The Armed Citizen® May 27, 2024

by
posted on May 27, 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 grandmother in Albuquerque, N.M., defended herself and her granddaughter from a convicted felon who, in the process of fleeing pursuing law enforcement, broke into the woman's home.

The 45-year-old grandmother and her young granddaughter were watching Taylor Swift's Eras Tour film, when suddenly, a 32-year-old man forced his way through the front door. The intruder said he didn't want to go to jail, demanded the keys to the woman's Range Rover Sport and threatened to harm the woman and her granddaughter.

After she left to find her keys, the woman dialed 911, then returned to the intruder, promising the keys, money and other valuables if he didn't hurt them. Once the man left the house and went toward the car, the woman begged for help from the 911 operator, instructed her granddaughter to stay inside a bedroom, then grabbed her gun. As police sirens wailed in the distance, the man reentered the home and made his way toward the armed woman.

"Get back, get back!" she screamed. "Get back, get back! I will f***ing shoot you!" Then the woman opened fire, striking the threatening suspect once. She then provided first aid and water to the stunned intruder before police arrived to take him into custody. The suspect was treated at a local hospital. Police say he had been fleeing law enforcement in a stolen vehicle while on pre-trial release for a case where he was found in a stolen car with fentanyl, cocaine and heroin.

"This city is a mess," the woman posted on Facebook. "Criminals are ruining innocent people's lives everyday. I'm sick of keeping quiet about the disaster this city's leadership has created." (Daily Mail; Albuquerque, N.M.; 3/21/24)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives – August 1963

William Modesitt was awakened after midnight by noises in his Brazil, Ind., home. Modesitt saw an intruder in the living room. After obtaining his shotgun, he quietly surprised the intruder and held him at bay until police arrived. When the man was in custody, it was learned he was on probation for second-degree burglary. (The Brazil Daily Times)

Latest

Ruger/Dead Air’s Centerfire RXD
Ruger/Dead Air’s Centerfire RXD

Hunting For The Perfect Partner: Ruger/Dead Air’s Centerfire RXD

The result of a joint venture between two giants of their respective industries, the new RXD30Ti exemplifies just how beneficial a well-designed hunting suppressor can be in the field.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 20, 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.

AI Summaries Reducing Firearm-Related Web Traffic, Sharing Incorrect Information

"[T]here are increasing concerns about how frequently AI systems invent false information—AKA hallucinations—with error rates in some tests reaching as high as 79 percent.”

Preview: Rite In The Rain 25 Meter M16A2/M4 Zeroing Targets

Precipitation and humidity can render a standard paper target unusable in only seconds, which is what makes Rite In The Rain’s line of weatherproof targets such a godsend for outdoor shooters.

Smith & Wesson Model 1854 Now Available In .30-30 Win.

Smith & Wesson expanded its Model 1854 series of lever-action rifles with several .30-30 Win.-chambered variants, just in time for deer season.

Preview: Making The Enfield Pattern 1853 Rifle-Musket

In Making The Enfield Pattern 1853 Rifle-Musket, author Peter Smithurst details the tools and processes used to produce this historically significant firearm.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.