The Armed Citizen® Jan. 12, 2024

by
posted on January 12, 2024
** 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 food-truck owner in Maine was forced to shoot at a knife-wielding assailant as he set up to do business in the parking lot of a T-Mobile store ahead of a local town holiday parade.

As he prepared his food truck to serve the coming holiday crowds, the owner noticed a man armed with a knife who was allegedly threatening to kill motorists in the area. He called out to the man to stop the threats, but the suspect then focused on him. The man approached the truck owner, walking slowly with the knife and saying, "I'm going to kill you. I'm going to stab you."

The truck owner told the man to calm down and sit down, but he kept advancing. Confronted with the truck owner's Glock 43X pistol, the assailant apparently wasn't fazed in the slightest, telling the armed citizen to shoot him. The truck operator fired once, striking the suspect in the leg. Once shot, the man collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain and shouting "Rape!" and accusing the truck operator of having shot a woman. The wounded suspect then threw the knife toward the armed owner, then his phone, with no results.

"It was the hardest thing ever in my life, decision-wise," the truck operator told the Portsmouth Herald. "I never would have thought I'd be in that position." The wounded suspect was taken to a local hospital, where he was listed in serious condition. (Portsmouth Herald; Sanford, Maine; 12/1/23)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives – March 1962

Brandishing a .22-cal. pistol, a thief entered James E. Ralph's Little Rock, Ark., package store and said "Give me your money and put your hands up," to the clerk on duty. As the clerk handed over the money from the cash register, Ralph fired a .30-30 rifle from the rear of the store, killing the holdup man. (Arkansas Gazette)

Latest

Mantis X Review 1
Mantis X Review 1

Review: Mantis TitanX Training System

You don’t have to go all the way to the range to enhance your shooting skills.

Radical Update: The Benelli M2-G1 Tactical Shotgun

For 2026, Benelli has given its tactical M2 shotgun a radical update with the new M2-G1 version.

President’s Column | President Meets President

I am quite certain, that for the first time in NRA history the President of the United States met with the NRA president, the NRA president asked for his support for national Right-to-Carry (NRTC), and then, on a national stage, President Trump called out the NRA president’s name and pledged his support for national Right-to-Carry legislation. But that’s exactly what happened at a rally near Allentown, Pa., in late June.

Gun of the Week: TriStar Arms KR.22

Semi-automatic .22 rifles have been a staple in the firearm marketplace for decades, and the TriStar Arms KR.22 brings yet another lightweight, affordable option that accepts Ruger 10/22 rotary magazines.

Political Report | Trump Reiterates National Right-to-Carry Support

I am repeatedly reminded of how critical it was that the NRA engaged early in supporting Donald Trump’s 2016 candidacy—and that he won. A recent example came in June, when President Trump spoke to American workers at a Mack Trucks facility in Macungie, Pa.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 21, 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.