A 21-year-old man wearing a gray hoodie and black ski mask hit another man with his car on March 7 in a Fort Wayne, Ind., Walmart parking lot, and proceeded to beat the man with a baseball bat. Witnessing the attack, an armed bystander drew his firearm, causing the assailant to get back into his vehicle and drive away. The assailant was initially able to avoid police, but was later arrested and charged with attempted murder. Local law enforcement was reportedly able to locate the suspect after receiving a tip from someone who recognized the car from a separate incident. (wfft.com, Fort Wayne, Ind., 3/9/20)
A man licensed to carry concealed fatally shot a woman outside a Tulsa, Okla., shopping center around 6:30 p.m. on March 27
after she allegedly began firing at other customers. Surveillance video showed the woman in an altercation in the same parking lot earlier that day. She left the shopping center, then returned about three minutes later, when she drew a gun and opened fire, according to a news release. The concealed-carry permit holder was in the parking lot at the same time. He drew his pistol and fatally shot the woman, preventing her from firing on more bystanders. The armed citizen was questioned and released by the detective division of the Tulsa police. (tulsaworld.com, Tulsa, Okla., 3/28/20)
A round 10:30 p.m., a pizza shop owner in Philadelphia’s Wissinoming neighborhood shot an attempted robber who allegedly tried to rob the store at gunpoint. The owner, who is legally authorized to carry a firearm for personal defense, shot the would-be robber in the hand. The injured suspect was transported to a nearby hospital and placed in stable condition before being taken into custody by local law enforcement. (fox29.com, Philadelphia, Pa., 4/5/20)
An elderly woman fatally shot a 19-year-old intruder around 12:45 a.m. after the intruder had attacked her fiancé. The couple was asleep in their Fredericksburg, Texas, home when they heard a loud banging noise coming from outside. The man, age 73, went to check the back porch and upon encountering the intruder, was attacked and hit with a blunt object. The homeowner was then put into a chokehold by the home invader, which caused him to lose consciousness. The woman woke up during the fight and asked the intruder to stop attacking, but was ignored. According to the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office, she retrieved a handgun from the bedroom and fired one shot, but the culprit continued to attack. Fearing for her safety after seeing her unconscious fiancé, she fired a second shot, which hit the assailant in the head. The male homeowner regained consciousness and called 911, according to police. After transport to a local hospital, the teenaged thug succumbed to his injuries. (kvue.com, Austin, Texas, 4/12/20; kxan.com, Austin, Texas, 4/11/20)
A man in Jacksonville, Fla., helped apprehend an alleged arsonist March 4 by holding the suspect at gunpoint until local law enforcement was able to arrive. The armed citizen heard screaming from his neighbor inside a burning home and retrieved his gun while heading outside to see what the commotion was all about. Immediately, he saw the house was on fire and used his voice to help guide his neighbor to safety. The armed citizen also discovered the suspected arsonist and, using handcuffs and his firearm, held the lawbreaker at gunpoint until the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrived. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department and police department confirmed that the blaze was set intentionally. (actionnewsjax.com, Jacksonville, Fla., 3/4/20)
A 21-year-old man attempted to break into a Mather, Wis., home on March 5. Investigators said the intruder tried to forcibly enter a nearby business around 4 a.m. the same day and that when unable to do so, he then went to the nearby residence. The homeowner confronted the intruder, who promptly left. As the homeowner was reporting the incident to law enforcement, the young man again attempted to force his way into the home and threatened the homeowner with a knife. Using a handgun, the resident then fired several shots at the would-be invader, who was struck multiple times and subsequently flown to a nearby hospital where he was treated for his injuries. According to the Juneau County Sheriff’s Office, the perpetrator faced multiple charges upon his release from the hospital, including felony recklessly endangering safety, felony bail jumping and misdemeanor criminal damage to property, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. (wsaw.com, Wausau, Wis., 3/5/20; wiscnews.com, Madison, Wis., 3/12/20)
