The Armed Citizen® August 7, 2015

by
posted on August 7, 2015
** 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)
Lapeer County (Michigan) sheriff’s detectives are calling an 11-year-old who scared off a home invader by pointing a shotgun at him a “very brave girl.” Authorities say the girl was alone in a North Branch Township home on the afternoon that the break-in occurred. While the stranger was circling the house to case it, the girl grabbed a shotgun and hid in a bathroom closet. The suspect eventually broke into the home. When he opened the door to the closet where the girl was hiding, she pointed the shotgun at him, and he ran to a getaway car where his partner in crime had been waiting. The police, acting on descriptions from the girl, later caught and charged two Detroit residents—a 53-year-old man and his 31-year-old female accomplice in connection with the crime. (The Flint Journal, Flint, MI, 2/3/15)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
February 1981
Three armed men entered a Santa Barbara, Calif., jewelry store, ordered manager Steven Brooks and two customers to lie on the floor, and began smashing into display cases. When owner Robert Bryant, who saw the robbery on closed-circuit television, started down the stairs to the show room, one of the robbers fired on him. Bryant killed two robbers with his shotgun, but was wounded by the third man. At that point, store manager Brooks pulled his own pistol and fatally wounded Bryant’s attacker. (The News-Press, Santa Barbara, CA)

Latest

target with holes
target with holes

Resisting the Temptation of "Good Enough" for Firearm Performance

No matter what firearm you're using for whatever purpose, even if it's simply a trip to the range, always resist the temptation to accept “good enough” if there is the possibility of better performance.

Armed Citizens Stop a Lot More Criminals Than Most in the Media Will Admit

Since January 2025, the Crime Prevention Research Center has documented 16 defensive gun uses in which police say armed citizens stopped mass public killings.

Federal & Mossberg Collaborate on Autonomous Airborne Drone Defense

Federal and Mossberg are working with Palladyne AI in the creation of SwarmShot, a kinetic defense system that employs swarms of armed drones to shield troops from unmanned aircraft system threats.

Cold Performance: How to Prepare for the Uncertainty of Self-Defense

Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.

Derya Goes Silent: The OBone Suppressor

In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 26, 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.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.