The Armed Citizen® May 6, 2011

by
posted on May 6, 2011
** 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

Though Rocco Bombara's legs were amputated due to a medical condition, he is far from helpless. "He's not someone to mess with," said his daughter Nicco. "He's pretty tough. He does everything on his own." Rocco also understands that sometimes evil men perceive the physically challenged as easy prey. One such individual attempted to break into Bombara's apartment while his son, daughter and several of their friends were watching television. The intruder crawled halfway inside the window and randomly fired two shots from a rifle. Bombara drew a handgun from his wheelchair and returned a more precise shot, killing the intruder. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA, 01/03/11)

Armed Citizen Extra

(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)

When three teenagers entered a St. Louis grocery store one afternoon and tried to steal some snacks, the store owner approached them, demanding that they pay for the snacks or leave the store. Two of the teens returned what they had taken, but the third pulled out a gun and pointed it at the owner. The owner then grabbed her own gun and fired two shots at the teen, hitting him in the buttocks. The teen was found on a nearby corner and was taken to the hospital. He now faces robbery charges. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, MO, 11/24/10)

From The Armed Citizen Archive

May 1980: Cleveland housewife Mrs. Lenwood Layton returned from a shopping trip to find her home ransacked by a burglar. Mrs. Layton got her husband's hidden revolver and headed for a bedroom where she had heard the burglar at work. When sounds of the intruder came from the closet, Mrs. Layton threw open the door, fired one shot in warning, and a youthful burglar stepped out and surrendered. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Latest

attack in a back alley
attack in a back alley

Cold Performance: How to Prepare for the Uncertainty of Self-Defense

Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.

Derya Goes Silent: The OBone Suppressor

In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 26, 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.

Rifleman Q&A: Understanding a Firearm's Cycle of Operation

The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.

Review: Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm Riflescope

Looking for a performance LPVO without the usual associated cost? The Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm might be your answer.

Myths & Misunderstandings About the “Modern Fighting 1911”

The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.