The Armed Citizen® Oct. 17, 2025

by
posted on October 17, 2025
** 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 neighbor and Good Samaritan intervened to help a threatened resident of an Elkton, Md., neighborhood when he was faced with an aggressive, threatening stranger late at night.

Just after midnight on Saturday, August 9, a 23-year-old man allegedly began pounding on the door of a residence in the Upland Court complex while yelling and repeating threats to kill the resident inside. The resident called a longtime friend and neighbor and alerted him to the situation, then opened a second-floor window and looked outside to investigate. The suspect saw the resident in the window and shouted, "Come out here, I want to kill you," according to the police report.

The resident grabbed a baseball bat as a defensive tool and went outside after seeing his neighbor walking toward the house. The armed neighbor then told the suspect, "Don't move. I have a gun." The neighbor had instructed his wife to call 911, and dispatchers told responding officers that the suspect was being "detained by a neighbor of the victim at gunpoint."

The neighbor instructed the suspect to lay down, and the 23-year-old aggressor complied and put his hands behind his back at one point. While they waited for police to arrive, the neighbor noted that the suspect "was saying all kinds of things that did not make sense." Responding officers arrested the suspect, who faces six criminal charges, including attempted home invasion. Two days after his arrest, the suspect was released on an unsecured $5,000 bond after a bail review hearing. (Cecil Whig; Elkton, Md.; 8/12/25)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives – October 1983

A would-be rapist awoke Claudine Hale in her Baltimore apartment, grabbed her by the throat and threatened to harm the children sleeping in the same room. Hale struggled with the assailant, then managed to reach a handgun, which she used to halt the attack. He fled after being shot, and a suspect was found dead nearby. Baltimore authorities declined to press charges against the woman. (The Evening Sun, Baltimore, Md.)

Latest

Wilson Combat eXperior Elite
Wilson Combat eXperior Elite

Gun Locker: Wilson Combat eXperior Elite

Wilson Combat continues its fine tradition of making excellent guns even better with its new eXperior Elite design.

The Sako 90 Grizzly: Modernity Meets Tradition

Hunting remains a largely traditional activity, and some of us just like the feel of a nice wood stock. For those purists among us, Sako has introduced its new-for-2026 Grizzly.

The Armed Citizen® July 13, 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.

New Digital Surveillance Tools Threaten Gun Owner Privacy

Technology contained within new digital surveillance hardware recently introduced by defense contractor Leonardo could conceivably track who has recently purchased firearm and where they're taking it.

First Look: Shell Tech Ammo Dog Bowl

The materials used in your dog’s bowl matter for all the same reasons the materials in your own water bottle matter. That's why this dog bowl from Shell Tech Ammo is worth looking at.

Pony Power: Colt Launches Optics Division with VMR Riflescopes

Colt Optics grew out of a market where military, law enforcement and civilian customers increasingly expect a firearms manufacturer to offer a complete package that goes beyond just the firearm

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.