The Armed Citizen® December 25, 2012

by
posted on December 25, 2012
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
ac2009_fs.jpg (3)

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. (Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis, IN, 10/11/12)

The Armed Citizen Extra

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. (The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, CA, 10/9/12)

From The Armed Citizen Archives

December, 1967: 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. (Chicago Daily News)

Latest

H&K G36 .22 LR
H&K G36 .22 LR

Review: Heckler & Koch G36 .22 LR

What was once a service rifle for a brave new world all those wasted years ago is now running free as a rimfire option for armed citizens.

Steyr's At Series Handguns: All-Metal & Modular

Designed as a collaboration between Steyr Arms and Arex Defense, the At series of handguns are built on metal frames and have several user-customizable features not seen in other offerings.

The Armed Citizen® March 16, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Teddy Roosevelt Library to Display His Famed A.H. Fox Shotgun

The A.H. Fox F. Grade shotgun that accompanied Roosevelt on his 1909-1910 African safari, and later during his Amazon River expedition, will be on display when the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opens on July 4, 2026.

CZ to Supply Pistols to the German Army

The Bundeswehr has selected a CZ pistol as its new standard-issue sidearm, a move the gun company hails as one of its most significant milestones.

The Lever Action Supreme Rifle: Henry's 21st Century Lever Gun

The Henry Lever Action Supreme Rifle (LASR) is a step away from the company’s traditional-styled lever-actions, providing a number of features that carry the lever gun into the 21st century.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.