1. Drunken Chase
After having been asked earlier in the night to leave a hotel property, an inebriated man returned with a knife and began chasing three hotel employees. One of the women he was chasing, in fear for her life, shot the man. She said the hotel has had problems with him before and that she had never seen him sober. Once the man is released from the hospital, he will be charged with three counts of assault in the first degree. (King5.com, Tacoma, Wash., 05/04/22)
2. The Carjack Kids
A woman was in her car around 1:30 a.m. when she was confronted by five would-be carjackers armed with rifles. But the woman was also armed and fired at the group in self-defense. The thugs returned fire at her while fleeing the scene. The woman, whose car was not stolen, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Later that night, the same gang carjacked a man but left him unhurt. Police located the car using license-plate-reading technology and gave chase on the perpetrators, eventually apprehending three 16-year-olds and two 17-year-olds responsible for the incidents—who were armed with two firearms. (11alive.com, Atlanta, Ga., 3/1/22)
3. Because He Loved Her ...?
After two domestic violence incidents and two ensuing protective orders, a disgraced former police officer continued to stalk his ex-girlfriend. The man had a history of domestic violence as far back as 2012, with the two most recent incidents occurring in 2020 and 2021. The current protective order required that he stay away from the victim and surrender all weapons. However, the serial domestic abuser showed up at his ex-girlfriend’s home. He was being treated for a narcissistic personality disorder and had prior law enforcement training. The victim was able to protect herself from a man with means, motive and a history of violence. She fatally shot the intruder and, after hours of interviews and cooperation with authorities, is not expected to face charges for defending herself. (wusa9.com, Mt. Airy, Md., 2/27/22)
4. Birthday Surprise
A man sped through a parking lot near a birthday party where children were at play. The adults asked him to slow down, but the two-time convicted felon was enraged by the request. He returned to the party, armed with a rifle. He began firing into the crowd when an armed woman drew her own firearm and fatally shot the attacker. The woman had no military or law enforcement training, but rose to the occasion to save herself and others. “She’s just a member of the community who was carrying her firearm lawfully, and instead of running from the threat, she engaged with the threat and saved several lives last night,” said the lieutenant on the scene. The brave woman prevented a mass casualty and is facing no charges for acting with justifiable force. (gunsamerica.com, Charleston, W. Va., 05/31/22)
5. Breaking—But No Entry
A would-be burglar broke into a rural Texas home at about 9 p.m., prompting a woman and her children to retreat to a bedroom for safety. The woman called 9-1-1, while the man attempted to access the bedroom. Ignoring her warnings that she had a gun and had called police, the man continued to try to breech the bedroom. Fearing for the lives of her family, the woman fired her gun once through the door. The intruder then fled, and was discovered by deputies about 100 yards away in an open field with a gunshot wound to his left arm. After administering medical care, the man was booked into a detention center. (ValleyCentral.com; Edinburg, Texas; 10/26/22)
6. Can't Stomach That
An Ohio man broke into a home at about 2 a.m. and was immediately confronted by an armed homeowner, who fired one round from her handgun at him. The man was struck in the abdomen, according to reports. Police said that the woman was home with her two children when she heard a voice in the hallway. “You certainly have the right to have a gun in your home, the right to have gun on your person, the right to have gun in your car. It’s certainly your right to defend yourself in a situation like this,” said Sgt. Stewart Smith of the Troup County Sheriff’s Office. After the suspect was shot, he ran to a neighbor’s house for help. The neighbor called 9-1-1, telling operators that a man who had been shot was at their home and needed assistance. The Sheriff’s Office said that before the home invasion, the man had broken into at least four neighborhood cars. (WTVM.com, Columbus, Ga., 9/29/22)
7. No Brotherly Love
A woman used a .22-cal. pistol to defend herself against her brother, who was about to make good on threats to cut off her arms and legs with a machete. According to reports, the incident stemmed from an earlier altercation when the 54-year-old man smashed out the window of his sister’s home after she refused to let him to use the telephone to report a potential theft of his trailer from a nearby address. After punching through the window, the man raised his arms, holding the machete. The woman then drew her pistol and pointed it at her brother. But that didn't deter him. At that point he backed up to the refrigerator and raised the machete again, then rushed toward her. It was then that the woman feared for her life and fired one shot in his direction. When police arrived, the brother was sitting on the porch with the machete beside him, and a gunshot wound to the leg, which a neighbor had wrapped with a towel. He told police he was shot by his sister after he broke out a window in her home. The man was being held on a $100,000 surety/cash bond. (wchstv.com, Putnam County, W.Va., 10/3/22)
8. Best Purchase Ever
A 22-year-old man with a history of alcohol and substance abuse was shot and killed by a 50-year-old California woman as he violently attacked her husband outside their home. As the men struggled outside of the front door, with the aggressor trying to forcibly enter, the wife ran upstairs to a bedroom and retrieved a revolver that she had purchased the day before the incident. In fear for her husband’s life, the woman fired at the aggressor. When police arrived, they found the man unresponsive. “The fight with the homeowner was a pretty violent one,” sheriff’s Sgt. Luke Schwartz told the Modesto Bee via text. “Can only imagine how terrifying it must’ve been for these folks.” Video surveillance footage and witness statements corroborated the homeowners’ account. The husband received scrapes and scratches during the fight as he was "trying to defend his home," the sheriff's office said. Reports said that early findings indicate the incident was "strictly self-defense,” and that the man was previously unknown to the couple. (theblaze.com, Patterson, Calif., 9/26/22)
9. Uninvited Guest
A 24-year-old man who was fleeing from Detroit Police was shot by a homeowner when he ran onto her porch. According to reports, police had attempted to pull over the man as part of a hit-and-run investigation, but he refused to stop his vehicle. A slow-speed chase ensued, but the driver got out and started to run, ending up on the porch of the 42-year-old woman. Unable to determine what the man was holding in his hand, the woman said she felt threatened and fired her gun at him, striking him. The man was taken to the hospital in serious condition, and was later arrested for fleeing and alluding, resisting arrest, and obstruction. A neighbor told reporters, "With all the things that are happening in the neighborhood, we have to make sure we protect our families and our neighbors because we don't know what's happening. Nobody can be blamed for trying to protect themselves," he said. The homeowner was questioned and released. (fox2detroit.com; Detroit, Mich., 9/2/22)
10. Mama Bear
A woman shot and killed an intruder who broke into her home on a Monday morning while her children were present. The mother told reporters that she was in the shower when she heard her 12- and 14-year-old children screaming from the living room. She said that she didn’t hesitate to race to her bedroom and retrieve her gun, then run down the hallway to defend her children’s lives. The family’s two pit bulls were already busy attacking the man, who was in his 30, but she said he “wouldn’t stop coming” so she was forced to fire at him multiple times. The mother reportedly purchased the gun 10 years ago after discovering a man sleeping under her son's bed. Although she told reporters she hoped she'd never need to use it, she said she knew she would be able to do so to protect her kids. Although physically unharmed, the mother said her children remain frightened, and said they plan to move. (tmj4.com; Milwaukee, Wis., 8/18/22)
11. We've Had a Blast, but Time to Leave
A woman was home alone with her infant child when she heard intruders in the house. She called 9-1-1 to report armed men in her home, telling the operator she was also armed with a shotgun. The men advanced toward her and she fired into the hallway, hitting one of the intruders. They fled the scene but police later found a juvenile being treated at a hospital for a gunshot wound. The adult man who brought him in was arrested on two counts of aggravated burglary and aggravated assault. (chattanoogan.com, Chattanooga, Tenn., 03/15/22)
12. Comeuppance
A weekend of extreme violence by a man against his wife ended when she bravely defended herself with a handgun. As the man held his wife against a wall by her throat, she was able to fire her pistol into his chest, ending the abuse. She then called 9-1-1. When police arrived, they found the woman with a bloody mouth, swollen left eye, face and rib injuries, and possibly a broken ankle. The man was still alive, lying on the ground, with signs of being intoxicated. When police attempted to help him, he made an obscene comment and gesture. Officers soon discovered evidence that the attacker was not only abusing alcohol, but marijuana and testosterone as well. The victim claimed that he had been verbally and physically abusing her for many years.Here's how the victim said the final attack unfolded: Asleep with her dogs, she awoke to her husband shaking the bed, behaving erratically. He began to hit the dogs, and when she tried to protect them, he turned his fists onto her. The abuser then handed her a gun and ordered her to shoot him. However, he temporarily left the room, so she hid the firearm. During the attack, she fell to the ground and he began kicking her, breaking one of her ribs. He then threw her against the wall and dragged her into the living room where the assault continued. She said at one point she was hit so hard she lost her memory. When she awoke, she was on the couch and her husband had a gun to her head. He instead shot at the couch.
He then began threatening to burn down the house, saying he would kill her and her family, then burn her, and finally kill himself. When he disappeared into the garage, the woman retrieved the firearm she had hidden earlier. She heard him shifting around gas canisters, which police later found in the kitchen. The woman attempted to flee, but she was dragged her back into the house by her hair. That’s when he pinned her to the wall by her throat and continued to hit her. She felt she was losing consciousness so she fired the gun until “it was just clicking.”
The man died of his wounds, and the victim is facing no charges. (kctv5.com, Leavenworth County, Mo., 05/24/22)
