A couple driving their vehicle through a Walmart parking lot in Fresno, Calif., slowed as a man approached them for unknown reasons. The husband got out of their vehicle, and the stranger suddenly charged at him with a knife, causing him to back up several yards. The wife stepped out of the vehicle and shot the assailant once with her handgun, striking him in the throat from 30 feet and instantly ending the attack. The injured man was taken to a hospital and listed in critical condition. The incident was all caught on the store’s parking-lot security video, and no charges are expected to be filed against the woman who defended her husband. (fresnobee.com, and abc30.com, Fresno, Calif., 5/4/21)
In Brunswick, Ga., a call for a Papa John’s pizza delivery came in around 11 p.m. on Saturday, June 7. When the delivery driver arrived at the given address, he found what seemed to be a vacant mobile home. However, a man was there and threatened the delivery driver with a knife. To defend himself, the driver drew his firearm and shot the assailant, killing him. According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, the deceased suspect was a repeat offender who had been released from prison after serving 15 years for armed robbery. The delivery driver has not been charged with any violations. (news4jax.com, Jacksonville, Fla., 6/7/21)
A group of contractors was renovating Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant in Richmond Heights, Mo., early in the morning on June 17, when a man broke into the building through the front entrance of the restaurant and confronted them. The intruder then allegedly charged at one of the workers. However, he had chosen to charge at the one contractor who was armed with a handgun, and who quickly responded by shooting the alleged assailant in the lower body. The wounded man was taken to a nearby hospital where he underwent surgery and is expected to survive. (fox2now.com, and ksdk.com, Richmond Heights, Mo., 6/17/21)
An associate was opening Hatcher’s Auto Transmission Center in Birmingham, Al., early on the morning of Saturday, June 19, when an armed man allegedly entered the business and attempted to rob the worker. The associate, however, was also armed and was able to defend himself, shooting the intruder. Responding fire and rescue service members pronounced the suspected robber deceased upon their arrival, and police located a handgun near the assailant. The auto worker remained on the scene and was fully cooperating with the investigation. Court records show that this was not the first time the suspect was involved in a robbery and charged, and his latest court proceedings had extended his probation through 2024. (al.com and msn.com, Birmingham, Al., 6/19/21)
At 10:45 p.m. on July 4 in Chicago, Ill., a trio of people were standing in an alley when a 33-year-old man allegedly began shooting at them, killing one 45-year-old woman and wounding the other two (a 49-year-old man and a 32-year-old man). A concealed-carry license holder who witnessed this attack drew his own gun and shot the attacker in the arm and hip. The suspect was taken to the hospital and stabilized. He is reportedly being charged with one count of murder for the death of the woman shot in the head, two counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated assault with a firearm. (chicago.suntimes.com, and fox32chicago.com, Chicago, Ill., 7/4/21)
On Sunday, June 20, in Carlisle, Ohio, two armed men allegedly entered a pizza business, attempting to rob it. The men, one of them wielding a large crowbar and the second a knife, sprinted toward the employees. An employee who is also a concealed carrier pulled his firearm and shot one of the attackers. The second suspect ran out of the business and was still on the run, according to the sheriff’s office. In January, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed an expanded stand-your-ground law that said “a person has no duty to retreat before using force in self-defense, defense of another, or defense of that person’s residence if that person is in a place in which the person lawfully has a right to be.” Accordingly, no charges are expected to be filed against the employee. (foxnews.com and whio.com, New Carlisle, Ohio, 6/20/21)
On Friday, July 2, a couple in a rural area near Modesto, Calif., was alerted of a possible home break-in by their alarm company. The male homeowner rushed home to investigate. While checking inside the home, he was confronted by a male intruder, who suddenly fired multiple shots at the homeowner. The homeowner, however, was also armed, and fired back at the suspect. After wounding the intruder, the homeowner disarmed him and called 911 for help. When deputies responded to the call, they found the 41-year-old suspect dead on the floor . The homeowner is fully cooperating with the investigation. (foxnews.com, and nixle.us, Modesto, Calif., 7/2/201)
