24 Times Citizens Used Guns to Save Lives in Last Six Weeks

On January 12, 2017, the New York Times editorial board claimed, “The grim truth is that concealed-carry permit holders are rarely involved in stopping crime.” And that very same day a concealed carry permit holder in Arizona used his gun to save the life of a state trooper who was under attack on I-10.

In fact, authentic academic work on gun use for self-defense shows that Americans in general—whether concealed permit holders or not—use guns for defense of themselves and others at least 760,000 a year.  That is not a typo—Florida State University criminologist Gary Kleck’s research shows that the minimum number of defensive gun uses (DGUs) is 760,000 annually.

We do not hear about DGUs from the establishment media because it goes against their gun control template. So Breitbart News thought it would be beneficial to pull together 24 examples of citizens using guns defensively over the past six weeks. In some of these instances the citizen did not have to pull the trigger—just brandishing the weapon was enough—but in some of the incidents the citizen did have to fire, wounding or killing robbery and/or assault suspects.

Here are the 24 examples:

• On June 27, Breitbart News reported that a 62-year-old Marine veteran opened fire on a trio of home invasion suspects, wounding each of them. The alleged invasion occurred in broad daylight. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office reported that the three suspects had allegedly broken into the same home before, and threatened to harm the Marine veteran if he went to police.
• On June 28, Breitbart News reported that a wheelchair-bound female homeowner in West Cleveland pulled a gun and told two home invasion suspects she would use it if they continued trying to make entry. The woman—an apparent amputee—told Fox 8 that she “looked at the door and there was a man, right there, right outside looking like he was going for my door.” She said a second man was “cutting the screen on a window of her garage.” Both suspects fled when she showed her gun.
• On July 5, Breitbart News reported on an 11-year-old boy who saved his family from a charging bear. The incident occurred in Hoonah, Alaska, where the boy was walking with his uncle, his uncle’s father, a cousin, and three dogs. The Juneau Empire reports that the two adults were in front but carried their guns in a manner that left them unprepared for a sudden attack. They jumped out of the bear’s way, leaving the boy and his cousin to fend for themselves. The boy raised his shotgun and fired three shots, the third of which dropped the bear just before he overtook the children.
• On July 10, Breitbart News reported that a Memphis, Tennessee, convenience store clerk opened fire on a suspect who was allegedly “making threats” after being caught trying to steal two cans of beer. Action News 5 reported that the suspect “entered the gas station and tried to walk out with two cans of beer without paying.” The alleged robbery attempt resulted in a confrontation with the clerk, and the suspect then allegedly “started harassing the store clerk and reportedly implied he had a gun,” which is when the clerk pulled a real gun and opened fire, striking the suspect once.
• On July 11, Breitbart News reported that an alleged home intruder returned to Fresno, California, Councilman Luis Chavez’s home for second time. However, Chavez was ready and greeted the suspect with the gun. The suspect fled upon seeing the gun, but Chavez got in his car and gave chase, talking to police along the way to keep them apprised of his location. The suspect was quickly apprehended.
• On July 17, Breitbart News reported that a home robbery suspect with a knife was shot multiple times by a Rancho Cucamonga, California, homeowner. The Press-Enterprise reported that the suspect was able to flee the scene, but was later apprehended when his mother called police to say that her son had been shot.
• On July 18, Breitbart News reported that a 17-year-old girl in Spokane, Washington, armed herself with one of her father’s guns then literally chased a home intrusion suspect out of the family’s home. The girl—Kimber Wood—heard the suspect enter the house and said his “eyes got really wide” when he found himself staring down the barrel of her gun.
• Also on July 18, Breitbart News reported that a suspect entered a church and demanded money. He received a bullet instead. The suspect was shot by an armed parishioner and pronounced dead just a few hours later.
• On July 23, Breitbart News reported that a taxi cab driver in St. Louis County, Missouri, shot and killed his passenger in self-defense while driving down I-70.  The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the taxi was traveling westbound on the interstate when an altercation allegedly occurred and the “driver told police he feared for his life.” Police found the body of the 48-year-old passenger in the backseat.
• Also on July 23, Breitbart News reported that a resident of Columbia Township, Ohio, tried to use a hammer to turn away two home invasion suspects. After failing to turn them back, the resident ran to his car, retrieved his gun, re-entered the residence and shot both suspects.  Afterward, the resident—Gary Gross—told WKRC, “They picked the wrong day to do something like that. I don’t want to kill anybody, so hopefully they’ll be okay and they’ll learn a lesson.”
• On July 25, Breitbart News reported that a DeKalb County, Georgia, homeowner shot and killed a male home invasion suspect who was dressed like a woman. The suspect died on the scene. WSB-TV reported that the suspect “broke into the house wearing a wig and had arched eyebrows.” DeKalb County Police Lt. Lonzy Robertson said, “The homeowner gave him a warning. The suspect continued to approach him at which time the homeowner fired one shot.” Robertson made it clear that the homeowner acted in self-defense.
• On July 26, Breitbart News reported that one suspect was killed and a second was wounded following a shootout in a botched jewelry store robbery. ABC 13 spoke with Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Gilliland who said the suspects “came in with one purpose, to rob the place.” Gilliland confirmed the store owner had “the right to defend himself.”
• On July 28, Breitbart News reported that a suspect who allegedly attempted to rob a Wingstop restaurant was wounded after an employee opened fire. ABC13 reported that “the restaurant was held up around 11 p.m.”  Police indicate the suspect allegedly entered and demanded cash as frightened customers ran and hid in the back of the store. When the suspect turned to leave, an armed Wingstop employee gave chase, shooting and wounding the suspect.
• On July 31, Breitbart News reported that an armed customer shot and critically wounded a suspect who was allegedly attacking him at a Kroger grocery store. The armed customer was sitting in his vehicle at the time of the alleged attack and he was able to shoot the suspect in the head and abdomen. Action News 5 reported that the shooting was labeled self-defense.
• On August 1, Breitbart News reported that a customer at a Walgreens pharmacy shot and killed an alleged armed robber. The customer allegedly witnessed the armed suspect demanding oxycodone at the counter, then pulled his own gun and intervened.
• Also on August 1, Breitbart News reported that a concealed carry permit holder shot a suspect who allegedly attacked him with a fork after church. The suspect allegedly lunged into the permit holder’s hotel room, trying to stab him in the jugular with the fork. The permit holder fought him back, retrieved his Glock 19 handgun, and shot the suspect.
• On August 1, Breitbart News also reported that a grandmother who was home alone opened fire on two home invasion suspects, killing one. The incident occurred in Katy, Texas, where the suspects allegedly entered via the garage.  According to ABC 13, Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Gilliland said, “Both [suspects] were armed with pistols. She confronted both suspects, retrieved a handgun and fired several times at both subjects.” One died at the scene while the second jumped a fence and fled.
• On August 3, Breitbart News reported that a young mother opened fire to protect her three children during an alleged home invasion. The incident occurred just after 2 a.m. in Marietta, Georgia. The home invasion suspect was dead when police arrived.
• On August 4, Breitbart News reported that a female driver stopped an alleged road rage attack with one shot. Glendala, Arizona, police indicated that the armed woman and her passenger were attacked by the driver of another car. The armed woman repeatedly warned the attacker that she was armed, but to no avail. Finally, as the attack the continued, the armed woman fired one shot, striking the suspect in the abdomen and ending the alleged assault.
• On August 6, Breitbart News reported that an elderly homeowner in Lakeland, Florida, shot and killed a home invasion suspect who allegedly entered the home during the early morning hours. The suspect, 33-year-old Shane DeShane, died at the scene.
• On August 7, Breitbart News reported that an armed grandfather shot and wounded a 16-year-old suspect who was allegedly trying to steal the grandfather’s gun. The incident occurred inside a convenience store and was caught on video surveillance. The video showed the grandfather trying to reason with the suspect, then finally being left with no option but to shoot.
• On August 8, Breitbart News reported that a mass stabbing suspect was stopped when his fourth would-be target pointed a gun at him. The incident occurred in the parking lot of a Publix grocery store in Pinellas County, Florida. The suspect began stabbing when his first victim refused to hand over her purse. He then stabbed two good Samaritans who tried to intervene and was stopped by a third good Samaritan who had a handgun.
• Also on August 8, Breitbart News reported that an 85-year-old father had to shoot his own son in self-defense. The 64-year-old son was allegedly shooting at his own mother when the father intervened, fatally wounding the son with a rifle.
• On August 10, Breitbart News reported that a concealed carry permit holder in Boardman, Ohio, intervened and foiled an alleged robbery at his neighbor’s house. Two suspects were involved in the attempted robbery, and one was able to escape while the second was held at gunpoint by the permit holder until police arrived.

Again, the New York Times editorial board says “concealed-carry permit holders are rarely involved in stopping crime.”

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.