The Armed Citizen® March 3, 2025

Armed Citizen® Today

An alleged thief is dead after attempting to break into an occupied vehicle in Fort Myers, Fla., in December 2024.

Police arrived on scene early in the morning, finding the suspect lying in front of a local house. An investigation revealed that the suspect had attempted to break into five other vehicles in the neighborhood before approaching the occupied car. The driver of the vehicle was sitting inside, preparing to leave for work, when the suspect opened the driver's door. A fight broke out between the two, and the driver drew a firearm, shot the suspect and then called the police.

"Everyone deserves to feel safe on their own property," Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a release. "The homeowner exercised their right to protect themself, which unfortunately resulted in the loss of a life today." (Fort Myers News-Press; Fort Myers, Fla.; 12/14/24)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives – October 1962

The husband of Mrs. Margaret Byars of San Mateo, Fla., was away at work when Mrs. Byars became aware that there was a prowler in her backyard. The stranger first yelled for her to open a door and then proceeded to break it down. 

In the meantime, Mrs. Byars had gotten a rifle. As the would-be intruder smashed through the door, she fired three times. The prowler promptly vanished. (San Mateo Times)