On the night of Jan. 23, a father and mother inside their home heard their daughter screaming outside. The parents ran out and found a horrific scene. Their daughter was being attacked by her 26-year-old boyfriend, and was bleeding from her mouth and face. The parents tried to break up the fight, but were unable to make the man stop hitting their daughter. The father drew his gun and fired one shot, which went into the ground next to the attacker. At this time, the assailant turned his attention to his girlfriend's mother and attacked her. The father shot him, ending the attack. The boyfriend was transported to Halifax Health Medical Center and listed in critical condition. Deputies said that the father was protecting himself and his family, and no charges had been filed against him. (clickorlando.com and dailycaller.com, Daytona Beach, Fla., 1/23/21)
A calm Sunday morning walk for one Seattle, Wash., man turned into a life threatening situation on Jan. 31. The man said he noticed another man cross the street and come toward him. Out of nowhere, the assailant reportedly started punching the man in the head and chest. The victim was able to draw his concealed firearm and defend himself, shooting the aggressor. Police found the suspect a few blocks away and transported him to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was to be booked into the King County jail system once released from the hospital. (concealednation.org, and kiro7.com, Seattle, Wash., 1/31/21)
In the early morning hours of Feb. 2, a man woke to the sound of someone breaking into his home. He was able to get to his firearm and defend himself, exchanging fire with the intruders, causing them to flee in their vehicle. The victim called 911 to report the crime. Responding officers noticed a vehicle with “distinct damage” fleeing the scene. Thirty minutes later, police responded to a single-vehicle accident where they found one man in the backseat suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died. The other two suspects fled the crash scene and were still at large. cleveland.com, Cleveland, OH, 2/2/21)
The Macomb County Sheriff’s office responded to a report of an active home invasion on Monday, Jan. 25. The caller was the ex-girlfriend of a suspect who had forced his way into her home. Several gun shots can be heard on the emergency distress call. Upon arrival, the officers found the body of the suspect at the top of the stairway leading up to the second floor of the condo. The female caller and a 27-year-old male who is a legal gun owner were both questioned and then released from custody. (concealednation.org, and clickondetroit.com, Harrison Township, Mich., 1/26/21)
A California couple out enjoying a stroll with their two small children and two small dogs on the El Dorado bike trail noticed a mountain lion creeping behind them on the trail for about 10 minutes. The family tried scaring the animal by yelling at it, but the lion kept following them. At this point, the parents called 911 for help. Upon arrival, the sheriff’s deputy observed the animal pacing back forth on the trail. When the deputy yelled at the animal and fired a warning shot toward it, the lion charged instead of retreating, forcing him to shoot his service-issued Colt AR-15-style rifle chambered in .223 Rem., killing the animal before it pounced. (abc10.com, and kcra.com, Placerville, Calif., 1/11/21)
Around midnight on Friday, Jan. 8, a Miami, Okla. homeowner in his living room heard someone banging on his back door. The homeowner was able to arm himself with his shotgun as he heard the intruder go through a window in a back bedroom. When the two men came face to face, the intruder charged at the homeowner, forcing him to defend himself. He fired his shotgun once, striking the intruder. The assailant was taken to Miami Integris Hospital where he was pronounced dead. According to online court records, at least 12 warrants had been issued for the suspect prior to this incident. (tulsaworld.com, Miami, Okla., 1/8/21)
An employee of a smoke shop in Barstow, Calif., shot and killed a robber. The suspect entered the store, pointed a handgun at the employee and demanded money and property. While he was distracted robbing the store, the employee was able to retrieve his own handgun and shoot the armed robber. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the suspect unresponsive, and provided CPR until the paramedics arrived; however, the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. (vvdailypress.com, Barstow, Calif., 1/6/21)
