The Armed Citizen® Feb. 24, 2025

by
posted on February 24, 2025
** 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. **
The Armed Citizen

Armed Citizen® Today

A man with a concealed carry permit shot and killed an alleged robber in a Brooklyn park on January 12, after fending off an assault from the suspect, according to a New York Daily News report.

The victim told police he was walking through the park at 2:45 a.m. when the 23-year-old suspect put him into a chokehold, held a knife to his neck and demanded cash. The two men fought until the victim drew his concealed handgun and fired, shooting his assailant once in the torso. EMTs rushed the wounded suspect to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds.

Responding officers initially took the victim into custody, but further investigation and evidence recovered at the scene suggested that he had acted in self-defense. According to information obtained by the NY Daily News, it is not likely that the victim will be charged. Family members say the robbery suspect had been employed by a program designed to help at-risk youth, but he was recently fired for "attendance issues." (NY Daily News; Brooklyn, N.Y.; 1/14/25)

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

Robinson Armament Xcrl Gotw 1
Robinson Armament Xcrl Gotw 1

Gun of the Week: Robinson Armament XCR-L

One man, Alex Robinson, took it upon himself to address what he saw as several shortcomings in the AR-15 design. He consulted with special forces operators and asked what they wanted in a rifle platform. The result was the Robinson Armament XCR.

Maryland Bans Glocks and the NRA Responds

Legislation recently signed into law by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore essentially bans nearly every Glock and Glock-style pistol on the market from being sold within the state.

The Armed Citizen® May 29, 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.

Federal Signs Agreement With U.S. Army to Improve Ammo Performance

Federal Ammunition announced this week that it has entered into an agreement that allows the U.S. Army to utilize its patented Peak Alloy ammunition case technology for use in multiple cartridges and weapon systems.

Four Armed Citizen Stories That Tell us a Lot

Each self-defense case is different. As we read them, we find ourselves wondering what we would have done, and then asking if the citizen made the best decisions possible in the worst-case scenario.

The Three Rs of Performance Shooting: Rise, Return & Realignment

Way back in the day, the three Rs of learning were colloquially known as "Readin’, Rightin’ and Rithmatic." In today's modern performance shooting, the three Rs become Rise, Return and Realignment, the core mechanics of recoil control.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.