I’ve mentioned the NRA’s Armed Citizen column before. The Armed Citizen
Two things prompted me to revisit the subject.
1. I just read about a Center for Disease Control (CDC) report that was published a year ago, but I’ve never heard of it. The report indicates that successful defensive gun usage in the US occurs from “500,000 to more than 3 million per year” and “self-defense can be an important crime deterrent”. Far more than gun control advocates will admit. CDC Report
2. The son of a close friend who supports private firearms ownership, commented to me that he has only heard of one case of defensive gun use by a non-law enforcement person; the recent incident where a concealed carry holder stopped and held for police a car jacker. Concealed Carry
The CDC research shows what we have been saying for years, that concealed carry protects people. But nobody knows it. The word isn’t getting out. Gun control advocates suppress the information or call the results exaggerated or “insignificant”. But it’s not insignificant to the people who survived the encounters because they were armed.
To reinforce the CDC’s findings, I’ve reprinted several Armed Citizen entries where a lone female was successfully able to defend herself or her family because she was armed. I defy anyone to explain how the outcome of any of these situations would have turned out better if the woman was unarmed. Who wants to tell these female armed citizens they are insignificant?
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A 35-year-old woman called 911 after a man followed her home from a gas station and forced his way inside through the front door. The woman allegedly ordered the man to leave then retreated to her bedroom. The intruder picked up a knife from the kitchen table and followed her. It was reported that he threatened the woman with the knife and ordered her to take off her clothes. She warned the man that she would shoot him, but he continued to push her to undress. She retrieved a 9 mm handgun from underneath a pillow on her bed and pointed it at the intruder. When he continued toward her, she pulled the trigger. The suspect was fatally wounded. (Santa Fe New Mexican, Alcalde, NM, 11/8/12) (My Note: The woman was able to call the police but still had to defend herself before the police arrived.)
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When Claudia Gray entered her El Paso apartment, she was jumped by a man wearing only a stocking mask and a t-shirt. After the attacker had wrestled her to the bed, Gray warned him that she was expecting company. He got up and went to lock the front door, whereupon she grabbed a .22 cal. rifle from beneath the bed and shot him twice. After the police arrived and made the arrest, the previously convicted burglar was sentenced to seven years in the state penitentiary. (The Times, El Paso, Tex., 12/7/12)
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A would-be rapist awoke Claudine Hale in her Baltimore apartment, grabbed her by the throat and threatened to harm the children sleeping in the same room. Hale struggled with the assailant, then managed to reach a handgun, which she used to halt the attack. He fled after being shot, and a suspect was found dead nearby. Baltimore authorities declined to press charges against the woman. (The Evening Sun, Baltimore, MD, 12/18/12)
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One afternoon, a 37-year-old mother of two heard a knock at the front door of her home. At first, the woman assumed the visitor was a solicitor and told her 9-year-old twins not to answer. When the knocking continued and the doorbell began ringing repeatedly, the woman called her husband at work. Her husband advised her and the children to hide while he called 911. The family hid in a crawlspace in the attic. Meanwhile, the intruder had forced his way into the home using a crowbar. After rummaging through the home, the intruder worked his way to the attic where he was met with a .38-cal. revolver. The woman fired six times. The intruder was later transported to a local medical center and was expected to survive his multiple gunshot wounds. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Loganville, GA, 01/5/13) (My Note: The woman emptied her gun into the intruder. The intruder was still able to walk to his car and escape. What if there was more than one intruder? Maybe there is a legitimate need for high capacity magazines. Read the story: Woman Hides in Attic with Twins
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Debi Keeney, 55, was at home with her sister, Donna Carlyle, 47, when she stepped outside to smoke a cigarette. As she closed the door behind her, a man approached and pushed his way inside the apartment. The man threw Keeney to the floor and put Carlyle in a choke hold. He demanded money as Carlyle gasped for air. Keeney was quickly able to get to a .22-cal. derringer she kept hidden in a side-table drawer. She warned the man to release her sister or she would shoot. When he continued to demand money, Keeney fired. The 33-year-old intruder was later taken to a local hospital to be treated for two gunshot wounds and was listed in critical condition. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Highland, MO, 02/11/13)
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A woman scared off men accused of breaking into homes by using her gun for protection, according to court documents. James Deweese, 30, of Michigan City, and David Keck, 26, of Crown Point, each were charged with residential entry and criminal mischief in connection with the March 11 incident. A resident there told police she saw a black Ford Fusion pull up on her driveway. A man left the car, walked to her door and began knocking and ringing the doorbell for several minutes, court records state. The woman told police she grabbed her handgun for protection because she was suspicious of the man. The man allegedly kicked in her door, and the woman pointed her gun at him. The man ran back to the car, which was driven by another person, and the woman took a picture of the car on her cellphone, court documents state. (North West Indiana Times, 03/22/13)
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After two windows were broken simultaneously in her Elyria, Ohio, home, Mrs. Mary Farkas got a .22 revolver, entered the kitchen and found a man peering in. Meanwhile an accomplice climbed in a front window. Mrs. Farkas fired a shot that sent both men fleeing, one leaving behind a machete. Police apprehended three men later and charged two with malicious entry. (The Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, Ohio, 03/27/13)
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Phibbie Underwood, a 72-year-old woman on oxygen, was home alone when she heard the front door rattle, saw a shadow on the front porch and then heard a loud banging on the window. Underwood retrieved a gun she kept in her bedroom and returned to find a 26-year-old man who had broken the window and gained entry to her home. Underwood ordered the man to get out of her home and leave her alone. Instead the man walked into another room, then walked back toward her. Underwood warned the man to stop and when he didn’t she pulled the trigger. The gun misfired, So Underwood fired again and missed. The man got down on the floor to avoid being shot. Underwood held the man there until police arrived. (Tribune Chronicle, Youngstown, OH, 04/29/13) (Note the age and physical condition of the woman – 72 years old and on oxygen)
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A young mother who killed a 37-year-old felon after he forced his way into her home was cleared of manslaughter charges by District Court Judge Robert Simms. Mrs. Keith Boyce, alone with her nine-month-old baby in a home that had been burglarized twice before, shot the intruder with a .22 pistol while holding her baby in her other arm. Judge Simms approved. “If more people did this,” he said, “we would have less of the problem we have in this country.” The slain man had a 20-year record of major crime, and was free on bond on a burglary charge when shot. (Tribune Chronicle, Youngstown, OH, 05/19/13)
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Mrs. Katherine Lawrence, 73, of Atlanta, Ga., went to her bedroom and obtained a pistol when a man kept beating on her front door demanding a drink of water. When the intruder kicked in a window and threatened to kill her, Mrs. Lawrence fatally wounded him. (Constitution, Atlanta, GA., 06/21/14) (Again, note the age of the woman)
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A 70-year-old South Side woman on oxygen held a man at gunpoint in her home Wednesday evening after he crashed through her porch window and onto her couch. Phibbie Underwood told the intruder, 26, that “you broke into the wrong house” and “I’ll kill you” after he came through the window about 8 p.m. Wednesday police reports state. She fired one shot in his direction. Police said they arrived to find the intruder lying on the floor and Underwood pointing a .22-caliber revolver at him. Underwood put on a clinic on how to defend your home with a gun, according to the police chief. “She’s a brave lady,” he said. “She did exactly what she’s supposed to do with a home defense firearm. Good for her.” “She didn’t use the gun until she felt threatened.” (Tribune Chronicle, Youngstown, OH., 07/29/2013) (Apparently women in their 70’s are pretty bad-ass)
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A pregnant Texas woman, who claims to have been anti-gun before the incident, was home alone when she heard someone banging loudly on her front door. She didn’t answer the door. While the first suspect was banging on the front door a second was breaking in through the back door. The woman grabbed her husband’s .40 S&W handgun and called 911. When the intruders saw she was armed they fled to their car. The woman opened fire on the truck as they were getting in. The suspects were arrested in a nearby home after a standoff with police. (Gunssavelives.net, Palmview, TX, 09/15/13)
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Awakened by her 11-year-old daughter’s cries for help, Elizabeth Williams of Birmingham, Ala., investigated and found a burglar inside her home. While scuffling with the intruder, she called out to the child to notify police and get a gun. When the little girl did so, the robber attempted to escape. As he headed for the back door, Mrs. Williams fired twice, wounding the man, then held him until police arrived. (The Post-Herald, Birmingham, Ala., 09/16/13)
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Sandra Mize, 63, was asleep when she heard someone break in through the back door of her home. She grabbed the .22-cal. handgun she keeps by her bed and ran into her dark living room. Mize could see the silhouette of a man in her kitchen and warned him that she was armed. The man approached her despite her warnings. Mize fired once. The intruder advanced to the living room where he collapsed on the sofa. Mize kept her gun aimed at the intruder and asked him if he had been hit, but received no response. Soon after, police arrived and the intruder made his getaway attempt. He leapt from the sofa and tried to flee through the back door, but was met by a police dog. Officers arrested the 35-year-old perpetrator, who was uninjured. He has reportedly been jailed on two counts of burglary. (The Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA, 10/4/13)
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Two teenage boys were spotted by a neighbor as they loaded items from the cabin next door into a vehicle parked outside. The youths wore what appeared to be blood-spattered clothing. The neighbor retrieved a firearm and confronted the interlopers. They were held at gunpoint until police arrived. The teens had run away from a juvenile rehabilitation camp just two days before. They had broken into the cabin and brutally murdered the elderly couple staying there before the armed citizen was able to stop them. (The Kansas City Star, Springfield, MO, 11/24/13) (My Note: The unarmed elderly couple were victims. The armed neighbor stopped the crime and held the assailants. The elderly do not have to be victims if they are armed.)
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A local 31-year-old man may have thought breaking into a senior citizen’s home early Saturday would be easy pickings. But that was before he met the 88-year-old woman who owns the residence. Sgt. Brice Woolly, Ardmore Police Department Patrol Division, said dispatchers received a call about 4:35 a.m. “The call was from an alarm company. They said there was an intruder in the house and the owner had the subject and was holding him at gunpoint,” Woolly said. Officers arrived at the residence and took the intruder into custody without incident. He was booked into the Carter County Detention Center pending formal charges. (The Ardmoreite, Ardmore, OK, 12/28/13)
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A mother of two was upstairs at home with her children in Iona County, Mich. when she heard a suspicious noise coming from the first floor. The woman retrieved a gun, went to the top of the stairs, and spotted a masked criminal armed with a machete and a shotgun through a window next to the home’s front door. The armed homeowner raised the firearm at the criminal, prompting the would-be intruder to retreat from the door. Police arrived on the scene and captured the suspect, following a brief chase. In an interview with a local media outlet following the incident, the armed mother stated, “I honestly think the gun saved my life.” (WOOD, Grand Rapids, Mich. January 01/31/14)
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A woman was sitting in her parked car in Lafayette, La. when a man approached the vehicle, opened the door, and grabbed her purse. The woman responded by retrieving a gun and ordering the criminal to drop her property, which he did. Police captured the would-be thief, who was held on $10,000 bail. (KATC, Lafayette, La. 02/11/14)
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A woman and her family were sleeping in the upstairs of their Fenton, Mo. home when the woman awakened to the sound of the front door being opened. The woman retrieved a gun and went to the top of the stairs, where she spotted two intruders. The woman then fired at the criminals, causing them to flee. (KMOV, St. Louis, Mo. 02/21/14)
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A recently widowed woman was home alone in Phoenix, Ariz. when a man broke into her house through a back door. Once inside, the criminal attacked the woman with what may have been a garden tool. The woman responded by retrieving a gun and shooting the home invader, ending the attack. (KSAZ, Phoenix, Ariz. 05/06/14)
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A woman was at her Van Zandt County, Texas home when she became aware of a man attempting to gain access to the house through a side door. The woman retrieved a gun and shot and killed the intruder. It was later determined by local media outlet KLTV that the home invader was a suspect in an arson investigation earlier in the week, had an extensive criminal record, and had only recently been released from the county jail on charges of failing to register as a sex offender. (KLTV, Tyler, Texas, 02/10/15)
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A mother was at home with her young child in Newport News, Va. when a stranger behaving erratically began trying to force his way into the home through a door. Concerned for herself and her daughter’s safety, the mother retrieved a gun and called police. The man eventually broke into the home through a window. The mother responded to the intrusion by shooting the home invader twice. When police arrived the criminal was taken to a local hospital; he is expected to recover. (WTKR, Hampton Roads, Va. 03/12/15) (My Note: The woman was able to call the police but still had to defend herself before the police arrived.)
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A woman was at home in Billings, Mont. when she went to her car to retrieve her purse. Upon grabbing the purse, the woman heard a suspicious noise and drew a .380-caliber pistol from the bag. A man then attacked the woman, who responded by firing at the criminal, prompting the attacker to flee the scene. (KRTV, Great Falls, Mont. 05/13/15)
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A woman was walking to her car in Portland, Maine, when a man armed with a knife approached her and demanded money. The woman refused and got inside her vehicle, where she retrieved a gun. The woman then pointed the firearm at the criminal, prompting the thief to flee the scene. (The Portland Press-Herald, Portland, Maine 06/08/15)
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A mother was at home with her children in Detroit, Mich. when three men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, broke into the house. The mother responded by retrieving a semi-automatic rifle and warning the intruders that she was armed. When the criminals persisted despite the warning, the mother fired at the home invaders. At first, all three intruders retreated outside the home, but the one armed with a pistol decided to try to enter the home again. The criminal’s reentry prompted another round of gunfire from the mother, at which point the armed home invader fled for good. Police captured the trio a short time later. (WXYZ, Detroit, Mich. 02/18/14)
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Note: The report by the Center for Disease Control was mandated by one of the 23 Executive Orders that Barack Obama signed in his effort to further the gun control cause. I imagine the results were not what he expected.
To read more armed citizen incidents, go to: NRA’s Armed Citizen . As of today, the website has 659 pages with ten stories per page.
To read what happens when you try to substitute wasp spray for a gun when defending your home, go to: Fail: Wasp Spray for Home Defense . Read my comments on the incident: Wasp Spray for Home Defense
Did you know the US Supreme Court has ruled many times that your local police department has no legal duty to protect you? Read: Supreme Court Rulings