A woman was home alone with her child near Chicago, Ill., around 10 p.m. on Aug. 16, when she heard someone breaking in. She armed herself and retreated to a closet with her child. The intruder, however, proceeded upstairs to the hiding spot, so the woman shot and killed him. The investigation revealed that the man had several prior convictions, including three burglaries, and was on parole at the time of this incident. (shawlocal.com, Crystal Lake, Ill., 8/18/25)
A homeowner in Kanawha County, W.Va., discovered a stranger inside his home around noon on Aug. 8. The intruder was reportedly armed with a knife and a baseball bat and advanced on the homeowner when he entered the residence. The two men fought, with the scuffle migrating outside, where the homeowner was able to draw and fire on the assailant, killing him. (wchstv.com, Charlestown, W.Va., 8/8/25)
In Philadelphia, a man was riding a SEPTA train on Aug. 15 when another man brutally attacked him. Police told the media that security video shows the man pacing the train car before attacking with no provocation. He knocked the victim down and struck him multiple times in the head and face. Fortunately, the victim was able to draw his concealed-carry firearm and shoot the assailant dead. (cbsnews.com, Philadelphia, Pa., 8/15/25)
A man was cleaning his car at a car wash around 7 p.m. on Sept. 2 near Detroit, Mich., when two other men approached. The men allegedly demanded the man’s valuables and pointed a gun at him, whereupon the victim drew his own firearm and shot at the assailants, killing one and causing the other to flee. (clickondetroit.com, Detroit, Mich., 9/2/25)
On Sept. 10, in Oakland, Calif., the owner of a store that offers cash for gold closed his business at 7:30 p.m., but when someone arrived at 7:45, he opened the door, thinking they were a potential customer trying to sell. He was then allegedly attacked by that person and four others, as was his cousin, who was also in the store. The owner, however, was able to produce his firearm and shoot at the assailants as he retreated to the store office. Two of the suspects were killed. The two surviving suspects were charged with attempted robbery and murder. The store owner was not charged. (ktvu.com, San Francisco, Calif., 9/25/25)
A 62-year-old, heavily intoxicated man arrived by bicycle at a convenience store in Indian River County, Fla., on the afternoon of Oct. 3. The man allegedly threatened a woman outside the store with a gun, saying he was going to kill her, and then proceeded inside the store after the woman fled. Still armed, the man began demanding everyone inside the store leave. A female clerk was also armed, however, and she pushed the man back outside, telling him to drop his gun. She disarmed him and forced him to wait on his knees with his hands in the air until police could arrive. The man was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon and exhibition of a weapon in public. (tcpalm.com, Ft. Pierce, Fla., 10/3/25)
In San Antonio, Texas, on the morning Oct. 4, a masked man allegedly entered a shop selling smoking supplies, threatened the clerk with a gun and demanded money. The clerk, however, drew his own firearm and shot the suspect multiple times, landing him in critical condition at the time of reporting. (foxsanantonio.com, San Antonio, Texas, 10/5/25)
A woman was at home with her children in Phoenix, Ariz., the night of Oct. 10, when an ex-boyfriend forced his way in. The woman shot the man, who was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Police confirmed that the two had recently broken up and that the man had forced his way into the residence. (abc15.com, Phoenix, Ariz., 10/11/25)
