The Armed Citizen® July 26, 2016

by
posted on July 26, 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 (7)

Two armed citizens who witnessed a drug deal gone bad in New Mexico used their guns to hold the shooter captive until the police arrived to take the suspect into custody. Officers were called to respond to a 7-Eleven after dispatchers received reports of a ruckus. Two men had apparently been fighting over drugs near the parking lot of the convenience store. One of the bad guys pulled a gun and fired several rounds, hitting the other man involved in the drug deal in the leg and nearly shooting some bystanders. Two armed citizens, seeing passersby endangered, tackled the shooter. After they took him down, each pulled a handgun and made sure neither bad guy could flee the area. The shooter faces charges of aggravated assault and other local charges, and the Albuquerque, N.M., police said federal charges are possible because he was a convicted felon who was illegally in possession of a firearm. (Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, NM, 5/19/16) 

The Armed Citizen® Extra
An armed 70-year-old man caught a burglar in the act of ransacking his residence and held the thief at gunpoint until the authorities could arrive to take him off the jail. The incident took place in Sanger, Calif. According to the local sheriff’s department, when they arrived at the scene, the suspect was sitting down on the resident’s front yard with his hands behind his back. The homeowner has held a permit to carry a concealed handgun for 50 years, but this marks the first time he’s ever had to draw it on another person. (The Fresno Bee, Fresno, CA, 1/29/16) 

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
January 1980
Two men burst into a Wichita, Kan., jewelry store, tied owner Jerry Burnell to a chair and proceeded to clean out the showcases. Burnell was able to free himself, grab a pistol and fire, mortally wounding one robber. The accomplice escaped unharmed. (The Beacon, Wichita, KS)

Latest

shooter wearing hearing protection
shooter wearing hearing protection

Shooters, Listen Up! Take Hearing Health Seriously

When it comes to the five senses, hearing is one of the most susceptible to damage from the shooting sports. Now, the latest electronic technology gives compromised ears a new lease on life—and protects them from further harm.

The Armed Citizen® Nov. 17, 2025

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

NRA Supports Hunters For The Hungry Programs

In 2025, Hunters for the Hungry programs across the United States will have extra support from the National Rifle Association, thanks to NRA Foundation donors.

Preview: Hornady Security RAPiD Safe Night Guard

The latest security product to leverage the company’s RAPiD Safe touch-free radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, Hornady Security’s Night Guard is a ruggedly built handgun safe sized perfectly...

Hecho en México: The Mendoza RM22 Rifles

Mendoza Firearms claims that its RM22 rimfire rifle is the first indigenously produced rifle to be exported to the United States.

Preview: MGE 1911 Grips

Mammoth Grip Exchange is a small startup company that specializes in crafting replacement stock sets for M1911-pattern pistols in a dizzying assortment of exotic materials...

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.