The Armed Citizen® July 1, 2024

by
posted on July 1, 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 thief's attempt to rob an Omaha, Neb., jewelry store was thwarted by the store owner's willingness to defend his livelihood with a gun.

On May 4, 2024, an alleged thief clad in black threw a rock into one of the store's glass windows to gain entry. The store's owner was in a back room and was armed. "I typically carry a firearm on my waist, even after hours," the store owner told local reporters. "It's just one of those things: keys, wallet, firearm."

As the thief raised a tool to break into the glass display cabinets full of jewelry, the owner emerged from the back room, pointing the gun at the intruder, and yelled. The sight was enough to send the thief running back through the broken window.

The shop owner, an Air Force veteran who had spent three years on deployment, told local news that he was glad to have the ability to defend his business, calling his firearm a tool for the job. "My use of [a pistol] is the same as any of the other tools I have back here," he said. "They all serve a purpose. But this is the one tool that I hope to never have to use." (KETV; Omaha, Neb.; 5/7/24)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives – September 1973

Hearing glass breaking in his Everett, Wash., market long after he had closed for the night, Arthur Burnett got a revolver and went to investigate. He found a man inside the store and announced that he was armed. When the man charged at him, Burnett fired two shots and mortally wounded the prowler. (Seattle Times; Seattle, Wash.)

Latest

NRA Supports Hunters For The Hungry Programs
NRA Supports Hunters For The Hungry Programs

NRA Supports Hunters For The Hungry Programs

In 2025, Hunters for the Hungry programs across the United States will have extra support from the National Rifle Association, thanks to NRA Foundation donors.

Preview: Hornady Security RAPiD Safe Night Guard

The latest security product to leverage the company’s RAPiD Safe touch-free radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, Hornady Security’s Night Guard is a ruggedly built handgun safe sized perfectly...

Hecho en México: The Mendoza RM22 Rifles

Mendoza Firearms claims that its RM22 rimfire rifle is the first indigenously produced rifle to be exported to the United States.

Preview: MGE 1911 Grips

Mammoth Grip Exchange is a small startup company that specializes in crafting replacement stock sets for M1911-pattern pistols in a dizzying assortment of exotic materials...

Gun Of The Week: Mossberg 990 Aftershock

For this Gun Of The Week episode, American Rifleman staffers hit the range with the Mossberg 990 Aftershock, a non-NFA, shotshell-firing firearm that provides plenty of power in a compact package.

The Armed Citizen® Nov. 14, 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.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.