An intoxicated man wearing only shorts screamed obscenities and made threats while pounding on the door of a Baltimore residence around 1 a.m. The homeowners called 911 and told the man to leave. The man left the scene, but later returned and broke down the door. As he entered the home, he was fatally shot by one of the homeowners. The armed citizen, a man in his 50s, was in lawful possession of the firearm and will not face charges according to the State’s Attorney. (The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, Md., 9/03/2019)
During a home invasion in Botetourt County, Va., an alleged intruder with a gun entered a residence, confronted a woman and demanded her car keys around 4:30 p.m. After she yelled for another resident in the home, the suspect began firing. The other resident retrieved a gun and fired back, hitting the suspect. Police found the man lying in the front yard with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the neck. The alleged intruder, a 46-year-old criminal, was charged with breaking and entering, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. (The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Va., 6/21/2019)
Two masked men with guns were allegedly trying to rob a convenience store around 2 a.m. in Virginia Beach, Va. A woman in the store saw the clerk raise his hands as an armed citizen, with a 9 mm in a holster hidden under his shirt, stood in the back of the store. The alleged robbers had pointed guns at the customers and clerk. She initially thought the clerk had been shot, but realized it was the robbers who were shot. The armed citizen, who was filling his drink, seized an opportunity to fire shots at the masked men. One of them was injured and the other killed. A third suspect was found nearby. Authorities believe the trio may have been robbing other convenience stores in the area. The armed citizen has since become friends with the woman whose life he may have saved. According to authorities, the unnamed bystander will not be charged. (The Virginian-Pilot, Hampton Roads, Va., 8/29/19)
Two men allegedly impersonating FBI agents attempted to force their way into an Española, N.M., apartment around 4 a.m. One intruder was armed with what was later discovered to be a pellet gun with a laser pointer taped to the top of it. The homeowner announced several times that he was armed. After the intruder with the gun entered the apartment living room, the homeowner fired, fatally striking him. The intruder, a 31-year-old man, was later transported to the hospital where he died. The other suspect fled the scene and has yet to be identified. The armed citizen was not charged. (Rio Grande Sun, Española, N.M., 8/15/2019)
A would-be robber with a pistol entered a Philadelphia cell phone store shortly after 4 p.m. He tossed a bag to the only employee in the store and told him to fill it with cell phones. What the robber didn’t know is that the employee was armed and legally allowed to carry. The employee drew and discharged his firearm, striking and killing the robber. Investigators say the store was robbed at least two other times in the past year. The employee will face no charges, as police deemed the incident as legally justifiable self-defense. (CBS Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., 8/27/19)
A 73-year-old man returned home from a weekend away to find his house had been burglarized, but saw that many valuable items remained. Realizing the burglars were likely to return, he slept with a loaded SIG Sauer 9 mm pistol under his pillow. Just after 5 a.m., the doorbell rang. The homeowner did not answer and heard someone enter his home shortly afterwards. Gun drawn, the homeowner came downstairs and told the intruder “not to move,” and the intruder followed his directions. The homeowner, who had a concealed-carry permit, held the intruder at gunpoint while he contacted police. The alleged intruder, age 51, had previous burglary convictions and was charged with burglary. (Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio, 8/28/19)
An armed man allegedly tried to confront and rob a 25-year-old man at a Nashville ATM just before 10 p.m. The would-be robber approached the man with a gun drawn as the man was making a deposit. The man at the ATM was also armed and opened fire on the suspect in self-defense, hitting him multiple times. The suspect ran a short distance before collapsing and dropping a pistol. The suspect was later apprehended by police and is charged with attempted aggravated robbery, while no charges were filed against the armed citizen. (The Tennessean, Nashville, Tenn., 7/31/19)
