Missouri is a state with strong pro-gun and pro-self-defense laws, which help keep residents safe from those who would make their living by preying on others. The following six stories of Show Me State residents and armed self-defense make that point quite well.
More than cigarettes can kill you, as one attempted robber found out. A convenience store clerk stepped out of her shop at 3:50 a.m. one morning in St. Louis to take a smoke break. As she was standing behind the building, an armed man approached and attempted to rob her. The worker—who carried for defensive purposes, especially if she worked the overnight shift—pulled a gun and fired three shots, killing the stranger who had accosted her. The employee was shot twice in the leg during the confrontation, and she was taken to a hospital, where she was treated. (stltoday.com, St. Louis, Mo., 4/25/17)
A woman in her 60s was at home in Kansas City, Mo., when there was a knock at her door. She opened it to find a 24-year-old man, who asked after someone who didn’t live at the residence, then forced his way inside the home. The invader then sexually assaulted the woman. During a pause in the attack, the woman was able to retrieve a revolver. She shot and killed the criminal as he was making his way towards her again. The home invader had been released from prison in 2012 after serving a sentence for burglary and robbery convictions. (The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Mo., 11/14/13)
A robber entered the Raetta Quick Stop convenience store in House Springs, Mo., displayed a gun and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk complied with the demand, but the owner of the store retrieved a handgun and confronted the criminal. The owner was able to hold the robber at gunpoint until police could arrive, without anyone getting hurt. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Mo., 09/24/13)
A man was at home asleep with his wife and child in their Kansas City, Mo., home when the family was awakened by a suspicious noise. The man retrieved a shotgun, went to investigate, and discovered a burglar who had broken into the home’s garage. The homeowner fired at the intruder, killing him. The shooting ended a lengthy crime spree perpetrated by the burglar that included the theft of three cars—one by a carjacking at gunpoint—and another burglary. (KCTV, Kansas City, Mo., 09/05/13)
Jon Alexander was clerking at the Beer 30 liquor store in Marionville, Mo., when a man entered the store, drew a gun and pointed it at him. Alexander, a 30-year military veteran who served four tours in Iraq, immediately pushed the robber’s gun away with his left hand, drew a pistol with his right, and pointed it at the thief’s head, causing the robber to flee the store. Following the incident, the owner of the store, Jeannine Dawson, spoke with a local media outlet. Dawson explained that Alexander acted just as she would have predicted during the robbery, and stated that she enjoyed showing her friends the surveillance footage of the confrontation, noting, “They’re shocked when they see the robber pull a gun, but then they’re just delighted when Jon stops him.” (Springfield News-Leader, Springfield, Mo., 09/03/13)
Sisters Debi Keeney and Donna Carlyle were at home in Highland, Mo., when a man forced his way inside the apartment as Keeney returned from smoking a cigarette outside. The criminal then threw Carlyle to the floor and began choking her and demanding money. Keeney recalled, “All I could see was Donna’s face going blue, like her life was being choked out of her.” In response, Keeney retrieved a .22-caliber pistol and, after a verbal warning, fired at the home invader, striking him twice and ending the attack. Following the incident, Keeney stated, “I gave him the opportunity to leave. I wish he had left without me having to shoot him … Put in the same situation again, I would do it again.” The sisters’ neighbor, Rodney Rusick, was supportive of Keeney’s actions, telling local media, “I’m proud of her for shooting that dude.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Mo., 02/10/13)
