The Armed Citizen® May 11, 2026

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posted on May 11, 2026
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W2018 SI 0406

Armed Citizen® Today

On the afternoon of May 3 in Philadelphia, a homeowner discovered a woman trying to break into his home through a back window. He warned her to stop but the woman continued inside anyway, causing the homeowner to fire shots at her. The homeowner then tried to render aid, but the woman was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

“At some point, the occupants of the home did make themselves known that they were inside, and this person refused to, based on the information we have, refused to stop," a police investigator told reporters. “It appears that this is a case of a person defending oneself inside their own home.” (nbcphiladelphia.com; Philadelphia, Pa.; 5/3/26)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives – December 1986

Hearing his 70-year-old wife's cries for help downstairs in his Cleveland, Ohio, home, William Simko armed himself and found an intruder beating his wife. When the man threatened Simko with a pry bar, the 76-year-old homeowner shot and killed him. Police said the slain burglar had just been released from prison. Simko was cleared in the shooting by the city prosecutor. (The Plain Dealer; Cleveland, Ohio)

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