In Oakland, Calif., when a 75-year-old woman alone in her home at 2 a.m. on July 26 realized intruders were inside, she defended herself by firing at them with a .357 Magnum from her bed. The burglars fired back at her repeatedly but fortunately failed to strike her. The men then fled with some valuables. Her daughter told reporters the incident should serve as a warning to criminals: “People in Oakland, we’re tired of the lawlessness. People are standing up. People are fighting back.” A neighbor told reporters, “They’re playing with their lives because all these people out here are armed.” (ktvu.com, Oakland, Calif., 7/31/23)
In Cassopolis, Mich., the night of July 27, a man entered a convenience store and asked the clerk whether he could use the restroom. The clerk reportedly did not respond, but the man allegedly proceeded to the corner, put on a mask, then went behind the counter and pointed a knife at the clerk as he demanded the register be opened. An armed citizen witnessed the man threatening the clerk and shot him two or three times, then held the suspect at gunpoint until police could arrive, whereupon he was transported to the hospital in stable condition. Police located a suspected accomplice in a vehicle nearby and arrested her for drug possession. (wndu.com, South Bend, Ind., 7/28/23
An armed citizen in Salem, Ind., was thankfully watching around dinnertime on Aug. 7 when a man drove through her front yard, grabbed her husband, forced him to the ground and pointed a gun at his head. The wife shot the assailant with her handgun; he later died of his wounds. The man reportedly was “well-known in the area” and had a significant criminal background. (wdrb.com, Louisville, Ky., 8/8/23)
