A young man dressed all in black and wearing a bandana over his face entered a liquor store in Fountain Valley, Calif., on Aug. 16, pulled out what looked like a gun and demanded money. The store’s owner, however, thought the would-be robber looked like a “kid” and that his gun looked “so fake … like a plastic toy.” He pulled out his own gun, whereupon the suspect immediately fled the store and got away in a waiting vehicle. The armed citizen told reporters he was able to remain calm because he’d been robbed at gunpoint before. (abc7.com, Los Angeles, Calif., 8/18/23)
On Aug. 30 in Butler, Pa., a man and his girlfriend were eating pizza and getting ready to watch a movie when they heard a strange bang in the basement. They started to walk down the stairs to investigate when they saw an intruder allegedly pushing his way through the door. The two residents ran back upstairs, and the man retrieved his gun while his girlfriend called 911. The now-armed citizen told the stranger to show his hands, which he did, but then he reportedly stopped complying, repeatedly asking to be hidden in the home. The homeowner said the man moved aggressively toward him, so he fired two shots, striking the intruder once. The homeowner told reporters he still had to kick the intruder back down after shooting him because the man kept attempting to get up. The intruder reportedly told him he’d rather be shot again than kicked, at which point the homeowner told him the next time he had to shoot him, he wouldn’t survive. Police arrested the intruder, who faces charges once released from medical treatment. No charges are expected against the armed citizen. (wtae.com, Pittsburgh, Pa., 8/31/23)
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