On Jan. 21, a woman in Fruita, Colo., discovered an intruder in her home. To protect the victim, reports don’t provide many details on the incident, but do indicate that the woman was able to defend herself with her firearm, causing the man to flee. Fruita police reminded area residents to always keep their homes and cars locked and to “take all precautions necessary to protect yourself and your property, regardless of how safe you think your neighborhood is.” (kjct8.com, Grand Junction, Colo., 1/22/24)
A homeowner in Georgia, Vt., used a muzzleloading rifle to defend himself against several home intruders just before midnight on Jan. 30. The three suspects reportedly were forcing entry through a locked door. The homeowner shot one of the alleged intruders, a 39-year-old man, critically wounding him, then shut the door and called police. The other would-be home invaders fled before police arrived, but officers found the wounded man in a neighbor’s yard and transported him to the hospital. The investigation was still ongoing. (mychamplainvalley.com, Colchester, Vt., 1/31/24)
On Feb. 11 in East Greenwich, R.I., a man called police to report that a man wielding a knife had followed him into his garage and demanded his car. The homeowner, however, was an armed citizen, and the suspect ran off after he drew his firearm. He was later found allegedly using a rock to break into a nearby home through the sliding-glass door. Police quickly arrested the 30-year-old suspect, who faces multiple charges. (wmur.com, Manchester, N.H., 2/11/24)
