Used Parts: Illinois Man Fights Off Armed Attack

A Chicago man was sitting on his front step at around 11 one night when he heard a loud noise. On investigating, he saw two men beneath a vehicle. The men crawled out, produced pistols and fired on him. Drawing his own pistol, the homeowner returned fire, fatally wounding one assailant and driving off the other.

Chicago Sun-Times, Illinois

Pennsylvania Teen Shoots Pizza Restaurant Robber

A Philadelphia teenage boy was in his mother’s place of employment — a pizza store — at around 10 p.m. when a robber came in, reached across the counter and started taking money out of the cash register. When the cashier — the teen’s mom — tried to stop the robber, the assailant started to strangle her. The teen, seeing his mother attacked, took up a pistol that was kept under the counter and shot the robber in the face. The robber fled the store, leaving a trail of blood that police were able to follow. The suspect was apprehended in a nearby subway concourse.

MSN.com, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Armed Pennsylvania Man Stops Mass Shooting

A Lancaster man was in a shopping mall with his wife on a Sunday afternoon when he heard gunshots. Telling his wife to leave in the opposite direction, the man drew his legally carried pistol and went to confront the assailant, who had just shot three people. The shooter also fired on the defender but missed, and the armed citizen returned fire, hitting the attacker and holding him at gunpoint for responding police. The county prosecutor commended the unidentified armed citizen in a later press conference about the incident, saying things could have been much worse if not for his timely intervention.

Patriot-News, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Alabama Woman Defends Against Knife Attack

A Mobile woman was attacked by a knife-wielding female who tried to slash her. Taking up a firearm, the woman shot her attacker, ending the incident. Police said she acted in self-defense.

WALA-TV Fox 10, Mobile, Alabama

Nebraska Employee Stops Mass Shooting

A Superior employee was terminated from his job at a grain elevator but returned later with a handgun and fired on people at work. An employee got a shotgun from an office and fired on the shooter, fatally wounding him, but not before the irate ex-employee had murdered one person and mortally wounded another. Police said the attacker died of his injuries while being treated at a local hospital.

NTV News, Superior, Nebraska

Florida Shop Owner Foils Burglary at His Business

A Lake Worth shop owner was alerted by his alarm system to the breaking of a shop window. Upon arriving at the store to investigate, he found the place had been broken into. He confronted the burglar, shooting and wounding him, which ended the incident.

WPTV-TV Channel 5, West Palm Beach, Florida

Wisconsin Man Survives Shootout With Robbers

A Milwaukee man and his girlfriend were returning home one night when multiple armed assailants accosted them. Drawing his own pistol, the would-be victim fired on the robbers, who returned fire before fleeing. The male defender, who was wearing body armor, was shot twice in the attack and believes he wounded one of the robbers.

WITI-TV Fox 6, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

North Dakota Homeowner Defends Against Home Invader

A Williston resident found someone attempting to force entry into his home at around 7 one morning. The resident took up a firearm for defense and shot the invader, who died at the scene.

USNews.com, Williston, North Dakota

Indiana Teen Student Shot Over Ex-Girlfriend

An Indianapolis 17-year-old high school student was waiting for his half-brother to return from a convenience store with some candy when a man, who had previously dated the teen’s ex-girlfriend, came up and shot the student twice in the chest. The half-brother emerged from the convenience store to find the victim bleeding on the ground. He then drew his own legally carried pistol and fired on the assailant, driving him off. The victim died at the scene, and his attacker was later arrested by police.

WTTV-TV CBS 4, Indianapolis

Florida Wife Shoots, Kills Husband Who Attacked Her

A Deltona woman, having previously suffered violence at her husband’s hands, resisted his latest assault. When he punched and choked her in their home, she took a pistol from her purse and shot him several times, ending his assault. Responding authorities declared the husband dead at the scene, and the wife was not charged with a crime at press time.

VolusiaSheriff.org, DeLand, Florida

California Homeowner Defends Against Armed Robbers

An Oceanside resident was being robbed at gunpoint at around 1 a.m. when he grabbed a gun and fired on his assailants, killing one and putting the others to flight. Other suspects in the robbery were arrested when police stopped a suspicious car that turned out to contain a man suffering a gunshot wound. The wounded man was out on bond for another crime.

KABC-TV Channel 7, Los Angeles, California

Missouri Woman Fights Off Juvenile Carjacker

A St. Louis woman was accosted by two males — one adult and one juvenile — who asked to use her phone. On being told the woman had no phone, the 13-year-old robber drew a gun and demanded her money and car keys, which the woman surrendered. A few minutes later, when the robbers were distracted, the woman drew her own gun and shot at the youth, putting both robbers to flight. Police later apprehended the wounded 13-year-old, who had been shot in the leg.

KMOV-TV Channel 4, St. Louis, Missouri