Firearms can be an equalizer for the old and the outnumbered, as a recent defensive shooting in Pennsylvania illustrates. An 84-year-old Korean War veteran makes it a habit to sleep with a gun under his pillow so he can react quickly if he’s threatened. The practice worked to his advantage in early December when two men conducted a late-night break-in at his home. The resident was awakened by the sound of the suspects bursting through his front door. When an assailant tried to grab him, the veteran fired, killing one of the intruders. A tussle with the other ensued, with the gun being knocked out of the armed citizen’s hand, and the bad guy fled before the owner could retrieve his handgun. (cbsnews.com, Pittsburgh, PA, 12/8/17)
The Armed Citizen® Extra
A masked man entered a home through a pet door and, while he was threatening the 75-year-old homeowner at gunpoint, was interrupted by the sound of a cough emanating from an upstairs bedroom. Upon investigating, he discovered the man's wife, who had been asleep in bed. As he pointed the gun at her face, she was able to quickly draw her own pistol from under her pillow. The intruder fled, but police later discovered a 9 mm shell casing, which presumably had been fired from the intruder's gun. (The Youngstown Vindicator, Youngstown, OH, 1/22/18)
From the Armed Citizen® Archives
March 1971
A youth entered the San Gabriel, Calif., market where Mrs. Marjorie Wooley was working. Producing a pistol, he demanded money and was about to leave the store with $49 when Mrs. Wooley’s husband, Charles, came out of the back room with a gun. Mr. Wooley fired twice at the suspect, who dropped his gun and surrendered. (The San Gabriel Valley Tribune, San Gabriel, CA)
