The Armed Citizen® November 7, 2016

by
posted on November 7, 2016
** 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 (1)

You’re never too old to defend yourself. In Eastpointe, Mich., a 91-year-old man was getting out of his car outside of a pharmacy when he noticed a man approaching him in a threatening manner. The armed citizen declared that he was a permit holder. He waited in his car until the stranger disappeared. But when he got out a little while later to enter the store, the assailant came toward him and raised a weapon over his head at the older man. Warning the miscreant that he was armed, the 91-year-old pulled his .38 Spl.-chambered revolver from his side and opened fire, striking the attacker in the neck. “It doesn’t have to be a gun or a knife,” said Eric Keiser, Eastpointe deputy police chief. “The suspect had a piece of metal fashioned as a weapon. [The armed citizen] felt his life was in danger.” The suspect was transported to an area hospital and was later charged. (MacombDaily.com, Eastpointe, MI, 8/23/16)

The Armed Citizen® Extra
Early one Sunday morning, a masked, hatchet-wielding man walked into a 7-Eleven. He proceeded to attack customers and a clerk, who received a gash to the stomach. Another customer who was drinking his coffee near the register was attacked, but being a licensed concealed-gun carrier, he drew his pistol and shot the suspect before anyone else was hurt. (KIRO7-TV.com, Seattle, WA, 3/14/16)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
November 1970
When a robber pulled a knife and demanded money from St. Louis, Mo., food store owner William Heidemann, Mrs. Heidemann quickly passed her husband a pistol. The thug hurled the knife at Heidemann, missed, and fled amid a hail of pistol shots. He was later arrested. (Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, MO)

Latest

Icarry Diamondback Sdr Galco 1
Icarry Diamondback Sdr Galco 1

I Carry: Diamondback SDR in a Galco Hornet Holster

For our latest "I Carry" episode above, we paired the six-round Diamondback SDR DA/SA snubnose revolver with a simple leather holster from Galco, along with one of the latest EDC flashlights from Streamlight.

The Armed Citizen® May 8, 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.

Creating the Ideal First-Time Shooting Experience

That first time behind a trigger can shape a newcomer’s attitude towards firearms. Here are five ways to make the experience a success.

Henry Repeating Arms Founder & CEO Honored as Law Enforcement Supporter of the Year

Henry Repeating Arms founder and CEO Anthony Imperato has been named Law Enforcement Supporter of the Year by New York State Fraternal Order of Police Memorial Lodge 100.

New For 2026: TriStar Arms APOC Pro

The new APOC Pro takes the original TriStar Arms APOC pistol design introduced in 2025 and makes it optics- and suppressor-ready.

7 New Over-Under Shotguns for 2026

Ever since the development of the iconic Browning Superposed shotgun in the early 1930s, the concept of an over-under shotgun has remained popular not just with American shooters but shotgunners the world over.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.