Category: Self Defense

Chicago shooting: Would-be robber shot, killed in Calumet Heights; 1 in custody

CHICAGO — One person was taken into custody after a man was shot to death while trying to commit a robbery Saturday afternoon in Calumet Heights on the South Side.

Two men were walking back to their vehicle from a store about 3:45 p.m. in the 1500 block of East 95th Street when they began talking with the 32-year-old, Chicago police said.
The pair then entered their Volkswagen SUV and the man got into the backseat, struck one of them with a handgun and demanded their belongings, police said.

One of the men then pulled out their own gun and shot the would-be robber, striking him in the forehead, left leg and chest, police said.

He was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead. He was identified as Xavier Johnson by the Cook County medical examiner’s office. One person was taken into custody.

A man who was being robbed by two Norristown teens killed them in self-defense, prosecutors said

Two Norristown teens who attempted to rob a man late Friday died after their intended victim shot them with a gun he was licensed to carry, prosecutors said Saturday.

The shooting occurred about 8 p.m., as the man was walking to his car from a home nearby on Warren Street, according to a statement from Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. Steele did not release the man’s name because no criminal charges have been filed in the case.

Detectives determined that a fight broke out after one of the two 17-year-old males pulled a gun on the man. During the scuffle, the man shot both teens, Steele said.

The man called police and attempted to give medical aid to the teens, but both were pronounced dead at the scene. Officers found an illegal ghost gun — a firearm assembled from a kit that lacks a traceable serial number — with an extended 30-round magazine nearby, authorities said.

Steele declined to release the names of the teens, saying there is “a lot of work” to be done in the investigation.

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The law considers using a fake gun the same as if it was a real one

Armed Robbers Had Replica Guns, One Robber Killed

FRANKFORT, IL — One person is dead following an armed robbery early Saturday morning at Ryan’s Pub, 7928 Lincoln Highway in Frankfort, according to Will County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Dan Jungles.

The WCSO said two armed men wearing masks, gloves and hoods went into the bar around 3:15 a.m. demanding money from patrons. The armed robbers threatened to shoot all of the patrons and employees if they did not comply with the robbers demands, according to the WCSO.

It was later discovered that the guns used by the robbers were “replica firearms,” similar to airsoft guns, according to an update from the WCSO. One of the replica guns was found near the body of the dead robber, and the other was found in a parking lot outside of Ryan’s Pub, according to the WCSO.

A patron in the bar was also armed and shot one of the robbers several times, according to the WCSO. The other robber fled the bar on foot into a nearby vehicle, which sped away heading eastbound on U.S. Route 30, according to the WCSO.

The robber who was shot was pronounced dead at the scene by Frankfort Fire Protection District, according to the WCSO…….

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Park-goer walking dog with girlfriend at Memorial Park forced to shoot at ‘would-be’ burglars

HOUSTON – What officials say was supposed to be a peaceful trip to Memorial Park turned violent and dangerous Wednesday night around 9:30 when burglars targeted a car in a parking lot near East Memorial Loop and Arnot.

Instead of getting away with stolen property, the suspected bad guys were met with a fiery surprise.

“Our officers arrived on the scene and met with a complainant who witnessed his vehicle being broken into,” said Houston Police Department Lieutenant Mike Barrow.

On top of that, Houston police say one of the three would-be burglars had a gun, but so did the victim.

”The complainant took a shot and missed,” Barrow said.

No one was hurt, according to Barrow, who says officers patrolling the area were able to respond almost immediately. Police caught one suspect, Billy Ray Chavis, and arrested him. The other two suspects ran away.

Park-goers say they’ll be more vigilant. “It’s shocking to hear that something like that could happen here,” said Abiel Cano.

”Today’s world is very scary,” said Cindy Dickerson.

HPD says they have ramped up security in the park because they want the public to feel safe.

Investigators and the victim, who declined an interview, hope someone who knows where the other two suspects are, will give authorities a call.

Woman fatally shoots man who broke into Southeast Side home with kids inside

SAN ANTONIO – A woman fatally shot a man who broke into her Southeast Side home on Thursday night, according to San Antonio police.

The shooting happened at 10 p.m. in the 600 block of Kashmuir Place, not far from Kellis Avenue and South Side Lions Park.

Police said a woman in her 30s was in her house with her three children when she heard a man break into her home. The man entered via the laundry room in the back of the house, police said.

The woman grabbed a gun and shot the intruder in the chest, police said.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found the injured man in the woman’s backyard, sitting on a chair and bleeding from gunshot wounds.

The man died on the way to the hospital. His name and age have not been released.

The shooting is under investigation.

Mother says son shot 2 teens in self-defense in Orlando neighborhood

ORLANDO, Fla. – A mother said her son had a gun pointed at him while in their own driveway in Orlando early Thursday morning, so he fired back in self-defense.

Orange County deputies said the call first came in at 2 a.m. for a report of a car burglary with shots fired on Martinwood Drive in Pine Hills. Maria Vasquez told FOX 35 it started as two teenagers were trying to steal his car.

“He say, ‘what are you doing? Why are you watching my car?,'” Vasquez said.

According to deputies, the man told them he confronted two people who were burglarizing a car and when they made a threatening move toward him, he fired several shots. Deputies said the two teens were taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

“Was your son injured?” FOX 35 reporter Valerie Boey asked Vasquez. “No he’s good,” the mother replied.

Vasquez said one of the teenage suspects broke into her car on April 8. Deputies confirmed that break-in. “He go to my car, open and taken my credit card and ID, and my ID for employers and copy,” she said.

She said they stole a copy of the key to her son’s car and came back around 2 a.m. to steal the Toyota Camry. Maria said investigators discovered her son’s car key in the suspect’s pocket. Deputies confirmed that one of the suspect’s in this burglary had evidence from the previous burglary.

“My son is a good person. He works a lot.,” Vasquez said.

According to deputies, the teens are ages 13 and 16. Investigators have to determine whether criminal charges are appropriate.

“He feared for his life. He was defending his space,” resident Judith Stokes, said. Stokes said the Pine Hills neighborhood is usually peaceful.

“To have something like this go on, it is startling,” Stokes said. She believes the teens should have been home, instead of out at 2 a.m.

Vasquez hopes they have a quick recovery.

“Do you hope the teenagers will be ok?” Boey asked, in which Vasquez replied, “Yes, I pray.”

Woman pulls out gun to thwart would-be robber

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. — A man who pointed a gun at a woman after asking her for money, fled after she pulled out a gun of her own, according to court records. He is now facing one count of intimidation.

On April 25, South Bend Police responded to 27th Street and Mishawaka Avenue for reports of a man pointing a handgun at a woman.

The victim told police a man, later identified as Garland Adams, walked up to her and asked for money. When she didn’t give him money, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at her face, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The woman then backed up and pulled out a pink handgun of her own, reports said.

The man then fled on his bike.

Two people at a gas station nearby witnessed the incident.

Officers searched for the suspect and located Adams at 36th Street and Mishawaka. Police said he had a black gun in his right hand, reports said.

When police knocked the gun to the ground, it broke into three pieces, police said.

The gun was a BB gun with the orange tip removed to make it look like a real gun, reports said.

Adams was taken to the gas station where the witnesses identified Garland as the man who pointed the gun at the victim, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Officers also obtained footage from the gas station that showed the incident.

The video showed Garland approach the victim as she backed away. Garland advanced towards the victim, pointing the gun at her, as she continued to try to back away, reports said.

The victim ran out of view and took up a firing position with her pistol behind some trash cans, the video showed.

The suspect pointed his weapon in her direction before getting on his bike and fleeing the area.

Adams was taken into custody on one count of intimidation. He was charged on April 27.

The victim was also arrested for carrying a handgun without a license, but was released with no charges filed.

The thug didn’t get a slug, but as she could have, stories like this qualify.

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Akron homeowner holds intruder at gunpoint until police arrive

AKRON, Ohio – A local couple was startled late Monday when they heard noises and found a woman standing in their kitchen after kicking in their back door.

One of the homeowners called police while her husband escorted the intruder to the back porch where he held her at gunpoint until police arrived.

“We were able to get her on the back porch. We need the police here immediately,” the woman told police dispatchers.

“Are they not able to get out?” asked the dispatcher.

“OK, do you know who this woman is?” the dispatcher then asked.

“No, never seen her before in my life and my husband is armed. OK, he has a permit to carry a gun. No one is hurt, but she is sitting on our back porch and we are not going to let her leave until the police get here,”  the caller responded.

“She wasn’t overly afraid, but you could tell the gravity of what just took place was very concerning to her and her husband,” said Akron Police Lieutenant Michael Miller. “That’s a homeowner exercising their rights to ensure that they are safe. It also shows a homeowner’s decision making and restraint in that it didn’t escalate.”

The homeowners declined to go on camera, but they did show FOX 8 their damaged back door after having been repeatedly kicked to force open.

Police arrested Erin Myers, who was in the Summit County Jail on Wednesday charged with burglary.

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Man shoots carjacker who jumped in driver’s seat while he pumped gas at North Side QT

SAN ANTONIO – A man shot a carjacker who tried to steal his car while he was pumping gas at a North Side gas station, police said.

San Antonio police said a driver pulled into the QuickTrip in the 9900 block of San Pedro near W. Ramsey and was putting gas in his Honda Accord when another man pulled up alongside his vehicle in a truck.

The man got out of the truck and into the driver’s seat of the Accord and tried to drive off, police said.

The car owner got in the passenger side and fought with the man as the suspect put the car in reverse and hit the gas, driving over a sidewalk. That’s when the car owner pulled out a gun and shot the suspect multiple times, police said.

That suspect was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. The car owner was not injured.

Police are still investigating.

Fatal shooting outside downtown Tampa restaurant was self defense
The shooter was being beaten by three men outside a downtown restaurant when he opened fire, prosecutors conclude.

TAMPA — The shooter who killed a man outside a downtown Tampa restaurant on Feb. 27 was acting in self-defense and will not face criminal charges, the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office has determined.

Prosecutors said an argument inside Bello Bar & Kitchen, 903 N Franklin St., extended outside that night, where the eventual shooter was thrown to the ground and attacked by three men: Adrian Diaz, Kevin Zayas and Freddy Santiago Jr.

Prosecutors said the shooter, whose name was not released, pulled his gun and fired multiple shots, with one bullet striking Diaz, 23, in the head and killing him. Zayas and Santiago, whose ages were not available, survived and will face battery charges, prosecutors said.
A news release from the State Attorney’s Office details the events that led up to the shooting:

The victim was inside Bello Bar & Kitchen with his girlfriend when he got into an argument with Zayas, which prompted Santiago and Diaz to “crowd” around him until he left for his car. While the victim was gone, security footage captured Santiago arming himself with a butter knife and a drinking glass.

The victim then returned to the bar. Zayas walked over to him and punched him, which prompted the staff of Bello Bar & Kitchen to force the group outside. Things escalated there, with Santiago throwing the glass at the victim and stabbing him repeatedly with the butter knife.

The three then got on top of the victim and beat him. The victim got onto a knee, drew his gun and fired.

The State Attorney’s Office said the victim initially fled the scene but called 911 from a nearby intersection. Once police arrived, he returned and gave his handgun, which he has a license to carry, to officers from the Tampa Police Department.

Security cameras captured the entire encounter, the State Attorney’s Office said, which backed up the victim’s story.

“After our thorough analysis, we have determined that the facts and evidence of this incident prove that the victim reasonably believed he was in fear of imminent death or great bodily harm when he used deadly force,” the State Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Neither Zayas nor Santiago had been booked into the Hillsborough County Jail as of Monday afternoon.

Suspected burglar shot by Geneva Co. homeowner

FADETTE, Ala. (WDHN) — Early Friday morning, a Wiregrass homeowner shot an intruder twice with a handgun — after telling him to leave and then a struggle between the two.

Authorities say the suspect was in the process of burglarizing the rural residence when the homeowner awakened to a sound from the back door.

Emergency responders arrived at a trailer off Audy Lane in eastern Geneva County’s Fadette community, just after 3 a.m. this morning.

Geneva County Sheriff Tony Helms says he and Geneva/Dale District Attorney Kirke Adams will gather all the evidence before charging the suspect.

“We worked the scene at the time, we’ve spoke to several witnesses there and several other locations and we’ve referred to the District attorney,” Sheriff Helms. “And determine what the charges will be. But at this time we don’t see any charges against the homeowner.

Sheriff Helms says once the suspect is released from the hospital he will be arrested and charged with the “Home invasion”

These 10 Incidents Highlight Importance of Second Amendment for Women

Since 1987, the United States has recognized March as Women’s History Month to celebrate the vital role of women in American history. Unfortunately, far too often we find that the armed women of history are overlooked or completely forgotten, and the vital role of the Second Amendment in the lives of American women is ignored.

Women long have availed themselves of the right to keep and bear arms in defense of life, liberty, and property—from Harriet Tubman, the famed “conductor” of the underground railroad who was known to carry loaded pistols, to Mary “Stagecoach Mary” Fields, the first black woman to be a mail carrier, who notoriously kept a .38 revolver in her apron to fend off bandits and wild animals alike.

Tubman and Fields haven’t been alone.

Almost every major study on the issue has found that Americans use their firearms in self-defense between 500,000 and 3 million times annually, according to the most recent report on the subject by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For this reason, The Daily Signal each month publishes an article highlighting some of the previous month’s many news stories on defensive gun use that you may have missed—or that might not have made it to the national spotlight in the first place. (Read other accounts here from 2019, 2020, 2021, and so far in 2022.)

To honor Women’s History Month, we decided to highlight 10 incidents from last month in which the Second Amendment made all the difference for women, either because they were armed or because another armed person came to their defense.

The examples below represent only a small portion of the news stories on defensive gun use that we found in March. You may explore more by using The Heritage Foundation’s interactive Defensive Gun Use Database. (The Daily Signal is the multimedia news organization of The Heritage Foundation.)

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80-year-old homeowner shoots, kills intruder during break-in

FLINT TWP., MI – An 80-year-old man shot and killed a person who broke into his West Bristol Road home on Thursday night, according to Flint Township police.

Police were dispatched shortly after 8:45 p.m. Thursday, April 21, to the 1000 block of West Bristol Road for the report of a shooting.

A 31-year-old man had broke into the home and was confronted by the 80-year-old homeowner, police said. The homeowner shot and killed the intruder.

Police said the homeowner was released after the incident pending further investigation.

Yes, It probably was a fake officer since they weren’t smart enough to ‘pat down’ the victim to check for weapons.

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Home invasion victim shoots, kills armed police impersonator in Mayfair

Police say at least one male was armed with a gun and had a police badge around his neck, which turned out to be fake.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A home invasion involving men pretending to be police officers in Philadelphia ended with a deadly shooting when the victim turned the tables on the suspects, police say.

Just after 10 p.m. Sunday, police were called to the 7200 block of Battersby Street in Mayfair for the report of a shooting.
According to authorities, a 25-year-old man had just returned home to a duplex on the block. After parking his car in a rear driveway, the resident walked up to the steps to his front door when he was approached by two males. Police say at least one male was armed with a gun and had a police badge around his neck, which turned out to be fake. He identified himself as a police officer.

The two males then forced the resident into his property and demanded money. “They tied his hands with zip ties around his back and threatened to kill him if he made any sudden moves. That’s when our victim realized these individuals were not police officers,” said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.

According to police, the 25-year-old victim was able to free his hands and grab a gun from his pocket. The victim fired several shots toward the men, striking the police impersonator three times.

The other suspect fled the scene on the foot. Police say it does not appear he was hit. Responding officers rushed the wounded suspect to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police recovered the suspect’s gun as well as the weapon the 25-year-old resident fired. “I saw my neighbor outside speaking very loudly obviously he was very emotional.” said neighbor Ted Alicea.

Alicea says his neighbor was distraught after the attack.

“He was excited telling police, ‘The guy identified himself, I thought it was a cop.’ He kept saying one guy got away,” said Alicea. The victim and a woman who was also inside the home at the time were taken to the homicide division to make statements.

“We did find some cameras in the neighborhood and hopefully we can find some video that could help us with this investigation,” said Chief Inspector Small. Police are still looking for the second would-be robber.

Police say the victim had a license to carry. No charges have been filed at this time.

Would-be carjacker shot by intended victim in Bywater

A would-be carjacker remained hospitalized Friday in New Orleans after his intended victim shot him in the neck.

The wounded 17-year-old arrived unresponsive Thursday night at Tulane Medical Center, where police also found his alleged accomplice in the botched Bywater theft, a law enforcement source said. The second suspect, also 17, reportedly admitted participating in the crime, the source said, and the Police Department planned to book both with armed robbery and illegal possession of a gun.

The crime was reported in the 500 block of Louisa Street. Police arrived at 7:08 p.m., 10 minutes after being called, according to publicly available data.

There, the two teens targeted a 48-year-old man who had gotten out of his vehicle and was walking toward his house, the source said. The teens drove their own vehicle in reverse down the man’s street, and one got out of the passenger seat, pointed a gun at the man and demanded his keys.

The man told police he flung his keys, took cover under a nearby car and pulled out a pistol. He said he saw one teen by his vehicle, pointing a gun at him. The man told police he fired a single gunshot at the teen then ran for his house.

He said he heard someone scream an expletive, then both teens drove away on Louisa in their vehicle.

The teens picked up a third person then went to the hospital. There police seized two pistols, one of them stolen, from the accomplice, who told officers the guns belonged to him and the wounded suspect.

A single shot
The suspected accomplice was with his grandmother at the hospital, and both agreed to interviews, the law enforcement source said.

At the scene of the crime, police found evidence of a single gunshot.

Since May, four people have had their vehicles stolen at gunpoint, by force or intimidation in the 500 through 900 blocks of Louisa Street, according to the Police Department’s major offense log, and two people were victims of attempted carjackings there, making it one of the busiest stretches in one of the busiest neighborhoods for carjackings.

Homeowner shoots man in attempted burglary

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville Police Department’s Violent Crimes division is investigating an attempted home burglary that took place early Tuesday morning.

Officers responded to a shooting call around 7:50 a.m. in the 3000 block of Andrew Jackson Way.

Police report that a father woke up to the sound of glass breaking in the bedroom of his young son and near the front door of their apartment. The father got his firearm and opened his bedroom door.

‘Call my dad, tell him to come home:’ Family seeks justice for 33-year-old man killed in shooting
He saw an unknown man standing in the hallway of the apartment. The father shot at the man nine times, striking him once in the jaw and neck area and possibly three times in the chest. Several bullets that missed also traveled into the apartment across the hallway.

The still-unidentified break-in suspect was transported to Vanderbilt Hospital and is suffering from life-threatening injuries. He is currently unconscious, intubated, in surgery and in critical condition.

Police say it could take weeks for the man to wake up, if he does at all.

The father told the police that he has no connection to the suspect. Metro police said that the father fired at the suspect in fear and out of self defense.

People living nearby heard the gunfire. Peter Olson lives in the building adjacent to where this happened. He said it’s scary because he has kids of his own. He was worried they could’ve been hit.

“I thank god because you hear about it all the time, a stray bullet hitting someone,” said Olson. “That’s my world, my children. I don’t know what I would’ve done if something like that would’ve happened.”

Police said they were interviewing the father. However, they haven’t been able to talk with the suspect because of his injuries.

Investigators believe the shooting was an act of self defense. In such a case, the suspect would face burglary charges.

Las Vegas police considering fatal shooting of teen as self-defense

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says a man who shot a 16-year-old early Monday morning in the west valley did so in self-defense.

According to Las Vegas police officer Larry Hadfield, the incident occurred at about 6:05 a.m. Monday near Flamingo and Fort Apache roads.

Hadfield said an unrelated man was walking in the area and encountered the teen, who he then got into a dispute with. The teen, according to police, pointed a gun at the man, threatening him.

According to Hadfield, the man was lawfully armed and shot the teen “out of self defense.”

No criminal charges were filed against the man and he was not arrested, police said. The case will be submitted to the Clark County District Attorney’s office for review. The original altercation is part of an ongoing investigation, police said.

The Clark County Coroner’s office on Tuesday identified the teen as Christian Murphy, 16, of Las Vegas.