The Armed Citizen® February 8, 2021

by
posted on February 8, 2021
** 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 in Old Hickory, Tenn., defended himself on the night of Feb. 5 from an apparent armed robbery that turned out to be an ill-planned prank attempt.

The incident occurred around 9:20 p.m. that Friday night in the parking lot of Urban Air trampoline park. Two young adults had the idea that they would fake an armed robbery on people walking to their cars in the parking lot to make a prank video for YouTube. The two fake armed robbers, wielding butcher knives, decided to target a small group of people in the parking lot.

The two approached the group wielding their butcher knives, but unbeknown to them, an armed citizen in the group wouldn't be so helpless. When confronted, the man in the group drew his pistol and fired, killing the 20-year-old prankster in the process. No charges have been filed against the armed citizen, and the investigation is ongoing. (wkrn.com, Nashville, Tenn., 02/06/2021)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives January 1977

When a late-night intruder broke into the rural Fowler, Calif., home of Forest H. Smith, 81, neighbors alerted his son-in-law, Roy Garrett. Garrett and his two teenage sons rushed to the old man's home, where they found the thug holding a knife to Smith's throat.

After the man swung at him several times with the knife, Garrett shot him in the shoulder with a rifle, but the powerful crook kept coming. Garrett's younger son then broke a shotgun over the criminal's head, sending him fleeing outside. There, the other son bashed him with a baseball bat, then held the unconscious burglar for sheriff's deputies. (
The Bee, Fresno, Calif.)

Latest

2026 Gba Nra Media F
2026 Gba Nra Media F

NRA Announces 2026 Golden Bullseye Award Winners

For the 24th year, NRA Media is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 NRA Golden Bullseye Awards, highlighting new, innovative products offered by the firearm, ammunition, and optics industries.

The Armed Citizen® Dec. 29, 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.

I Have This Old Gun: Ruger Mini-14 GB

When initially released in 1973, the Ruger Mini-14 quickly made a name for itself on the recreational-shooting market. Designed by L. James Sullivan and Bill Ruger, it combined the best attributes of the M1 Garand and the M1 carbine with a “rock-’n’-lock” detachable box magazine inspired by the M14.

Preview: Mec-Gar Glock Magazines

Mec-Gar took its expertise in metal-formed magazines and applied the technology to one of the most ubiquitous designs on the market: Glock. Now you can have incredibly durable metal magazines for your 9 mm Luger-chambered Glock handgun, as all of Mec-Gar’s offerings are made using heat-treated carbon steel.

Enough Gun: Weatherby's New Mark V Frontier & Dangerous Game Rifle

Weatherby's new Mark V Frontier and Dangerous Game Rifle (DRG) are ultra-reliable, accurate and devastatingly powerful rifles designed to go after the nastiest creatures on four legs the world has to offer.

Preview: Safariland Pro Impulse Bluetooth

One of several new additions to Safariland’s Impulse line of hearing-protection solutions, the Pro Impulse Bluetooth is a set of Bluetooth-enabled earmuffs that is equally easy on your ears and your pocketbook.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.