The Armed Citizen® May 5, 2017

by
posted on May 5, 2017
** 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. **
ac2009_fs.jpg (1)

A lover’s spat could have turned lethal if not for the efforts of an armed citizen. The ex-boyfriend of an employee came into the 39-year-old’s workplace and began to harass the woman. The offender punched the woman several times before throwing her to the ground. A customer saw the commotion and helped. His intervention made the woman’s ex angry, and he attacked the armed citizen, trying to grab the man’s gun. The Good Samaritan fired twice at the suspect, who was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. (Holland Sentinel, Holland, MI, 2/24/17)

The Armed Citizen® Extra
Late one night, three masked and armed teenagers broke through a back glass door of a home. The homeowner’s son, who was asleep in his room, heard the commotion and grabbed an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Upon confronting the three intruders, he opened fire, killing all three. The homeowner’s son then barricaded himself in his room and called 9-1-1. A young woman, who dropped the three burglars off at the home, is being charged for three complaints of first-degree murder because the deaths of her accomplices occurred while she was in commission of a felony, one count of first-degree burglary and another for second-degree burglary. The homeowner’s son is not being charged. (Tulsa World, Wagoner, OK, 4/4/17) 

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
May 1981
John and Deby Matthews were asleep early one morning in their Las Cruces, N.M., home when they heard the sounds of cabinet doors opening and closing. John leaped from bed and tackled the intruder, while Deby grabbed a 12-ga. shotgun and followed behind. They held a youthful housebreaker until police arrived. (The Sun-News, Las Cruces, NM)

Latest

Mantis X Review 1
Mantis X Review 1

Review: Mantis TitanX Training System

You don’t have to go all the way to the range to enhance your shooting skills.

Radical Update: The Benelli M2-G1 Tactical Shotgun

For 2026, Benelli has given its tactical M2 shotgun a radical update with the new M2-G1 version.

President’s Column | President Meets President

I am quite certain, that for the first time in NRA history the President of the United States met with the NRA president, the NRA president asked for his support for national Right-to-Carry (NRTC), and then, on a national stage, President Trump called out the NRA president’s name and pledged his support for national Right-to-Carry legislation. But that’s exactly what happened at a rally near Allentown, Pa., in late June.

Gun of the Week: TriStar Arms KR.22

Semi-automatic .22 rifles have been a staple in the firearm marketplace for decades, and the TriStar Arms KR.22 brings yet another lightweight, affordable option that accepts Ruger 10/22 rotary magazines.

Political Report | Trump Reiterates National Right-to-Carry Support

I am repeatedly reminded of how critical it was that the NRA engaged early in supporting Donald Trump’s 2016 candidacy—and that he won. A recent example came in June, when President Trump spoke to American workers at a Mack Trucks facility in Macungie, Pa.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 21, 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.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.