The Armed Citizen® March 8, 2021

by
posted on March 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 Pensacola, Fla., man was forced to defend himself when robbers broke into his home early on the morning of March 4, 2021.

The incident began around 3:00 a.m. when intruders cut the power and forced their way into the residence. The man was inside the home at the time and alerted to the break-in from the sound of the intruders entering through a screen window at the back door. He got out of bed and retrieved a firearm kept in his bedroom before moving into the hallway to investigate.

As the man looked into the hallway, he saw one of the intruders just feet away from his doorway. The intruder shouted at the man, demanding that he put his hands up. Instead of retreating, the man stood his ground and shot at the intruder in the dark hallway, prompting all the burglars to flee the scene. Police tracked them all down a short time later, including one male intruder that suffered a non-fatal gunshot wound.

As it turned out, the group of young home intruders included the man's own granddaughter. The group decided to rob the property in order to bail a friend out of jail. Neither the man or his wife, who also also at home, were hurt in the incident. (mynbc15
.com, Pensacola, FLA., 03/04/2021)

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

Phil Schreier Obituary F
Phil Schreier Obituary F

The Keefe Report: The Incomparable, Inimitable Phil Schreier—1962-2025

Philip Schreier, director of the NRA Museums, passed away on Dec. 29, 2025, after battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

America 250: The Tradition Of The Armed Citizen Lives On

The Declaration of Independence reaffirmed the right to self-determination—and the uniquely American practice of keeping and bearing arms allowed a new nation to thrive.

The Armed Citizen® Jan. 5, 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.

Too Late: The Perils Of Waiting To Buy That One Gun

Gunmakers are often quiet when they discontinue a gun model. We’ve all felt the pain of suddenly discovering a firearm we’d love to own that is no longer available.

Preview: DA Targets Half-Size Silhouette Color-Changing Target

Replacing targets, time and time again, can be costly and time-consuming, which is where this U.S.-made product from DA Targets comes into play.

Return Of The Red Label: Ruger's New Red Label III Shotgun

Ruger's Red Label III marks the third generation of Ruger's classic over-under shotgun, which is finally making a reappearance after it was discontinued more than a decade ago.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.