had been reported. The woman worried that the source of the sound could be something more sinister, so she retrieved her handgun and walked down the hallway. Police said she encountered two burglars in the living room. Terrified, she fired several shots, killing one intruder and wounding the second, who will be arrested after his release from the hospital. "In my opinion, she did all the right things to protect herself and her children," said Police Chief Brandon Clabes. "It's unfortunate a death occurred, but it was a direct result of criminal activity." (<a href="http://newsok.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Oklahoman</em></a>, Oklahoma City, OK, 10/22/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">*Charles Place was walking in a restaurant parking lot when a man snuck up behind him, grabbed him and reached for his wallet. Unfortunately for the suspect, the 83-year-old man was in no mood to become a victim. Police said he resisted and was knocked to the ground. That's when Place drew his .25-cal. semi-automatic handgun,</span><span style="font-size: small;"> for which he has a permit to carry. He showed his assailant the gun and demanded to be left alone. The suspect fled but was followed by a witness who helped police make the arrest. (<a href="http://www.news-journalonline.com/index.html" target="_blank"><em>The Daytona Beach News-Journal</em></a>, Daytona Beach, FL, 09/26/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /> <em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Early one evening, an armed man entered a rural gas station and demanded money. The station owner was carrying a gun, and he and the would-be robber began firing at each other. When it became clear that he needed backup, the suspect ran out to the getaway car, and then a second shooter entered the firefight. The owner then retrieved another handgun he had stashed and stood his ground. The first shooter was found dead in the car of gunshot wounds, the other fled into a nearby forest. The station owner was not injured. (<a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/" target="_blank"><em>The News &amp; Observer</em></a>, Micro, NC, 10/16/10)</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: small;">From The Armed Citizen Archive</span></strong><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><em>January 1977:</em> When a robber entered her San Antonio, Tex., convenience store and demanded money, Kiern Ahn Buentello pretended she didn't understand English. The man became flustered, and Mrs. Buentello used the opportunity to draw a pistol from beneath the counter. The frightened bandit backed out the front door and fled. (<em>The News</em>, San Antonio, TX)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-january-2011#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-2010Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">*His delivery completed, a pizza driver began to drive away when a masked man accosted him with a shotgun and announced a robbery. The driver drew a handgun that he was licensed to carry and shot the suspect. After asking a passerby to call 9-1-1, the compassionate driver reassured the wounded suspect that help was on the way. &ldquo;He kept saying, &lsquo;They&rsquo;re coming!&rsquo; like he was encouraging him to be okay,&rdquo; said witness Dana Trader. The suspect will be arrested after his release from the hospital. (WTVR-TV, Richmond, VA, 09/20/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">*Retired schoolteacher Larry Goldstein was awakened by a loud noise and quickly obtained his .38-cal. Smith &amp; Wesson revolver. As he reached the first floor of his Brooklyn, N.Y., home, two men confronted him carrying what appeared to be a pistol and an M-16 rifle. Fearing for his life, Goldstein shot one of the intruders three times. The wounded intruder was arrested. His accomplice fled the scene. Both guns carried by the men proved to be toys, but according to a police spokesman, they &ldquo;were very realistic looking. If someone pointed them at you, you would light them up, too,&rdquo; he said. (<a href="http://online.wsj.com/home-page" target="_blank"><em>The Wall Street Journal</em></a>, New York, NY, </span><span style="font-size: small;">09/16/10</span><span style="font-size: small;">)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong></span><span style="font-size: small;"><em></em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><em>(The following account did not appear in the </em></span><span style="font-size: small;"><em>print</em></span><span style="font-size: small;"><em> version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">In the middle of the night, an 18-year-old male decided to burglarize what he thought was an empty home. Once inside, he realized that the homeowner was asleep upstairs, took one of the homeowner's guns and entered the bedroom. The homeowner woke up and sprang to action, grabbing his shotgun and firing several shots. The intruder was taken to the hospital where he later passed away due to his injuries. (<em><a href="http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/" target="_blank">Stuggart Daily Leader</a>, </em>Stuggart, AR, 08/02/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archives</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><em>December 1958:</em> A bandit entered the dry cleaning shop of Elmer Fetter of Columbus, Ohio, and said "This is a stickup." The 71-year-old owner snatched a pistol from beside the cash register, poked it in his assailant's face and sent him scrambling out the door. Fetter said all he owns is in the shop and the pistol by the cash register is there to protect it. (<a href="http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/index.html" target="_blank">Columbus Dispatch</a>, Columbus, OH)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-december-2010#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-cititzen-novemberWed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">*A gas station clerk was working the register when a man walked in and confronted him. He slid a note to the clerk with the words "money now" inscribed on it and demanded the safe be opened. The clerk ran from the store and attempted to phone police, but his assailant quickly caught up with him. The suspect savagely beat the clerk, continuing even after his nose was broken. That's when a man driving by witnessed the assault and ran to the clerk's aid. "The Good Samaritan ... pulled out a gun to threaten the robber," said Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood. "He is licensed to carry a concealed weapon. I applaud the Good Samaritan for getting involved." The robber fled, but was arrested because the witness wrote down his license plate number. (<a href="http://www.delcotimes.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Delaware County Times</em></a>, Primos, PA, 08/19/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">*When an alleged intruder broke a window and began entering the home of 80-year-old Stephen Boyechko, he knew what to do&mdash;he hastily retrieved his .32-cal. Walther PPK pistol. "Why did you break my window?" Boyechko asked. Instead of answering the question, the intruder climbed inside and ran at the homeowner, who shot him twice and held him for police. The intruder is a suspect in a number of burglaries. Apparently in his latest heist he did not know with whom he was dealing. Boyechko is a veteran of World War II, but he did not fight for the United States. "I was in the Ukrainian underground," he said. "I was 14. We fought the Germans and the Russians." (<a href="http://www.the-leader.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Leader</em></a>, Corning, NY, 08/22/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Scott Knight was alarmed when he heard a knock at the door at 1:30 a.m. on a Saturday. When he asked who it was, a young woman responded, claiming she had car trouble and requested to use his phone. </span><span style="font-size: small;">As a precaution, Knight grabbed a .22 caliber pistol before answering the door and it's a good thing he did. When he opened it, two armed men jumped at him, trying to force their way inside. The two men began firing and Knight fired back, killing the woman and causing the two men to flee the scene. Knight did not obtain any injuries. (<a href="http://www.knoxnews.com/" target="_blank">Knoxville News Sentinel</a>, Knoxville, TN, 05/08/10)<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From The Armed Citizen Archive</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><em>November 1974:</em> One of the four men who entered the Bronx grocery of George Ramirez shortly after midnight levelled a shotgun in a holdup attempt. Ramirez pulled his own revolver. In a panic, the gunman fired and wounded Ramirez in the right arm, then ran. Ramirez held the other three men at gunpoint, despite his wound, until policed arrived. (<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/" target="_blank"><em>The New York Daily News</em></a>, New York, NY)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-cititzen-november#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-2010Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">*A man, his wife and his school-age brother were asleep in their apartment when an intruder forced his way inside. Illegally wielding a gun, the suspect ordered the tenants into the bathroom. The male tenant asked to retrieve a blanket&mdash;a ruse to go get his pistol. Police said he returned and fired a single shot, wounding the intruder and causing him to flee the apartment. The suspect, who has several felony convictions, was arrested at the hospital when he sought treatment. (<a href="http://www.tulsaworld.com/" target="_blank"><em>Tulsa World</em></a>, Tulsa, OK, 07/05/10)<br /><br />*Residents of a neighborhood suffering from a string of terrifying burglaries decided they&rsquo;d had enough. At least two residents obtained firearms for home defense. One resident, Daniel Guajardo, borrowed a friend&rsquo;s 12-ga. shotgun after his home&rsquo;s third invasion. According to police, a few months later a burglar approached Guajardo&rsquo;s home, and it wasn&rsquo;t likely his first visit. Guajardo was not home, but his nephew, Clinton, was there. The burglar burst through the door and Clinton ran for the shotgun. He opened fire, killing the intruder. Neighbor Frank Villanueva said he knew the burglary spree would end badly for the suspect. &ldquo;I was waiting for them,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If it hadn&rsquo;t been Clint, it would have been me.&rdquo; (<a href="http://www.expressnews.com/advertising/index.php" target="_blank"><em>Express-News</em></a>, San Antonio, TX, 07/13/10)<br /><strong><br />Armed Citizen Extra</strong><em><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em><br /><br />In the middle of the night, two men entered a home and, with a bat and pipe, attacked the man and woman that lived there. Amidst the scuffle, the male homeowner grabbed his handgun and fired a shot at one of the suspects, causing them to flee. When police arrived, they quickly found one man dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the chest. The other intruder was arrested shortly after. (<a href="http://www.timesrecordnews.com/" target="_blank"><em>Times Record News</em></a>, Wichita Falls, TX, 6/28/10)<br /><strong><br />From The Armed Citizen Archive</strong><br /><em>October 1978:</em> Mary Perrone of Rockford, Ill., arose one morning, noticed a kitchen window had been forced open and then saw a man&rsquo;s hat on the bed in an unused room. Just after she had picked up her .38 revolver, a movement caught her eye, and she turned to confront a masked intruder. The 4 ft. 10&rdquo; grandmother fired once, hitting the man in the stomach. He leaped through an open window and fled, but was soon caught by police. (<em>The Morning Star,</em> Rockford, Ill.)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-armed-citizen-october-2010#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-september-2010Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">*A 15-year-old boy was alone in his mother&rsquo;s apartment when he heard a strange sound. Upon glancing into the living room, he discovered a masked man armed with an illegally possessed firearm. Police said the boy fled to his mother&rsquo;s bedroom and grabbed a .22-cal. pistol. He then locked himself inside the attached bathroom and listened to the burglar ransacking the home. When the burglar attempted to enter the bathroom, the boy fired three shots. The burglar fled the scene. It is unknown if he was injured. (<em>Times Daily,</em> Florence, AL, 06/18/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">*Desperate for narcotics, a man wearing a ski mask and armed with a spear and a baseball bat burst into a pharmacy. Technician Paul Hemmer confronted the masked man before he had a chance to toss the spear. Police said Hemmer drew his licensed handgun and asked the man, &ldquo;Do you really want to do this?&rdquo; The masked man considered Hemmer&rsquo;s logic for a moment and quickly fled the scene. Law enforcement lauded Hemmer&rsquo;s actions. &ldquo;Not only did Paul Hemmer defend himself, co-workers and a customer &hellip; he also prevented dangerous drugs from getting out on the street,&rdquo; said Sullivan County, N.Y., Sheriff Michael Schiff. &ldquo;Mr. Hemmer acted courageously and with great restraint.&rdquo; (<em>Daily Freeman,</em> Kingston, NY, 06/04/10)<strong></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Cititzen Extra</strong><em></em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">When three 20-something men entered a mom-and-pop tire shop wielding guns and demanding money, the shop owners&mdash;a man and his wife&mdash;were prepared. As her husband handed the cash over to the intruders, Kimberly Llorens ran out the back of the building to grab her Colt .25 pistol. As the men took off, Kimberly chased after them and fired a shot at their legs, causing them to drop the tray of money they had just stolen. The couple was able to get $235 of the stolen money back. The Bellmead police were still in search of the criminals when this article went to press.<em> (<em>Waco Tribune-Herald, </em></em></span><span style="font-size: small;">Waco, TX, 5/15/10)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><em><br /></em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>From the Armed Citizen Archive</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><em>September 1976: </em>Elmo Ethington's wife telephoned him at home and told him that the Simpsonville, Ky., bank she manages had been robbed. Ethington ran to his car, took the nearest road, and shortly encountered the robber's car. He gave chase, first on the highway and then on foot, subdued the thief at gunpoint, then flagged down a highway patrolman who took the man into custody. (<em>The Daily Press</em>, Newport News, VA)<strong><br /></strong></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/armed-citizen-september-2010#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2541&cid=25Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">*In February an NRA-supported federal law went into effect permitting people who may legally carry firearms to do so in many previously gun-free national parks. Three months later, a backpacker chose to exercise the new right while hiking in Alaska&rsquo;s Denali National Park. His decision and the new law likely saved his life and that of the female hiker accompanying him. They discovered bear sign and went on high alert. The bear, a grizzly, quickly emerged and charged the female hiker. The man drew a .45 ACP pistol and fired about nine shots, killing the bear. (<em>Daily News-Miner</em>, Fairbanks, AK, 05/30/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">*Police say four known gang members burst into an Arizona store that sells car alarms and stereos and announced the robbery. The gang members began ransacking the store and forced an employee into a back office at gunpoint. That&rsquo;s when the store&rsquo;s owner emerged onto the scene and opened fire with a shotgun. One gang member was killed and two were wounded. The store owner, whose forearm was slightly injured by return fire, held the three surviving suspects for the police. (Associated Press, 05/12/10)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><strong><br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em><br />A 74-year-old man was home alone when an intruder broke into his house. The homeowner and the intruder knew each other from the neighborhood, but were not friends. The intruder began beating the homeowner in the face and demanding money. Then the homeowner grabbed the .22-caliber rifle he kept next to his bed and fired two shots at the intruder, killing him. The homeowner sustained wounds to his eye and head, and was taken to the hospital but was later released. (<em>The Herald Tribune</em>, Sarasota, FL, 05/19/10)<br /><br /><strong>From the Armed Citizen Archive</strong><br /><em>August 1959:</em> Teddy Jett of Borger, Tex., was friendly to 2 young hitchhikers he had picked up until the one in the back seat struck him on the head with a steel rod. Jett slammed on the brakes, grabbed his pistol from under the seat, and disarmed his assailant. Then, with blood spilling down his face, he drove them at gunpoint into nearby Vega and turned them over to the sheriff. (<em>The Amarillo Daily News</em>)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2541&cid=25#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2483&cid=25Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">*When Michael Lish returned home to find the back door and a window ajar, he entered cautiously with his handgun for protection. As he inspected his home, a man dressed in dark clothing and wielding a sword sprung out at him. Police say the burglar threatened Lish and walked toward him. Lish fired a shot, wounding the burglar who fell to his knees. The burglar reached behind his back in an apparent attempt to grab another weapon, forcing Lish to fire two more shots, killing him. The burglar, who was on probation at the time of his death, was also carrying two illegally possessed guns, a knife and a stun gun. (<em>Tulsa World</em>, Tulsa, OK, 04/03/2010)</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">*</span><span style="font-size: small;">A man was enjoying his lunch on a park bench when, according to police, a suspect with a less wholesome agenda spotted him. Clutching a knife, the suspect approached the man and said, "Give me all your money or I'll stab you!" The mugger grabbed the man and shoved him against a fence. The suspect may have intended to inflict bodily harm on the man, however, he didn't realize his would-be victim was licensed to carry a firearm. The man drew a handgun and opened fire on the suspect, wounding him. The mugger was to be arrested upon his release from the hospital. (<em>The Hartford Courant</em>, Hartford, CT, 04/27/10) </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span><span style="font-size: small;"><em><strong><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></strong></em><span style="font-style: normal;">According to State Police, a 43-year-old West Virginia man was looking to steal from another man's home and tried to enter it. The homeowner called out to him, warning him not to enter, but the suspect did so anyway. The homeowner fired one shot with a small caliber firearm, striking him in the abdomen. The suspect was transported to the hospital where he was listed in critical condition. (<em>Charleston Gazette, </em>Charleston, WV, 04/29/10)</span><em><strong></strong></em></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em><strong><span style="font-style: normal;">From the Armed Citizen Archive<br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">July 1975: </span></strong></em><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Peering out the backdoor window of his Charleston, S.C., home one morning, Ernest Pinckney saw two young males prowling in his front yard. Pinckney, sensing a break-in, got his gun and hid behind a kitchen counter. The two youths broke a window and came in through the kitchen door, and once they were inside Pinckney got the drop on them. One escaped by pushing his companion against Pinckney, but the other intruder was turned over to juvenile authorities. (<em>The News and Courier</em>, Charleston, SC)<br /></span></strong></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2483&cid=25#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2388&cid=25Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">*</span>Police said that early one morning, an armed suspect burst into a home office in an area described by one resident as "a quiet neighborhood." Hearing the burglar, the resident quickly armed himself with a firearm. When the burglar approached, the resident feared for his life and shot the suspect, killing him. "I'm not for someone being shot," said Nora Dietz, a concerned neighbor, "but you have to protect yourself." (<a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Baltimore Sun</em></a>, Baltimore, MD, 3/29/10)<br /><br />*A crazed, knife-wielding man attempted to stab people at random in a convenience store parking lot. Police said he'd already chased a delivery driver and others when he ran down a car leaving the lot. He lunged at the car's driver with the knife, wounding him. That's when the driver, whose two young stepdaughters were in the vehicle, produced a handgun and fired about six shots, killing the attacker. The driver will recover from his injuries. "You've got to protect yourself," said witness Byron Cook. "He had his two kids in the car and they were terrified." (WREG-TV, Memphis, TN, 03/05/10)<strong><br /><br />The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em></span><span style="font-size: small;"><em><strong><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /><br /></span></strong></em><span style="font-style: normal;">One afternoon, two male suspects entered a jewelry store and demanded money from the store owner at gun point. The store owner then pulled his own gun from underneath a desk and fired a shot at the men, causing them to flee. Police later found one of the men with a gunshot wound in his chest lying in the grass neaby. The other suspect remains at large. (NBC-26, Green Bay, WI, 09/09/09)</span><em><strong><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /><br />From the Armed Citizen Archive<br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">June 1960:</span></strong></em><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Sixteen-year-old John Rubel was with his grandmother in the living quarters over her Chicago tavern when they heard glass break in a window below. John raced downstairs, grabbed the cal .32 revolver behind the bar, and pointed it at a man climbing into the window. "You're too young to use that gun," said the burglar, and John fired, the burglar tumbling out the window and fleeing the scene. Police soon arrested a suspect with a bullet wound in his shoulder. </span></strong><em><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">(Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago IL)</span></strong></em></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2388&cid=25#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2316&cid=25Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">*When he was awakened by his home security system, NRA Endowment member Steve Bason prepared for the worst&mdash;he got his Benelli M1 12-ga. shotgun, while his wife, Beth, an NRA Life member, grabbed her Glock 9 mm pistol. "At first we figured it was just another false alarm," Bason told the editor of the "Armed Citizen." "Then a light came on in our barn and I thought, 'My goodness, this is real!'" Police say the couple cautiously approached the barn. They peered inside and found a man standing next to Bason's truck with the door open. "There was some yelling and we probably said some words that aren't fit for print," Bason recalled. The suspect quickly found himself staring down the barrels of two different guns and waited patiently for police. (<em><a href="http://www.lockhaven.com/" target="_blank">The Express</a></em>, Lock Haven, PA, 02/02/10) <br /><br />*The incessant ringing of her doorbell woke a woman from her sleep. She looked through the front door peephole and saw someone in a hooded sweatshirt outside continuing to ring the bell. Police say the woman ran to the bedroom, got her handgun and dialed 9-1-1. As she returned to the front door, a second hooded suspect emerged, sprinted to the door and kicked it. His foot busted a hole in the door, knocking down the woman. She looked through the hole and saw the suspect preparing to run and kick the door again, so she stuck the barrel of her handgun out of the hole and fired two shots. The suspects fled the scene and are being sought by police. (KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ, 02/11/10) </span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><br /><br />The Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.) <br /></em><br />A Florida man awoke late one night to the sound of robbers barging into his home. When he confronted the two men, they demanded money. He gave it to them, but also grabbed his shotgun as the robbers fled. Gunfire was exchanged in the street, and one suspect ran off into nearby woods, while the other jumped into a vehicle and sped away. Both men were later taken into custody. The homeowner suffered no injuries. (<em><a href="http://www.myhometownnews.net/" target="_blank">Hometown News</a></em><em>, </em>Daytona Beach, FL, 9/18/2009)<br /><em><strong><span style="font-style: normal;"><br />From the Armed Citizen Archive<br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">May 1960: <span style="font-style: normal;">In New York City's theatrical district, actor Jay Scott awakened and saw a burglar on a fire escape opening the window of a nearby flat. Scott tried to telephone police, but gave up when he heard a woman scream as the intruder entered her apartment. The man fled in panic, burst into the hall, and entered the next apartment where more female screams caused him to flee the scene of his original entry. As he climbed back out the window, actor Scott, in his apartment window, fired one shot from a hunting rifle. Felled with a leg wound, the intruder was taken by police on the escape landing.</span> (New York Journal-American)</span><br /></strong></em></span><em><br /></em></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2316&cid=25#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2257&cid=25Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">*NRA member Robert Cole and his wife, Pam, had just started to doze off one evening when they heard breaking glass and their motion detector alarm as it went off. Then Cole heard someone in the living room. &ldquo;I woke my wife up and told her we had someone in the house, and she told me to grab the shotgun,&rdquo; he remembered. Police said he peered out the bedroom door and saw a man in the living room holding a fire extinguisher. &ldquo;I was worried he was going to hurt me or my wife so I [fired] one round of No. 6 shot,&rdquo; Cole said. Police arrested the wounded suspect and an alleged accomplice nearby. This wasn&rsquo;t Cole&rsquo;s first act of armed citizenry. He was involved in an incident that appeared in this column in December 2004. (<a href="http://www.hcnonline.com/north_channel_sentinel/front/" target="_blank"><em>North Channel Sentinel</em></a>, Pasadena, Texas, 01/07/10) <br /> <br /> *Police said that shortly after midnight three men broke into a home seeking money and drugs. There were no drugs in the home, but there was a .22 cal rifle&mdash;and an 11-year-old boy trained in its use. The boy leapt to the defense of his mother and sister. One of the intruders shot the boy, slightly injuring him. The boy returned fire, seriously wounding a suspect and causing the men to flee the home. Police found all three intruders nearby. That wounded man was airlifted to a hospital and will be charged after his release. (<a href="http://www.mysanantonio.com/" target="_blank"><em>San Antonio Express-News</em></a>, San Antonio, Texas, 01/20/10) <br /> <br /> <strong>Armed Citizen Extra</strong> <br /> <em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.) </em><br /> <br /> Early in the evening, a 74-year-old homeowner arrived at home to find his front door kicked in and side door open. After entering the home, he found two male suspects who threatened him with landscaping tools. The homeowner grabbed a machete-like weapon and swung it at the men, striking one of them several times but the suspects continued to approach the homeowner. So, the man produced a .25 caliber handgun and fired twice at the intruders. Both men fled the residence and were later arrested. Both are facing numerous charges. (WVI Local News, Lewes, Delaware, 09/11/2009) <br /> <strong><br /> From the Armed Citizen Archive</strong> <br /> <em>April 1978:</em> Paul Tornabene, of Buffalo N.Y., was driving home when he saw a woman being mugged at knifepoint. Tornabene responded to the woman&rsquo;s cry for help, stopped his car, and held a gun on her assailant until police arrived. The man was arrested on a first degree robbery charge. Of Tornabene, one officer said, &ldquo;I think the guy should get a merit badge. People are so reluctant to get involved these days, and this guy really went out of his way to help the woman and police&hellip;&rdquo; (<em>The Courier Express</em>, Buffalo, New York)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2257&cid=25#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2181&cid=25Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT<p><span style="font-size: small;">*Criminal justice instructor Michael Minto was exiting the Kaplan Career Institute when he saw a man being viciously stabbed. According to police, Minto ran onto the scene, drew a handgun for which he has a permit to carry and ordered the attacker to drop the knife. The suspect fled. The victim was treated and released from the hospital. &ldquo;[If not for Minto], we might be talking about someone who died,&rdquo; said Swatara Township, Pa., Deputy Police Chief Jason Umberger. &ldquo;There are not many citizens out there that would have the courage to take that action.&rdquo; (<em>The Patriot-News</em>, Harrisonburg, PA, 12/08/09)<br /><br />*Fairfax County, Va., police officer Bud Walker says a resident had time to get his handgun because an armed burglar &ldquo;was making quite a bit of noise trying to get into the house.&rdquo; The resident made noise as well in an attempt to scare off the suspect. &ldquo;The burglar&hellip;continued to try to get in even though he knew there was someone inside the house. Our experience is that most burglars&hellip;tend to target houses that are not occupied.&rdquo; The suspect forced his way into the home and opened fire, wounding the resident, who returned fire and forced the intruder from is home. The resident is expected to recover. (<em>The Washington Post</em>, Washington, D.C., 12/18/09)<br /><br /><strong>Armed Citizen Extra</strong><br /><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)<br /></em><br />When a 32-year-old homeowner was awakened late at night by the sound of dogs barking, she got out of bed and picked up her 9mm pistol. Near the kitchen, she spotted the would-be burglar and fired the gun but missed with her only bullet. The man then charged at her and the two struggled for a few minutes before the suspect ran out the door. The suspect was being held on bail and if convicted, would be charged with Class B felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison (<em>Times Daily,</em> Florence, AL, 8/19/09)<strong><br /><br />From The Armed Citizen Archive</strong><br /><em>March 1962:</em> While one man held a shotgun pointed at him through the screen door of his Hamilton, Ga., caf&eacute;, another herded J.H. Roberts around the counter toward the cash. As Roberts passed his wife, she handed him a cal. 38 revolver and Roberts opened fire, felling the man in the caf&eacute; with bullets below the heart and in the arm. Roberts then turned his fire on the man outside, who drove away. Already wanted by police in connection with another holdup, he was soon picked up in his bullet-holed auto. (<em>The Atlanta Journal</em>, Atlanta, GA)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2181&cid=25#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2096&cid=25Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">*When a woman knocked on the door, Donald Kaighn--an NRA member, World War II veteran and gun collector--opened it. Her car had broken down so Kaighn allowed the woman inside to use the phone, a favor she returned by spraying the 84-year-old's face with lighter fluid and hitting him in the head with the can. Kaighn grabed a Colt .32-cal. pistol while his assailant ran upstairs. He confronted her. "She said something like 'Stop or I'll shoot,'" Kaighn explained. "I immediately fired the gun." The woman briefly returned fire before leaping from the second story window with some of Kaighn's possessions. "I'm a member of the NRA and I subscribe to its policy of not being a vicitim," Kaighn said. "I don't want to hurt anybody." (WPVI-ABC6, Philadelphia, PA, 12/01/09)<br /><br />*Nathan Brown remembers, "I heard three distinct bangs like someone was kicking in my door. It wasn't like a knock, it was emotionally charged. It scared me." Brown was especially frightened for his 2-year-old daughter, who was sleeping in a back room. Police say Brown got his gun and ordered whoever was on the other side of the door to go away. Two men shouted back and one of them broke the door's lock and charged inside. "I said, 'Stop, I'll shoot you!'" Brown recalls, but the men pressed on. "That's when I shot." Both intruders fled. Police found one of them nearby suffering from a gunshot wound. A full-time student and single father, Brown recently bought his first firearm out of security concerns. "I don't feel safe here, which is why I bought the guns in the first place," he said. (KPTV-FOX12, Portland, OR, 11/27/09)<br /><br /><strong>Armed Citizen Extra<br /></strong><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em><br /><br />Police say a Lexington homeowner was taking a shower early one morning when he heard something outside of his house. When he went to check it out, he saw that a man was attempting to break in through a window. Immediately, the homeowner grabbed a gun, called 9-1-1 and held the would-be burgular at gun point until police arrived. The intruder is now behind bars for burglary. (WTVQ, Lexington, KY, 09/24/09)<strong><br /><br />From The Armed Citizen Archive<br /></strong><em>February 1969: </em>In Los Angeles, hotel manager William A. Boothby came to his night clerk's call when an unkempt man sought to rent a room and became abusive over the price. As Boothby came to the desk, the stranger pulled a gun on the pair, announcing a stick up, and herded them into the office. Boothby slammed the door shut on the gunman's face and the bandit fired through the door, wounding the clerk in the thigh. Manager Boothby grabbed a rifle, flung open the door, and killed the gunman with 5 shots. (Los Angeles Herald and Express)<br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2096&cid=25#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2051&cid=25Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">*Shocked onlookers watched as a vehicle careened across a mall parking lot, nearly striking a tree. Inside, a man was savagely beating his girlfriend as she screamed for help. While others stood by and watched, a 27-year-old man with a concealed carry permit ran to the woman's aid, drew a Glock semi-automatic pistol and shouted at her boyfriend to end the assault. The boyfriend saw the gun and promptly complied. Police praised the armed citizen's actions. "For all we know, he could have saved her from serious injury," said Police Captain Norman Cloyer. "I'm going to call him and tell him that when he gets ready to renew his [concealed carry] license, it's on me." (<a href="http://www.myssnews.com/" target="_blank"><em>News-Telegram</em></a>, Sulphur Springs, TX, 10/15/09)<br /><br />*A great-grandmother and five of her relatives were enjoying a family trip when an armed robber stormed inside their motel room. Shouting orders, the robber forced the great-grandmother onto the floor, which actually positioned her closer to her .357 magnum revolver, a gun she inherited from her late husband and for which she had a permit to carry. As the robber threatened three generations of the woman's family and demanded money, she quietly got her gun. A shot rang out. "I thought I was shot," her son said. "I didn't realize my mother had shot him. It was mass chaos." The robber stumbled outside and died. "She said to me, 'God was with me tonight. You know I couldn't have done that myself,'" her son recalled. (<a href="http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/index.html" target="_blank"><em>The Columbus Dispatch</em></a>, Columbus, OH, 10/23/09)<strong><br /><br />Armed Citizen Extra:</strong><br /><em>(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em><br /><br />Police say a Chicago man awoke in the middle of the night to two intruders attempting to burglarize his apartment. The man, who is in his early 20s, struggled for quite some time with the suspects before finally getting a hold of his gun and firing a shot, killing one of the men. The other suspect quickly fled the scene. The resident was not expected to be charged with a crime. (<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/" target="_blank"><em>Chicago Tribune</em></a>, Chicago, IL, 09/22/2009)<br /><strong><br />From The Armed Citizen Archive:</strong><br /><em>January 1969: </em>When two bandits entered a Van Nuys, Calif. Liquor store and pulled a gun on the clerk Lew Barnett, Barnett let them have the $340, then grabbed his pistol from under the counter and shot one dead. The accomplice fled to a getaway car driven by a female confederate and fled the scene. Police soon picked up the pair who led them to a hideaway where 8 co-conspirators were taken into custody. (<em>Van Nuys News, </em>Van Nuys, CA)</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2051&cid=25#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2005&cid=25Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Police say a club-wielding intruder entered a home's unlocked front door while the residents were inside. He snuck down a hallway, entered a bedroom and began stealing a coin collection. The homeowner heard the ruckus and accosted the intruder, who merely shouted threats and continued taking the coins. The homeowner left the room and returned with a handgun, firing a shot at the intruder. The suspect fled the property, scattering coins as he ran. He was being sought by police. (<em><a href="http://www.islandpacket.com/" target="_blank">The Island Packet</a>,</em> Hilton Head, SC, 9/23/09)<br /><br />Early one morning, a pregnant woman had no idea she would be targeted by a young adult in the midst of a burglary spree. Police say the suspect had already burglarized several cars and homes when he entered the woman's residence in the early morning hours. She awoke and confronted him with a shotgun, prompting him to draw a handgun. Rather than firing a shot, the pregnant woman explained to the intruder that her gun was larger. He put his gun away and waited for the police. (<em>Press-Register</em>, Mobile AL, 9/11/09)<strong><br /><br />Armed Citizen Extra:</strong><em><br />(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em><br /><br />When two men broke into a home around two in the morning, the 47-year-old homeowner was ready for them. The resident, who has been burglarized twice a month, spotted the suspects and called out to them. The two intruders charged him, prompting the homeowner to pull a .357-caliber magnum and fire once, causing the suspects to escape through a sliding glass door. After following a trail of blood into nearby woods, police were unable to find the two men, but continue in their search. (<em><a href="http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/" target="_blank">Columbus Ledger-Enquirer</a>,</em> Columbus, GA, 9/10/2009)<strong><br /><br />From the Armed Citizen Archive:</strong><em><br />December 1959:</em> The fifth time the same bandit robbed William Kuroki, manager of a Denver pharmacy, the gunman forced Kuroki, a clerk, and a customer into a stock room and started off with his bag of loot to add to the $3600 taken in the previous robberies. After closing the stock room door, the bandit decided to take one last look at his victims. Kuroki had drawn a .38 cal. revolver from his back pocket and when the door opened, he killed the robber with 2 shots. (<a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/"><em>Rocky Mountain News</em>,</a> Denver, CO)</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=2005&cid=25#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=1949&cid=25Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">*Two men learned their neighbor had just filled a prescription for painkillers and quickly hatched a plan to steal them. Pearhaps the men should've thought things through a little more carefully; they were aware that their victim owned a handgun. One of the men waited in a car while his accomplice entered the hoe and began viciously punching and choking the homeowner. Battered, the homeowner retrieved his handgun and shot the intruder, killing him. The other suspect was nabbed shortly thereafter. the homeowner was treated for injuries. (<a href="http://www.eveningsun.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Evening Sun</em></a>, Hanover, PA, 08/08/09)<br /><br />*An electrician was asleep with his wife when they were awakened by a knock at the door. The man feared something wasn't quite right about the early morning visitor, so he put a handgun in his pocket just in case. As he opened the door, police say two suspects tried to push their way inside. The man drew the gun from his pocket and fired twice, hitting both suspects. The suspects fired a return shot as they fled. One of the suspects died nearby. Police were seeking his accomplice. (<a href="http://www.knoxnews.com/" target="_blank"><em>News Sentinel</em></a>, Knoxville, TN (08/06/09))<strong><br /><br />The Armed Citizen Extras</strong><br /><em>(The following accounts did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em><br /><br />An Illinois homeowner and his wife woke up in the middle of the night to two would-be robbers breaking into their home. When the man approached the two masked assailants, they proceeded to hold him on the floor at gunpoint, choking him and demanding money. The man's wife then intervened, telling them that she had expensive jewelry upstairs. The two men went for the jewelry box and the homeowner went for his handgun. He shot and killed both men. An accomplice, who waited in a pickup outside, was later arrested. (<a href="http://www.ap.org/" target="_blank"><em>The Associated Press</em></a>, Indianola, IA, 09/23/09)<strong><br /><br />From The Armed Citizen Archive:</strong><em><br />November 1968: </em>Armed with an empty shotgun, a Pennsylvania housewife drove 5 escapees from the Northumberland County Prison into the hands of police. The 5 had turned up at the Eugene Troxell home in rural Sunbury, Pa. and asked for water. When Troxell complied, 2 of them threatened him with knives and demanded his car keys. Ostensibly going for the keys, Mrs. Troxell came back with a shotgun and bluffed the men into releasing her husand. The fugitives were picked up later near the Troxell home. (<a href="http://www.sungazette.com/" target="_blank"><em>Sun Gazette</em></a>, Williamsport, PA)</span></span><em><br /></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=1949&cid=25#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=1939&cid=25Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">*Police say an 18-year-old carjacker approached August Peters, 74, as he exited his vehicle. "Give me your car or I'll kill you," the carjacker said, putting a knife to Peters' throat. Luckily for Peters, he had an item that made him the physical equal of his youthful adversary-a firearm. Peters grabbed his pistol from inside the car and fired, striking the carjacker at least once. The suspect fled through a nearby home, struggling to run in his baggy pants, which fell off in the kitchen as he ran for the back door. Police caught up with the pantless suspect nearby. (<em><a href="http://www.chron.com/" target="_blank">Houston Chronicle</a>,</em> Houston, TX, 07/23/09)<br /><br />*Two men trying to enter Cassidy Lockett's home had to be aware it was occupied. They'd likely seen Lockett in the front window as they arrived, and there was a lot of noise as she hurried her three young, frightened children into a bedroom. With the children secure, she phoned police and loaded her .22-cal. semi-automatic pistol. Police say the men, escapees from a nearby state prison, thrust a window open. One of the men leaned inside. "I was pointing the gun at him and, you know, I used a few choice words and told him to get out or I was going to shoot," Lockett said. The men fled the property, only to be caught within minutes by police. The next day Lockett's husband helped her pick out a new home defense firearm. "I'm definitely more prepared," she said. "We bought a 12-ga. shotgun." (<em><a href="http://www.lmtribune.com/" target="_blank">Lewiston Tribune</a>,</em> Lewiston, ID, 07/27/09)<br /><br />*A man dressed like a ninja-with a black shirt, black pants and a blue bandana over his face-allegedly forced his way into Bradley Harvell's home. Police say the man demanded money and shocked Harvell with a stun gun several times, causing him to collapse on his bed. All Harvell could think about was survival. "I'm 82 years old," said the military veteran. "I've made it this far, and I want to keep on living." Harvell gathered all the strength he could muster, retrieved his .357 S&amp;W magnum revolver from under the bed and shot his assailant, killing him. Police arrested three others in connection with the home invasion. (<a href="http://www.tallahassee.com/" target="_blank"><em>Tallahassee Democrat,</em></a> Tallahassee, FL, 07/21/09)<br /><br />*Margaret Parrish heard her puppies barking, so she went to check on them. "As soon as she cracked the door [an intruder] grabbed her by the hair, put the gun in her ear and said, &lsquo;If you make a sound I'll blow your brains out,'" said John Parrish, her 83-year-old husband. The intruder bound Margaret's arms and legs with duct tape. John tried to help her but met the same fate. The intruder left to ransack the home, giving John time to wriggle free. "I had to get my gun," he recalls. Meanwhile the intruder tied up another man, Danny Carlson, and a 10-year-old girl who were also in the home. He had just finished tying up Carlson when Parrish arrived on the scene with his .22-cal. revolver. Parrish fired several shots and believes he hit the intruder, who fled. Carlson's leg was injured when the intruder returned fire, but he would be okay. "I don't know what that guy would've done if [Parrish] had not come up here," Carlson said. (<a href="http://www.ajc.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Atlanta-Journal Constitution</em></a>, Atlanta, GA, 07/16/09)<strong><br /><br />"The Armed Citizen" Extras</strong><em><br />(The following accounts did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)</em><br /><br />When a suspect chose to break into a house on a quiet city block, he definitely picked the wrong house. 91-year-old Robert E. Thompson woke in the middle of the night to the sound of his dog attacking a would-be burglar. Rett the dog gave Thompson ample time to grab his .38-caliber revolver loaded with hollow-point bullets and call 9-1-1. He then went out to the backyard&mdash;completely naked&mdash;and faced the man. After firing a warning shot, the two waited for police to arrive. The intruder is now in prison on a burglary charge. (<em><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/" target="_blank">Sun Sentinel</a></em>, South Florida, 09/20/09)<br /><br />Even at age 75, one mother's maternal instinct prevailed. According to police, a burglar broke into to David Bradenburg's home, and a struggle ensued between the men. When the fight spilled out onto the front lawn, Bradenburg's elderly mother Ruth, who lives next door, heard the commotion and rushed over to help. After the attacker assaulted her, she shot him once in the leg near the groin. The suspect was charged with burglary, aggravated assault and simple assault.<br />(<a href="http://www.knoxnews.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Knoxville News-Sentinel</em></a>, Knoxville, TN, 09/18/09)<strong><br /><br />From The Armed Citizen Archive:<br /></strong><em>October 1968: </em>Using a cal .32 pistol he bought last year after being stabbed in the head by a holdup man, Leon Beach, 53, a Newark, NJ., grocer, routed 3 gunmen who tried to rob him and his partner, Joseph Opatowski. Beach drew his holstered pistol and fired a shot which sent 2 of the gunmen running. The third, holding a pistol to Opatowski's head, stood his ground. Beach dropped him with a bullet that wounded him critically. (<em>The New York Sunday News, </em>New York, NY)<br /><br /><a href="http://americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=1929&amp;cid=14"></a></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEntry.aspx?id=1939&cid=25#listbutblog">Comment on this post</a></p>