The Armed Citizen® September 11, 2012

by
posted on September 11, 2012
** 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)

Georgi Layous, 66, owner of Starlight Jewelry, was inside the small shop with his wife and two young grandchildren when 19-year-old Musa Thomas entered. Thomas produced a gun and ordered Layous to empty the cash register. He got angry when he found only $11 in the register and pushed Layous and his wife to the floor. Thomas continued to threaten their lives as he took jewelry from display cases and even snatched a necklace from Layous’ 4-year-old granddaughter’s neck. Thomas turned his back as he tried to retrieve surveillance video from a computer. Layous told his wife in Arabic to give him the .380-caliber pistol he keeps in the store for protection. Layous then shot Thomas in the leg. Thomas was arrested and charged with armed robbery after being treated for his gunshot wound. (Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Ill., 5/3/12)

From The Armed Citizen Archives

August 1970: Thomas A. Ciccone returned to his Wilmington, Del., home one evening to find the first floor ransacked. Hearing a noise on the third floor, he got his revolver, quietly climbed the stairs and captured the burglar. (Wilmington, Del., Morning News)

From The Armed Citizen Archives

September 1988: Awakened by his dog's growls, Savannah, Ga., resident Dennis Warren reached for his handgun and went to his bedroom door. Discovering a man advancing toward him in the hallway, Warren announced he was armed and ordered the intruder to stop. But, as Warren backed into his bedroom, the burglar lunged at him, and the resident fired. He then held the wounded man at gunpoint while his wife summoned police, who charged the man with burglary. (The Evening Press, Savannah, Ga.)

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Bulwark 1
Gotw Wilson Combat Bulwark 1

Gun of the Week: Wilson Combat Bulwark

Wilson Combat has long been known for its custom work on 1911-style designs, but the company also develops its own firearms, and one of its latest in-house creations is the new Bulwark.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 4, 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.

NFA Wait Times Continue to Drop

In early 2021, it took the ATF about 280 days to process a Form 4 NFA transfer. In August 2026, using the recently implemented eForms system, that wait time had dropped to only nine days.

Pelican Air Carry-on Case Review

An industry staple just made air travel more convenient.

The ROSE Program by SIG Sauer: Empowering Women in Shooting Sports Across the Nation

The ROSE Program is a shooting program created specifically for women. It aims to create a community of women in shooting that can learn about shooting and self-defense.

I Have This Old Gun: French MAS-49

Despite being early adopters of several semi-automatic rifles for military use, the French army took several decades to work out a standardized semi-automatic rifle for general service use. The rifle that finally came to being was the MAS-49.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.