The Armed Citizen® April 17, 2020

by
posted on April 17, 2020
** 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. **
armed-citizen-main-image.jpg (4)
Armed Citizen® Today

A man in Jacksonville, Fla. heard a neighbor screaming from inside a burning home and helped to apprehend the suspect accused of setting the blaze. The Good Samaritan, who works as a security guard, heard his neighbor screaming "Help! Help!" The man grabbed his gun and headed outside to respond.

Immediately, he saw his neighbor's house burning and ran to help. He tore down part of the fence separating the two properties and used his voice to guide the woman to safety. The armed citizen also discovered the man believed to have set the fire, who was later identified as the neighbor's son.

Using his sidearm and the handcuffs from his security job, the armed citizen detained the suspected arsonist and held him at gunpoint until the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrived. A video recorded by another neighbor shows the armed citizen preventing the suspect from leaving the premises.

The fire was doused by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, and the department confirmed that the blaze was set intentionally. (FOX 30 Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Fla., 03/04/2020)
  
   
From the Armed Citizen® Archives April 1967

Ex-Marine William C. Kelley has won his third personal battle with holdup men at his Los Angeles, Calif. service station. When two men demanded the cash in his register, Kelley gave them $32.63 from the cash box. One man went after him for more. Kelley shot the holdup man three times with a .25-cal. semi-automatic pistol, then went inside for his .38-cal. revolver. Both men drove off meanwhile.

Kelley said he shot another bandit through both legs in 1965 and, later that year, killed a holdup man who shoved a shotgun at him, saying, "You're going to die." Pushing aside the shotgun, Kelley, a pistol expert, shot first. He remarked, "I don't doubt anything a man says when he's pointing a gun at you. (Los Angeles Herald-Examiner)

Latest

2026 New Suppressor Guide
2026 New Suppressor Guide

New Suppressors for 2026: A Full Guide

With the removal of the $200 NFA tax stamp on suppressors, the only sound reverberating across the firearms landscape is “cha-ching.”

MDT Now Offering Lone Peak Arms Rifle Actions

Earlier in 2026, MDT announced that it had acquired Lone Peak Arms, and now, the company's rifle actions are available to consumers.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 31, 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.

NRA-ILA Launches First-Ever National “Gun Bus Battleground Tour” to Mobilize Gun Owners for 2026 Midterms

The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) today launched its first-ever national bus tour, the 2026 NRA’s Gun Bus Battleground Tour, a more than two-month, 13-state campaign to energize and turn out gun owners in key battleground states ahead of the November midterm elections.

Review: TriStar KR.22

Manufactured by Kral Arms in Turkey, the TriStar Arms KR.22 is a lightweight semi-automatic that offers everything you need to get started or to perfect what you’ve learned over the years.

Safe Space: 5 Must-Have Accessories to Organize Your Gun Safe

It's a perennial problem for gun owners: not enough safe space. Here are five organizing products that will help you squeeze a bit more in your existing gun safe before you have to run out and buy another.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.