ARMED CITIZEN 1998
110 Cases
November/December 1998
***********
A Hayward, California, man was dozing on his couch late one evening when he heard heavy pounding at
his front door. After several loud “thumps,” the front door flew open in a hail of splinters, and a large man
wearing a ski mask attempted to make his way inside. The shaken resident fired several times from his .38-
cal. revolver, fatally wounding the homebreaker. An accomplice escaped. Police ruled the shooting
justified. (San Jose Mercury News, San Jose, CA, 7/31/98)
***********
When a quick-thinking Dover, Delaware, area resident heard a noise coming from his garage early one
morning, he instructed his wife to call police and grabbed his shotgun to investigate. The resident startled
an intruder and seized the element of surprise to strike the man in the head with the gun’s butt, holding him
until police arrived. Police charged the home invader with various counts related to burglary. (News-Journal,
Wilmington, DE, 8/5/98)
***********
“I don’t like to feel like a victim,” said Rachel Jackson of Red Springs, North Carolina, after successfully
running off an attacker who broke into her home. Jackson, whose spina bifida confines her to a wheelchair,
sprayed the man with tear gas. Then, while the man went to grab money from her purse, she pulled a .25-
cal. pistol and fired four shots. After the man was later caught seeking treatment at a hospital, it was
learned that he previously had been convicted of robbery, kidnapping, and attempted rape. “God gave me
the composure I needed to knock the panic and do what I needed to do,” Jackson said later. (Fayetteville
Observer-Times, Fayetteville, NC, 7/28/98)
***********
A 27-year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pizza delivery man was taking an order to what turned out to be a
vacant house when he was accosted by a teen who demanded, “Give me the food, give me the money, give
me your car, then I am going to shoot you in the head.” The delivery man’s response was to pull a semi-automatic
handgun—which he is licensed to carry—from his car and shoot his attacker. The wounded
would-be robber fled, but police later found him hiding in nearby bushes. Police said the delivery man
would not be charged in the incident. (Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA, 7/27/98)
***********
The husband and wife owners of an ice cream store were cleaning up after closing one evening when two
men, both wearing handkerchiefs over part of their faces and one armed with a handgun, appeared at the
building’s screen door. After demanding that the wife open the door, the nearest man forced the door open.
The wife yelled for her husband, who pulled a derringer from his pocket and fired two rounds, sending both
men fleeing. (Parma Sun Post, Parma, OH, 7/30/98)
***********
Trucker Tom Baker of Salem, Indiana, was watching the television news when he learned that a mental
patient, who allegedly had viciously stabbed an elderly man to death before being committed, was on the
loose. Later that day, while fueling his rig for a haul, Baker noticed a suspicious man nearby who soon was
standing in front of his truck. The man looked familiar to Baker, who quickly realized who the suspicious
character was. “My God. That’s that guy who killed that man,” thought Baker. When the man stepped up
onto the side of the truck and said he wanted to go to Dallas, Baker produced his gun and “told him to get
off my truck.” As the man began to walk away, Baker went inside the truck stop and called the local
sheriff’s department. The man was in custody shortly thereafter. “I’m glad I had it with me,” said Baker of
his firearm. (Salem Leader-Democrat, Salem, IN, 8/4/98).
***********
An argument between a man and a woman inside a Louisiana residence turned violent when the man
allegedly doused the victim with gasoline and struck matches in an attempt to set her on fire. The woman
swept up her two young children and fled the house, but was pursued by her tormentor. Once at her car, she
retrieved a handgun and held off the man in order to make good her and her children’s escape. (The Times-Picayune,
New Orleans, LA, 8/4/98)
***********
When a Montclair, Virginia, man walked out of his house late one evening, he noticed two people near a
car that had just been burglarized. The man returned to his house and grabbed a cellular telephone and a
handgun. Back outside, he noticed the individuals breaking into yet another car, according to Prince
William County Police Sgt. Kim Chinn. The man walked toward the suspects and ordered them onto the
ground. One fled, but the other stayed put until police arrived. (Potomac News, Woodbridge, VA, 8/6/98)
***********
Betty Joyce Lambeth was home one afternoon when she heard the sound of breaking glass coming from the
door between her carport and kitchen. What happened next was even scarier: An arm reached through the
opening and began to unlock the door. Lambeth retrieved her 9 mm Smith & Wesson handgun and fired
one shot through the door, sending the arm—and the suspect—fleeing. (The Courier-Tribune, Ashboro.
NC. 8/27/98)
***********
Tony Marshall’s Cincinnati computer store had already been robbed twice when yet a third incident
occurred. A suspicious man wandered in asking about hardware Marshall said he didn’t carry. Marshall,
who sensed the man had evil intentions, went to the back of the store where he kept a .38-cal. handgun. As
Marshall came back to the front of the store, the man swiped a laptop computer and took off running. The
armed Marshall gave chase and, along with a customer, cornered the man not far away. “I’ve worked too
hard to get what I have,” said Marshall. Police said the storeowner committed no crime in apprehending the
man. (The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, OH, 7/17/98)
***********
October 1998
***********
Jack Overdorff and his wife, Jeri, were unaware of the danger they faced when a man came to their door
inquiring about a motor home they had for sale. After looking over the RV, the man forced Jack Overdorif
inside the couple’s house at gunpoint. After the invader tied up the couple and surveyed the house, he cut
loose Jeri Overdorif so she could use the bathroom. That’s when a gunfight ensued. Jack Overdorif
managed to pull a .45-cal. handgun and shoot the man twice in the chest. Overdorif was wounded in the
return fire, and the home invader was fatally wounded. (The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA/Coeur
d’Alene, ID, 6/6/98)
***********
After explaining to a judge how she has been beaten, stalked, and threatened, once with a sword swung just
inches from her throat, Des Moines resident Kelcey Woolery succeeded in having the court order her
abusive ex-boyfriend to stay away. Undeterred, however, the 37-year-old man forced his way into the
house where Woolery was staying one morning. Woolery armed herself with a handgun and fired several
shots at the man. He was wounded and was later listed in serious condition at a hospital where he was
scheduled to be arraigned. No charges were filed against Woolery. (The Des Moines Register, Des Moines,
IA, 6/25/98).
***********
A tanning salon owner sent two would-be robbers fleeing after they entered his place of business and
sprayed him with Mace. The businessman fired his .38-cal. revolver, hitting one of the men in the shoulder.
Hospital officials later called police to pick up the man after he arrived for treatment of a gunshot wound.
Police said the owner would not be charged in the shooting. (Salem Evening News, Salem, MA, 6/30/98)
***********
A Lebanon, Oregon, resident swung into action around 11 o’clock one evening, shortly after four uninvited
“visitors” arrived at her home. The baseball-bat-wielding thugs forced their way through the front door,
then went to work on the door of the woman’s bedroom, demanding to be let in. She trained her 9mm pistol
on the door from the other side, fired three shots, and sent the home invaders fleeing. (Statesman-Journal,
Salem, OR, 7/4/98)
***********
When a gun-toting man wearing a stocking on his head entered Mike Nisi’s family-run jewelry store in
New Port Richey, he probably didn’t realize he was about to get the break of his life—literally. Nisi’s son
saw the man pull a revolver out of his waistband just before Nisi, out of sight behind a work-bench, and his
wife each emerged with their own handguns trained on the man. They had the would-be bandit—in his late
teens or early 20s—dead to rights, but decided to let him escape after he pleaded, “Don’t shoot me, don’t
shoot me!” (The Suncoast News, Port Richey, FL, 7/1/98)
***********
Brent Berkebile, Jr., 21, was in for a rude surprise when he opened his front door late one evening. He
instantly came face-to-face with an armed man who demanded money. While Berkebile complied, his
girlfriend ran out of the house to summon help at the nearby house of Brent Berkebile, Sr., who
returned with a shotgun. Berkebile, Sr., fired at the bandit as he attempted to escape from his son’s
residence. Police later found the man across the street in some bushes, alive but with a gunshot injury to the
shoulder. “It looks like he did what he had to do and nothing more,” said a police spokesman of the elder
Berkebile. (Stockton Record, Stockton, CA, 7/3/98)
***********
David Ellis, a city councilor for Lynn, Massachusetts, was on his bicycle conducting a midnight crime
patrol when he spotted four men harassing an elderly woman in her car. Moving to intervene, Ellis
confronted the men, then began to use his cell phone to call for help. The men charged, knocking
Ellis off his bike, kicking him in the head, and yelling, “Kill him!” Ellis reacted by pulling a .357 Mag.
handgun and firing into the group. He then ran to a nearby house and called police. Two of the four were
later caught and charged with armed robbery. (Ipswich Chronicle, Ipswich, MA, 7/9/98)
***********
After Timothy Abbott noticed an unknown man in the back yard of a neighbor’s residence, he confronted
the intruder, who responded by attempting to run away. Abbott then told the man— who had been trying to
break into the house—that he had a gun and ordered him to stop. Abbott’s wife called police, who later
arrived to find Abbott holding the man at gunpoint. (Keizer Times, Keizer, OR, 6/25/98)
***********
Pueblo homeowner Frank Bergamo watched carefully as a would-be burglar doggedly made his way onto
Bergamo’s property, attempting to avoid motion detectors and climbing a six-foot-high chain-link fence.
When the man finally tried to crawl through the dog door cut into Bergamo’s back entrance, he quickly
found himself staring into the business end of his victim’s Smith & Wesson .357 Mag. revolver. Bergamo
held the intruder for police, and the man was later charged with second-degree burglary. (The Chieftain,
Pueblo, CO. 7/14/98).
***********
After a woman entered a laundry room at the trailer park where she lived, she was approached by an
unfamiliar man who inquired whether she had a boyfriend or husband and suggested he come to her trailer
“for a beer.” The woman asked to be left alone and left the room, but the man followed. When he called out
to her from behind, she turned and the man exposed himself to her. The woman, fearing she could be raped,
pulled a handgun from her laundry basket and fired a shot. Police later charged the man with stalking. No
charges were filed against the woman, whom police said had a legal right to shoot in self-defense. (Boca
Raton News, Boca Raton, FL, 7/28/98)
***********
September 1998
***********
When two men attempted to rob 43-year-old auto mechanic Thomas Ellerbee as he walked to his
Philadelphia home one night, Ellerbee feigned reaching for his wallet and instead pulled a .380-cal. Sig
Sauer pistol. He fired three shots, killing one assailant and injuring the other one, whose relatives later took
him to a hospital. According to police, Ellerbee had a permit to carry a concealed firearm. (Philadelphia
Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA, 04/21/98)
***********
A blast of pepper spray proved an inadequate deterrent for the would-be robber of a Tucson, Arizona,
liquor store. The man continued to advance on the clerk, knocking the cash register off the counter. He then
reached inside his clothing. That’s when the clerk, fearing that the inept crook had a gun, pulled out her
own gun and fired. When police arrived to arrest the man, they found him subdued and in pain from a
bullet wound to the buttocks. (Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ, 02/07/98)
***********
The sounds of shattering glass woke a 91-year-old disabled woman late one evening in her Charlotte, North
Carolina, home. Apparently, an intruder had broken windows in both the bathroom and living room of the
house. He was sent packing when the woman reacted by firing three shots from a handgun. Social service
workers found the woman immobile but uninjured on the floor of her home the following evening. (The
Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, 05/09/98)
***********
The tranquility of Mike Merz’s Boca Raton, Florida, home was disrupted one morning by two loud crashes.
As Merz went downstairs to investigate, he saw a man racing through his living room. The two men
struggled throughout the first floor, eventually holding each other by the throat. Finally, during a lull in the
conflict, Merz, who is licensed to carry a firearm, grabbed a telephone and his Sig Sauer semi-automatic
pistol. He held the intruder at bay until police arrived. “Somebody had to stop him. The police can’t be
everywhere,” Merz said. (Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 06/03/98)
***********
Two men wearing stocking masks and rubber gloves and armed with a rifle burst into Red True’s country
store on night, abruptly bringing to an end the merchant’s 20 years of peaceful trade. After confronting
True, the men insisted that he remove his hands from his pockets. True complied, pulling out a .38-cal.
revolver and fatally shooting one of the men in the face. The accomplice was captured shortly thereafter.
“He was protecting himself,” said Northhampton County Sheriff John Wood, who added that True would
not be charged in the incident. (Roanoke Herald, Roanoke Rapids, NC, 05/08/98).
***********
Truck driver Fernando Sancho was asleep in the cab of his 18-wheeler, which contained a $250,000 load of
shrimp, when someone broke out a window and attempted to climb inside. Sancho fired his Winchester
rifle and gave chase, sending three men fleeing in their car. The men, two of whom sustained bullet
wounds, were later arrested and charged with felony attempted burglary. Sancho had taken the precaution
of arming himself because three previous burglaries had sent his insurance premiums spiraling upward and
threatened to bankrupt his business. (San Gabriel Valley Daily Tribune, West Covina, CA, 06/12/98)
***********
Two would-be robbers entered Ossie’s Jewelers in Allentown, Pennsylvania, one morning, shouting
“Police emergency” and wildly firing more than 20 rounds of ammunition from their guns. But store owner
Vernon Oswald, whose wife was also on the premises, discouraged further mayhem by answering back
with six rounds from his .357 Mag. Revolver. That was enough to send the thugs fleeing. “The fact that Mr.
Oswald shot back probably saved his life and that of his wife,” said Lehigh County District Attorney James
Martin. (The Mercury, Pottstown, PA, 02/01/98)
***********
When a 50-year-old woman heard a noise in her home shortly before 6:30 in the morning, she went to the
kitchen to investigate, but not before preparing for the worst. It’s a good thing, since what she discovered
was a man working his way through a window above the sink. According to police reports, the woman,
armed with a shotgun, approached the would-be burglar and threatened to shoot him. From his somewhat
compromised position midway through the window, the intruder quickly saw things from the woman’s
perspective and fled the scene. (The Herald-Sun, Durham, NC, 06/01/98)
***********
When Lorden Gemaya, 51, walked out of her Southwest Dade, Florida, house one morning, she was
confronted by two armed men who forced her back inside. As one of the home invaders began a room-to-room
search, Lazaro Veguilla, 39, emerged from one of the rooms and began shooting. Both robbers fled,
leaving behind a white Cadillac that had been reported stolen earlier in the month. (Miami Herald, Miami,
FL, 04/20/98)
***********
A 44-year-old woman was surprised on her birthday by a man who crept into her house shortly after she set
the security alarm. When the alarm sounded, the woman soon found herself face to face with the intruder.
“You better leave, or I’m going to shoot you,” she said. The man disregarded the warning and continued to
advance. The woman fired one shot, which sent the man fleeing into the night. (The Scottsdale Tribune,
Scottsdale, AZ, 05/16/98)
***********
A Fort Worth resident managed to foil the attempted burglary of this home – remarkably, the second such
intrusion in as many weeks – by surprising a would-be thief with his presence and with a single shot from a
.38-cal. handgun. Police said the home was probably targeted because it appeared to be unoccupied. The
home invader was frightened by the gunfire and fled out the front door. (The Dallas Morning News, Dallas,
TX, 06/16/98)
***********
August 1998
***********
Manhattan jewelry store owner, Gary Austen, 43, was bound with a necktie during a morning heist in
which armed bandits menaced a customer and emptied the safe. Once free, Austen ran out of the store
shouting, “Call the cops!” Then, chasing one suspect, he came face to face with the man at a blocked
subway entrance. Austen drew his licensed .25-cal. handgun and fired twice. The bleeding man fled and
was later caught hiding in the basement of a pharmacy. He was hospitalized in serious condition and
charged with first-degree robbery and weapons possession. A female accomplice escaped. Austen was not
charged in the incident. (The New York Times, New York, NY, 05/19/98)
***********
According to Elko County, Nevada, Sheriff Neil Harris, a man who had befriended and later stalked Tracy
Templeton deliberately waited until Templeton’s husband was away one morning before entering the
couple’s house. The man beat Templeton in the face with the heel of his hand in an attempt to deliver a
tactical blow designed to kill. But Templeton’s 15-year-old son, who was in the house along with his three-year-
old brother, came to his mother’s rescue. He first attempted to pull the man away, then ran into the
bedroom, where he grabbed a semi-automatic .22 cal. handgun. When he returned, he fired three shots,
killing the attacker. Templeton suffered a deep cut over her right eye, a broken cheek bone, a broken nose,
and bruises. The assailant had been released from jail the previous night after serving time for stalking.
(Elko Daily Free Press, Elko, NV, 04/10/98)
***********
After five break-ins at his Venice, Florida, home in fewer than six months, Jack Foster had had enough.
Foster, a retired policeman, was awakened early one morning in yet another invasion of his privacy and
soon found himself scuffling with a scofflaw. Foster grabbed a gun and fired three shots at the intruder,
seriously wounding him. “You have the inalienable right to defend yourself, up to and including using
deadly force when you feel your life or the life of a family member is threatened,” said Sarasota County
Sheriff’s Lt. Bill Stookey of the incident. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Sarasota, FL, 04/21/98)
***********
Just as Corpus Christi, Texas, resident Candace McLallen was about to step into the shower one afternoon,
she was interrupted by the front doorbell. Looking outside, McLallen saw an unfamiliar car and three
equally unfamiliar men. Determined not to let them in, and in a quandary as to what to do next, she was
stunned by the loud noise and flying splinters of the front door as it slammed open. McLallen raced to her
bedroom, where she kept a .38-cal. revolver for home protection. Once there, she grabbed the gun in one
hand and her one-year-old daughter in the other and let two shot ring out. The home invaders were so
scared when they realized their intended “victim” was armed that they fled the scene, leaving the getaway
car behind. (Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Corpus Christi, TX, 05/07/98)
***********
When a ne’er-do-well entered the Pick-A-Flick video store in Nashville and shoved a gun in the face of
employee Gary Williams, the would-be robber didn’t realize his life was hanging in the balance. According
to Metro Police spokesman Don Aaron, “The clerk knocked the gun away from his face, the suspect shot
and [the clerk] shot.” Williams suffered a minor hand wound, but when he retrieved his own gun and fired
back, a fatal shot struck the would-be robber’s head. Shortly afterward, police arrested another man they
suspected of being the getaway driver. (The Tennessean, Nashville, TN, 05/15/98)
***********
As she entered her apartment one afternoon, 18-year-old Karen Walkden was followed and confronted by
her landlord, with whom she had earlier had a dispute. According to police, Walkden said the man made
certain comments that led her to believe he was going to sexually assault her. When Walkden told the man
to leave, he grabbed her, police said. She then ran into another room and retrieved a shotgun that she had
purchase only weeks earlier for home protection. Walkden fired one shot into the man’s chest. Within 10
minutes, he was pronounced dead by paramedics. (Daily News, Woodland Hills, CA, 04/24/98).
***********
When one of three masked gunmen who had entered a Boynton Beach, Florida, eatery demanded Edward
Greifer’s wallet, Greifer pulled out his .25-cal. handgun instead, pointed it at the man’s neck, and said,
“Are you sure you want my wallet?” At that point, according to police, the robbers decided it was time to
leave, but still managed to escape with $1,600 and a woman’s purse. (Palm Beach Post, Palm Beach, FL,
12/19/97)
***********
A masked gun-wielding man who grabbed the arm of an employee one evening at Bruno’s Pizza Pie in
Tampa, Florida, didn’t count on such swift “service” from the restaurant’s manager. As the tense situation
played out, the manager came to the employee’s rescue with a gun and shot the robber, critically wounding
him and sending him fleeing. Police found the man collapsed in a vacant field shortly thereafter with a ski
mask and gun a short distance away. No charges were filed against the manager. (Tampa Tribune, Tampa,
FL, 05/05/98)
***********
In yet another botched pizza shop robbery, two masked men walked into Cara Mia Pizza in Reading,
Pennsylvania, pointed a rifle at the shop’s owner and when they could not open the cash drawer, attempted
to make off with the entire cash register. Recognizing the dire nature of the situation, employee Anthony
Ferrante, 39, ran to the back of the store, retrieved his licensed 9 mm handgun, and started firing at the
bandits. The two men quickly fled the scene. (Reading Eagle/Reading Times, Reading, PA, 05/13/98)
***********
July 1998
***********
Shannon Davis’ visit to Aaron D. Lee and his mother at their Yakima, Washington, home was abruptly cut
short by a threatening phone call from her abusive ex-boyfriend, James Leo Armato. Soon afterward,
Armato—who had been furloughed from jail only hours before— arrived at the house bent on causing as
much mayhem as possible. He threw Davis down the porch steps, then went inside, where his rampage was
halted when Lee fired once from a small-caliber rifle. Armato died at the scene. (Yakima Herald-Republic,
Yakima, WA, 1/18/98)
***********
Seventy-eight-year-old Mattie Lou Sherman was prepared when she set out one Friday night to investigate
a loud noise at the back door of her house. Before she could get that far, she met a man, already inside,
advancing toward her. According to police, she fired five times from her .38-cal. handgun, sending the man
fleeing. Later, officers found the intruder near a local elementary school with wounds to the head, neck, and
shoulder. They said he would face first-degree burglary charges. (Greensboro News & Record, Greensboro,
NC, 4/28/98)
***********
A 24-year-old man was inside his Camp Springs, Maryland, home with his eight-month-old son in the
early afternoon when he heard his front door being kicked in. The resident grabbed a handgun and ran
downstairs, where he was charged by an intruder. The father fired several times, hitting the robber in the
upper body, killing him. “We’re assuming the motive was burglary, but he didn’t get a chance to take
anything,” said a police spokesman. (The Washington Post, Washington, DC, 2/7/98).
***********
When two men knocked on the front door of David L. Skirvin’s home in Michigan’s Ada Township to ask
for help with car trouble, Skirvin didn’t even make it to the telephone before the men began to struggle
with him, ultimately shooting him twice in the head, according to sheriff’s officials. Skirvin, whose sister-in-
law described him as “the type to not back down from people or take any guff’ was able to run upstairs
and grab a rifle. He exchanged gunfire with the thugs, sending them fleeing. (Grand Rapids Press, Grand
Rapids, MI, 2/5/98)
***********
In a vicious attack, a 100-pound Japanese Akita knocked down Ellen Justice in front of her home in
Plymouth, Massachusetts, when she attempted to collect her mail. As the dog tore at Justice’s limbs,
several neighbors tried to intervene. That’s when Vincent Mallozzi, the brother of the dog’s owner, shot the
animal with a 20-ga. shotgun. Remarkably, though, it continued its rampage, attacking a police officer who
had arrived to pursue it. Patrolman Kenneth Rood eventually fired nine rounds from his .40-cal. handgun
before the dog fell dead. Rood and Justice were both treated at a nearby hospital. Police said Mallozzi did
the right thing. (The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA, 3/27/98)
***********
As nurse Jim Shaver, 49,walked to his job early one morning in Eugene, Oregon, two men, ages 19 and 20,
knocked him to the ground and began beating him in an apparent robbery attempt. Shaver, who was legally
licensed to carry his .22-cal. revolver, twice warned the thugs that he was armed. Undissuaded, they
continued the assault. That’s when Shaver fired several shots, wounding the younger assailant and sending
both men running. “I was in a position where I had to defend myself,” Shaver said. (The Register-Guard,
Eugene, OR, 3/11/98)
***********
Revelyn Williams reacted quickly after hearing suspicious noises in her East Memphis, Tennessee, home
by hiding her six-year-old grandson and then arming herself with her husband’s .22-cal. handgun. She
confronted two intruders in a bedroom as they removed stereo equipment, ordering them to leave. Said
police Maj. Larry Young, “[One man] started coming at her, and she shot him several times.” He was
caught by police soon after and taken to an area hospital in critical condition. The accomplice fled the
scene. (The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN, 2/5/98)
***********
George Waters offered up the performance of his life after two armed, masked youths entered the Taylor
Mill, Ohio, pawn shop where he worked and demanded money. Waters faked a heart attack, clutching his
chest and falling to the floor in order to activate an alarm. But one of the gunmen began to suspect he’d
been had, so Waters repeated the performance. This time, when he stood backup, he had a .45-cal. pistol in
hand. He shot both masked bandits, wounding one critically. (The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, OH,
4/10/98)
***********
Appraiser Clark Wheeler, 41, heard breaking glass shortly after midnight while working alone in his
downtown Bozeman, Montana, office. He grabbed his .357-cal. handgun and walked down the hall to
investigate. Wheeler surprised a man who had picked up a computer monitor and “encouraged him to
leave” by yelling and firing a shot. The man fled. Wheeler later said he has no plans to stop working late.
(Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Bozeman, MT, 4/13/98).
***********
Ten-year-old Clarence C. Wimberly found himself in a terrifying position one morning when a pitbull
pinned him down on the hood of a car. The dog clawed and growled viciously in the boy’s face as he
screamed and his mother pounded on the front door of a nearby house. When neighbor Marc McElroy
answered and saw what was happening, he retrieved his .38-cal. revolver from inside and ran to the boy’s
rescue. After distracting the dog with barking sounds, McElroy fired one shot, which hit the crazed canine
in the chest. Even though the dog fell to the ground, it attempted to continue the attack. McElroy closed in
and finished the beast with a final shot. “I thank God I was there, and I thank God I had my gun,” he said
later. Young Wimberly escaped with only minor injuries. (Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, OH, 3/5/98)
***********
June 1998
***********
When Jason Goforth, 22, opened his door after hearing a woman s voice in the early morning hours of
December 22, he didn’t expect to have a man shove a rifle in his face. Then “[another] subject with a gun in
his hand tried to kick the door in and push his way in,” said La Vergne, Tennessee, police Capt. Robert
Wolf. A brief struggle ensued, and, according to police, Goforth pulled out his gun and shot the home
invader three times. That was apparently enough to discourage two other intruders who had accompanied
the first pair. The three who remained were arrested and charged with aggravated burglary and attempted
aggravated burglary. “Most of the facts on their face appear that [Goforth] was acting in self-defense,” said
Wolf. (The Tennessean, Nashville, TN, 12/23/97)
***********
Gene Case was preparing to do landscaping work outside an apartment complex when he noticed a crazed
man who had been in a dispute with residents. Fearing a dire situation, Case retrieved a gun from a locked
console in his truck before the man yanked a medical monitor away from an 80-year-old woman nearby
and, according to witnesses, grabbed a two-year-old girl from her mother’s arms. Case yelled at the man
throughout the ordeal, warning him to stop. Finally, fearing for the girl’s life, Case told the would-be
kidnapper that if he didn’t release the child he would be killed. The man complied, and Case then held him
at bay until police arrived. The man was arrested for robbery by force or fear, kidnapping, indecent
exposure, and assault on a police officer. Case said he had applied for a right-to-carry permit soon after the
Oklahoma Self Defense Act became law on Jan. 1,1996. (Tulsa World, Tulsa, OK, 1/31/98)
***********
An ordinary withdrawal for bank customer Bobby Holland turned into a fight for his life when two men
attempted to rob him at gunpoint. As Holland, 25, who was armed, entered the Union Planters ATM station
one Friday evening, two men followed, pointing a gun at him and threatening to kill him, according to
police spokesman Lt. Richard True. Holland shot one attacker in the stomach and thigh, which sent the man
to a hospital in critical condition. The other man was arrested at a hospital where he under went treatment
for a bullet wound to the thigh. Police said Holland has a state handgun permit to carry a firearm and that
he would not be charged in the incident. (The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN, 10/21/97)
***********
Video store owner David Ragan had to react quickly one Friday afternoon when a 6-foot, 2-inch, razor-wielding
“customer” appeared at his counter. After the man grabbed him, Ragan dropped to his knees,
sliding out of his loose-fitting shirt. He used his left hand to hit the panic button and with his right hand
grabbed his gun, which he is licensed to cany. A customer walking in the store minutes later found the 5-
foot, 9-inch Ragan naked from the waist up and staring down at the man who was now spread-eagled on
the floor. Ragan, who has a history of positive community activism, was quoted as saying, “I don’t want to
be killed, but I’m not going to take it. It’s going to take more of us fighting back to send a message to these
criminals that you can’t get away with this.” The suspect was arrested six minutes after the incident by
police and was charged with first-degree robbery, possession of a deadly weapon during a felony, and
carrying a concealed deadly weapon, according to state police spokesman Cpl. Preston Lewis. (Sunday
News Journal, Wilmington, DE, 1/25/98).
***********
After two drivers pulled their vehicles into a store parking lot following a traffic altercation, a more
personal, and potentially violent, confrontation occurred. The first driver, a 36-year-old man, came at the
second driver with the knife blade of a pocket multitool. The second driver, who was licensed to carry a
gun, countered the threat by drawing a 9 mm handgun. The would-be victim held the attacker until police
arrived. Witnesses corroborated the victim’s story, prompting police to charge the attacker with aggravated
assault. (Paradise Valley Independent, Phoenix, AZ, 1/14/98)
***********
Shortly before 2 am., a Bothell, Washington, homeowner was awakened by the noise of an intruder
entering his bedroom through an unlocked sliding door. A brief confrontation ensued, during which the
victim sustained injuries and the intruder threatened to kill the man and his wife. At some point
during the struggle, the homeowner removed a handgun from a drawer and shot his tormentor, fatally
wounding him. The couple was questioned at police headquarters afterward and released, with police
calling the shooting an act of self-defense. It turns out that the intruder’s rap sheet was extensive and
included thefts and assaults in three counties. Said one woman of the neighborhood, where many leave
their doors unlocked, “I suppose you always have that false sense of security.” (The Seattle Times, Seattle,
WA, 12/22/97)
***********
A 56-year-old employee of the Illinois attorney general’s office turned the tables somewhat on an intruder
in the office’s parking garage. The victim let the man into the garage after having been convinced that he
was there to dispose of the garbage. Once inside, the intruder indicated he had a gun and intended to rob the
victim. What the man didn’t know was that the victim, already suspicious, had retrieved a .22 handgun
from his vehicle. When the imposter garbage collector attempted to “pick up” cash from the victim rather
than trash from the garage, the employee pulled his pistol and ordered the would-be robber to the ground.
The employee held the man until the arrival of police, who discovered that the holdup man possessed only
a crack pipe. The employee’s gun had been unloaded and in a case, a legal way to transport it, police said.
(The State Journal Register, Springfield, IL, 1/16/98)
***********
May 1998
***********
Any reasonable person would have acted the same way,” noted District Judge Jim Hall in ruling that
Rhonda Jones of Los Alamos, New Mexico, was defending herself after her boyfriend, Kalani Haughney,
put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. Jones, who learned to shoot at age 11, fired two fatal
shots at Haughney, who had abused her numerous times before and had also previously threatened two
other acquaintances. (Monitor, Los Alamos, NM, 11/16/97)
***********
Three to five brazen robbers used a stolen sport utility vehicle to ram their way through the front door of a
gun shop in a sparsely populated area of Fontana, California, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, and
began scooping up armloads of firearms. But the crash Woke the 15-year-old son of the own-ers, who lived
there, and he armed him-self and told the suspects to freeze. They had other ideas, and he fired, killing one
suspect. The others fled in another vehicle, taking two handguns and leaving some $25,000 in damage to
the building. The boy was not arrested, and the family's name and that of the dead man were not released.
(Mercury News, San Jose, CA, 11/26/97).
***********
Her clothing was torn and there were scratches on her chest, but the woman attacked by a would-be
midnight car-jacker managed to resist him enough to reach under the driver's seat for her pistol. The
attacker fled. The incident highlighted a recent poll taken by this newspaper about a controversial
Louisiana law that allows people to shoot suspected carjackers. Some 37,296 readers responded to the
ques-tion “Should the law allow you to kill a carjacker?” The verdict: 92 percent said yes, eight percent no.
(Daily Star, Hammond, LA, 12/6/97)
***********
A pair of teenage hoodlums were well along in a wee hours crime spree— having stolen a car, robbed a
man of his wallet, and in quick succession robbed two hotels, a car wash, and two convenience stores—
when they entered a 7-Eleven in Woodinville, Washington. Owner Otto Beach came out of a back room to
confront them, and one of the robbers pointed a gun at him. Beach fired, killing the man. The two intruders
had a total rap sheet of 41 juvenile and adult offenses. The survivor had failed to appear in court 11 times.
(The Seattle Times, Seattle, WA, 12/20/97)
***********
While he relaxed on the front porch of his Philadelphia home, 71-year-old Leonard Carter was suddenly
attacked by a drug crazed thug. The two strug-gled, and Carter managed to break free and run inside,
followed by his much younger attacker. Carter ran upstairs and retrieved a .38 cal. pistol while the assailant
was in the kitchen arming him-self with a knife. Carter confronted the man, and when the intruder
threatened to kill him, the elderly gentleman fired two fatal shots. (The Daily News, Philadelphia, PA,
10/30/97)
***********
Two armed men attempted to rob Israel Maria’s Dade, Florida, jewelry store after being buzzed inside.
Maria grabbed a shotgun and engaged in a gun-fight. He killed one of the crooks, injured the other, and,
though wounded himself, held the thug for police. The men were professional crooks who had been sought
by authorities. (The Herald, Dade, FL, 10/24/97)
***********
An Olympia, Washington, woman heard a commotion in the back yard and went to investigate, armed with
a .38 revolver. She was hit in the chest and knocked to the ground by a male assailant. She drew her pistol,
aimed at the man, and said, “I am in fear for my life—leave or I will shoot you.” The man wisely jumped
over a fence and fled. (The Olympian, Olympia, WA, 10/12/97)
***********
When two masked men entered a Houston, Texas, home and attacked the homeowner, his 15-year-old son
grabbed a shotgun and opened fire. The men fled, but one collapsed outside the house. He later died. Police
did not file charges against the boy. (The Chronicle, Houston, TX, 10/14/97)
***********
After his son alerted him to a gun-fight in progress near their home, Michael Mclntee of Towner, North
Dakota, grabbed a .22-250 rifle and went to investigate. He found a county sheriff wounded and a man
threatening to kill a woman and two children. Believing the sheriff dead, McLntee fired once, hitting the
man. The woman began to flee, and the man shot at her. Mclntee fired once more, stopping the attack. The
man, who turned out to be the woman's ex-husband, then turned his own gun on himself. He had a histo-ry
of spousal abuse and violence. Mclntee said, “My goal was to prevent him from killing her and the kids.”
(Herald, Grand Forks, ND, 10/15/97).
***********
Alarmed at the sound of gunfire in the halls of his Pearl, Mississippi, high school, Assistant Principal Joel
Myrick ran to his car to retrieve a pistol. The shooter was an armed student who marched through the
school firing on his fellow students and teachers. The assailant's efforts to escape the scene ground to a halt
when another student used his own vehicle to force the suspect's white car into the grass, where it spun to a
stop. Myrick used the delay to catch up to the armed student and hold him for police. Pearl schools
Superintendent Bill Dodson said of Myrick, “We think he's a hero for keeping more lives from being lost.
The young man with the gun still had rounds in the rifle and could have injured other people.” (The
Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, MS, 10/2/97)
***********
A youth armed with a butcher knife and a .25 cal. pistol entered Allen Khouja’s Bridgeport, Connecticut,
market and demanded money. Khouja had begun to comply when the would-be robber shot at him. Khoujn
then drew a .38 revolver and fatally wounded the vagabond. (Journal Inquirer, Bridgeport, CT, 10/31/97)
***********
April 1998
***********
Rafael Fernandez’s Philadelphia check-cashing agency had been robbed one too many times. He obtained a
concealed-carry permit, determined that he would not be a victim again. While entering the rear of his store
one morning, he was approached by an armed man who tried to force his way in. Fernandez drew his .45
cal. pistol and shot the man, who died a short time later. An accomplice drove off at the sound of the shots
and was being sought by police. (The Daily News, Philadelphia, PA, 10/15/97)
***********
Mississippi Department of Transportation officer Clyde Coker is in the business of apprehending crooks.
While attending the NRA National Police Shooting Championships in Jackson, Mississippi, Coker was
staying in a nearby hotel. One evening he was approached in the parking lot by two men, one of them
armed. They demanded money, and Coker complied. But the two toughs continued to advance on him, and
he drew his service pistol and killed the armed man. The second suspect fled. (The Clarion-Ledger,
Jackson, MS, 10/5/97)
***********
Liquor store clerk Thomas Beasley of Cordele, Georgia, felt the pressure of a pistol in his side and heard
his assailant say, “Give it up, give it up!” Beasley drew a .38 cal. pistol from his pocket and fired twice,
hitting the robber. The crook managed to get off two shots himself, wounding Beasley, who was still able
to lock the store's door, trapping his attacker inside until police arrived. The man, a convicted robber out on
parole, died at the scene. (The Dispatch, Cordele, GA, 10/10/97)
***********
Peter Sabatini of Orlando was riding his bicycle one afternoon when he was attacked by a youth armed
with what later turned out to be a pellet pistol. The attacker threatened him with the gun and tried to take
the bike. Fearing for his life, Sabatini, a concealed-carry permit holder, drew his .45 pistol and fatally shot
his assailant. The youth had a criminal history. (The Sentinel, Orlando, FL, 10/18/97)
***********
The young drifter asked 84-year-old James Ridener if he could use the phone in the elderly man's
Indianapolis, Indiana, home. Ridener let him in, but instead of using the phone, the man put what the
homeowner thought was a gun to his neck and demanded money. Ridener drew his own pistol and
shot his assailant, who fled. A wounded man was apprehended near the home an hour later. (The Star,
Indianapolis, IN, 10/3/97).
***********
A pair of teens—one of them armed— forced their way through the front door of Johnnie Mae Stewart’s
Charlotte, North Carolina, home and demanded that she give them her money. The 50-year-old single
woman went to a drawer to retrieve the cash, but saw her .22 pistol and decided to give them something
else instead. She shot the armed crook, and the two intruders fled. The wounded suspect later turned
himself in to police. (The Observer, Charlotte, NC, 9/28/97)
***********
When he heard screaming outside his Phoenix home, Joe Ligidakis looked out to see an elderly woman
running across his front yard pursued by a male assailant who was beating her. Joe grabbed a pistol and
went outside to confront the man, who was savagely attacking the woman. The attack was stopped, and the
man was held for police. The attacker has been linked to a series of 1994 rapes. (Arizona Republic,
Phoenix, AZ, 9/27/97)
***********
When a masked man armed with a shotgun burst into Sam's St. Johns Seafood restaurant in Jacksonville,
Florida, and announced a robbery, diners Oscar Moore and Robert Guerry were spurred to action. As the
man held terrified patrons hostage and demanded that a waitress open the cash register, Moore and Guerry,
both armed with .22 cal. pistols, opened fire, hitting the robber several times. The suspect fled but was later
apprehended and charged with armed robbery. Moore said, “Somewhere along the line, we the people have
to start protecting ourselves.” (The Times-Union, Jacksonville, FL, 10/24/97)
***********
It's not every day that a man kneels on top of you while holding a gun to your head. When Gregory
Blackinton, a concealed-carry permit holder, saw this happening to someone in Hartford, Connecticut, he
drew his pistol and ordered the attacker to stop. When the armed hood turned his pistol on him, Blackinton
fired. The wounded man was charged with carjacking and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
(The Day, Hartford, CT, 10/12/97)
***********
William Cobb of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is glad he carries a pistol on him at all times. While mowing his
lawn one afternoon, he was approached by a masked man armed with a semiautomatic pistol and
demanding money. Cobb obliged him. When the crook persisted for more, Cobb drew his own .38 cal.
revolver and shot the man, killing him. Police said, “He was put in a position where he had no choice... He
was going to give up the money. He had no intention of pulling the gun.” (Daily Advocate, Baton Rouge,
LA, 10/14197)
***********
A rash of burglaries in Sutton, West Virginia, came to an end when armed citizens intervened. After seeing
a man inside a closed store, a woman called the owners, Linda Shaver and Brenda Argabrite. The two
armed themselves and confronted the intruder, holding him for police. The man is suspected of 15
breaking-and-entering crimes. (Braxton Citizens News, Sutton, WV, 10/14/97)
***********
Las Cruces, New Mexico, street cleaners Ramon Zamora and Jesus Zavala had been robbed before. They
decided to do something about it and got concealed-carry permits for 9 mm pistols. When accosted by three
youths who brandished pistols and threatened to rob them, the pair drew their own pistols and shot the three
attackers, killing one and wounding the two others. Zamora and Zavala were not charged. (Sun News, Las
Cruces, NM 10/12/97)
***********
March 1998
***********
Juanita Marcum of Bessemer City, North Carolina, is glad she was armed. After her ex-husband broke into
her home and attacked her and her daughter with an ax, she drew her pistol and fatally shot him. The man
had a history of domestic violence abuses. Police did not charge either woman. (The Gazette, Gaston, NC,
11/04/97)
***********
Geneva Littlefield, 61, and her 95 year-old mother are quiet women who keep themselves in their East
Hall, Georgia, home. Geneva keeps a .38 cal. revolver in case others don't do the same. After cutting the
phone lines of the elderly woman's home, a man broke in early one morning. Geneva heard him coming
and was waiting for him. He began to choke her mother, so she shot him in the groin. Unable to call police
and unwilling to leave her mother alone with the wounded burglar, she held him at gunpoint until she could
alert passing neighbors. (The Times, Gainesville, GA, 10/18/97)
***********
After 11 years of mental and physical abuse, Elizabeth Johnstone finally summoned the courage to leave
her husband. When his harassment continued, she filed a restraining order and purchased a .44 cal. revolver
in case he violated it. He did. The man broke into her West Melbourne, Florida, home one morning and
threatened to kill her with a 12-ga. shotgun. The couple's little boy grabbed his father's legs, begging him
not to hurt his mother. The man ignored his son and began dragging his estranged wife through the house.
He had succeeded in handcuffing her left wrist when the woman's great-grandmother handed her the .44.
Several shots later, the abusive husband lay on the floor, dead. (Florida Today, Melbourne, FL, 10/23/97)
***********
Three young bandits found out the hard way that crime does not pay. Breaking into a Lawton, Oklahoma,
home, the trio found the homeowner hiding in her bedroom. When they saw that she was armed, they
pointed pistols at her, but she opened fire first, forcing the group from the house. Outside, they encountered
a police officer, whom the also tried to engage, but the officer was a better marksman. One suspect was
killed and a second wounded. The third was arrested. (The Daily Oklahoman, Lawton, OK, 10/23/97)
***********
Warren, Ohio, music store owner James Pugh thwarted a robbery attempt in his store late one evening. A
man entered the store and acted as if he had a gun. He demanded money, but Pugh pulled his own gun,
sending the would-be robber running. (The Vindicator, Youngstown, OH, 10/25/97)
***********
When her ex-boyfriend forced his way into her Greenville, South Carolina, apartment, Alexcia Fant knew
he was not there to reconcile. He threw her to the floor, began choking her, and threatened to kill her. In
response, she drew a .38 cal. pistol and fired twice, fatally hitting him. The man had a history of assault
charges. (The News, Greenville, SC, 10/29/97)
***********
After being held up several times, a Bronx, New York, music store owner got a 9 mm Beretta pistol to
thwart further attempts. Late one morning he buzzed a supposed customer into his store, but once inside,
the man produced a pistol and demanded money. A struggle ensued, and the owner drew his own firearm,
whereupon he fatally shot the bandit. (The Times Union, New York, NY, 10/30/97)
***********
While withdrawing money from a Memphis, Tennessee, ATM, Bobby Holland was approached by two
men, one of whom was armed. The two demanded money, but Holland, a concealed-carry permit holder,
drew a pistol instead and shot them. Police are investigating the two suspects in connection with other area
robberies. Holland will not be charged. (The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN, 10/17/97).
***********
Lyle Torpey of Enumclaw, Washington, awoke to hear his basement door being broken in. An intoxicated
youth entered the home and began to come up the stars. Torpey called 911 and warned the intruder that he
was armed and would fire if the youth continued his advance. The young man wisely retreated downstairs,
where police found him and arrested him. He was charged with burglary and is being investigated for
driving while intoxicated. (Valley Daily News, Kent, WA, 10/04/97)
***********
When an enraged neighbor broke down the door of his Kramer Junction, California, home and threatened
to kill him, Kenneth Oliver suspected he did not want a cup of sugar. He told the intruder he was armed and
not to enter, but the housebreaker ignored the warning and proceeded inside. Oliver shot the intruder once
in the upper chest, killing the man. (Daily Press, Victorville, CA, 09/30/97)
***********
When she heard her pet parrot making noises early one morning in the living room of Delray Beach,
Florida, home, Gail Ennis went to investigate. She found a 7'3'' alligator pressed against the window. In the
time it took to dial 911, the reptile pushed its way through a screen and into the house. Her husband,
Howard, grabbed his .357 Mag. revolver and shot the beast, killing it instantly. (People, 10/14/97)
***********
The customer strolled into the Enfield, North Carolina, convenience store, paid for a pair of latex gloves,
put them on, and with a laugh told clerk Elton Gillikin, "In just a minute, we're going to have some fun
'cause I'm going to rob you." The convenience store clerk, a former security officer, didn't wait for
clarification from his assailant. Gillikin immediately pressed the store's silent alarm and drew his .38 cal.
pistol. The clerk then held the no-longer-laughing, would-be robber until police arrived and took him into
custody. (Daily Herald, Roanoke Rapids, NC 09/26/97)
***********
February 1998
***********
A robbery attempt at an Atlanta, Georgia, barber shop was thwarted by an armed barber. Willie White was
cutting the hair of one youth when he was confronted by two others; all three demanded money. White then
pulled his own pistol and shot at all three would-be robbers. One attacker was killed, another critically
injured, and the third was held for police. Police later said, “It seemed like they knew what they wanted to
do. But they picked the wrong person as the victim.” No charges are being filed against White. (The
Journal-Constitution, Atlanta, GA, 6/19/97)
***********
Convenience store owner Nam Chun of Orange County, Florida, was fed up with criminals. Chun had been
robbed four times and was determined there would not be a fifth. When an armed and masked man entered
his store shortly after closing time and began beating on one of Chun’s employees, it spurred the store
owner into action. Chun drew his own pistol and shot the culprit three times. The robber stumbled out the
door to the parking lot, where he died. Chun was praised by fellow store owners and patrons alike. One
store patron said, “I’m glad that it happened, because it will teach other people not to take other peoples
money. Let everybody work for a living.” (The Sentinel, Orlando, FL, 9/1/97)
***********
Crooks sometimes don't consider the weight of numbers when they attempt a robbery. Three would-be
robbers, one of them armed with a pistol, attempted to hold up McCary’s Bar and Grille in St. Andrews,
South Carolina, but didn't bank on the crowd resisting so heavily. A cook slipped out the back door and
alerted a customer outside of the robbery in progress. The man grabbed a pistol from his car and spotted
one of the robbers leaving the building. The man tackled the first suspect, who was held for police by other
patrons. The armed customer then entered the establishment, saw the robber holding a gun to the owner's
head, and opened fire. The thug stumbled out the door and collapsed across the street. The third crook
got away, but was later captured when he returned to the scene to check on his accomplices. (The State,
Columbia, SC, 8/2/97).
***********
In the space of an hour, an ill-fated crook attempted to rob two houses just a few blocks apart. Both times
he was thwarted by homeowners with guns. The intruder entered the first home wearing a mask and armed
with a large knife. He threatened the homeowner in his bedroom; the man drew a pistol and ordered the
interloper to stop. The invader fled and moved on to the second home. After breaking and entering—thus
alerting the armed homeowner therein—the man began moving through the house. The second homeowner
encountered the thug and ordered him to drop the knife. The knife-wielding intruder advanced on the armed
citizen and was shot in the neck. Police were called to the scene of both homes, and the suspect was
arrested at the second one. Neither homeowner was charged. (The Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, WI,
8/13/97)
***********
Wade Walton, a Danville, Virginia, realty manager, gave a would-be robber more than he bargained for
one morning. The culprit drew a 10-inch knife and demanded cash shortly after Walton had opened the
office for business. When Walton replied that the establishment had none, the crook demanded Walton’s
wallet. Walton drew his .38-cal. revolver instead, the mere sight of which sent the knife-wielding man
packing. Police said, “Citizens have a right to protect life, limb, and property.” (Register & Bee, Danville,
VA, 8/6/97)
***********
The American Dream doesn't come cheap, and Samer and Khalid Mohd were not about to give their part up
to a robber. The two immigrants run a downtown Miami, Florida, convenience store and keep a rifle close
by for protection. Wearing a shirt as a mask and socks on his hands, a would-be robber entered the
brothers’ store holding a knife over his head and demanding money. Samer ran to the nearby office,
grabbed his semi-automatic SKS rifle, and used it to make the thief surrender. Samer was joined by his
brother, and the two held the bandit until police arrived. ‘They were too fast for me,” the foiled crook
reportedly said. (The Daily News, Palatka, FL, 8/8/97)
***********
A Tuscaloosa, Alabama, grocery store owner was closing up one evening when he saw two men approach
his 15-year-old son outside. One of the men was armed with a handgun. As the robbers forced the boy into
the store, the owner pulled his own firearm. One of the suspects shouted, “He's got a gun!” and they both
fled to a waiting van. The store owner followed, but the pair escaped. Three suspects were later
apprehended. (The News, Tuscaloosa, AL, 8/18/97)
***********
Robert Fray of Terrytown, Louisiana, is more wary of giving rides to strangers now. After Fray drove two
men to a town outside New Orleans, one put a knife to his throat and tried to rob him. As the three men
struggled, Fray reached into the console of his car and drew a .380 semi-automatic pistol, shooting one of
the thieves. The two crooks tried to escape but were apprehended by police. Police did not charge Fray as
his actions appeared to be in self-defense. (The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA, 8/7/97)
***********
Two men, one armed with a knife, attempted to rob a grocery store in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The
store manager, Diana Surdukan, struggled with the knife-wielding thug and was stabbed three times in the
back. She produced a handgun, then fired on her assailant, hitting him in the chest. The second suspect was
held for police. “We don't anticipate any charges against Diana. This is obviously self-defense. She was
fighting for her life,” Albuquerque police said. (The Journal, Albuquerque, NM, 7/24/97).January 1998:
***********
Although ailing, Mark Falletti successfully stopped two armed home-invaders early one morning in his
Boston, Massachusetts, home. The men kicked in the front door of the apartment and ran up the stairs
toward the Fallettis’ bedroom. While his wife called 911, Falleti confronted the intruders with a
pistol. After he startled them and knocked one intruder’s pistol out of his hand, they fled. When one tried to
reenter the home to return for the dropped gun, Falletti shot him. The two men again fled. A man with a
gunshot wound to the leg was later questioned at a local hospital. Falletti suffers from cancer and later said
he acted to protect his seven-month-old son, who had been asleep in his upstairs bedroom. "I did it because
of the kid," said Falletti. (The Boston Herald, Boston, MA, 7/24/97)
***********
Following a ride in a cab, a 17-year-old Newport, Rhode Island, youth tried to rob the driver. The youth
first threw a large rock at the driver, hitting him in the head, then pulled out a long screw driver and
threatened to kill him. The quick-thinking cabbie stepped on the gas—throwing the youth against the
seat—then stopped and pulled a 9 mm pistol, which he was licensed to carry. He radioed his dispatchers to
call police and held the youth until they arrived. The young crook had a history of criminal activity and had
been reported missing from a state program for juvenile offenders. (The Journal-Bulletin, Providence, RI,
7/4/97)
***********
After receiving threatening phone calls from a male acquaintance, a Virginia Beach. Virginia, woman
feared she might be confronted by the man. One morning he appeared at her door under the pretense of
retrieving a hair dryer he had lent the woman and her husband. She asked him to wait while she went to get
the dryer and shut the door. While she was in the bedroom, the man broke into the home, went to the
kitchen, and armed himself with a steak knife. The woman’s tormentor threatened and confronted her in the
bedroom, where she drew her husband’s semi-automatic pistol from a nightstand drawer. After ignoring
several warnings, the man lunged at her. She fired and hit him several times. The attacker, a criminal out on
bond, died a short time later. The woman will not be charged, police said. (The Virginian-Pilot, Hampton
Roads, VA, 9/11/97)
***********
When she first heard glass breaking early one morning outside her South Nogales, Arizona, home, Zelda
Hunt thought kids were just breaking bottles. As the noise continued, however, she realized it was coming
from the front of her house. She grabbed her portable phone and .22 cal. Smith & Wesson revolver and
went to investigate. She saw a figure outside on her enclosed porch kneeling next to a shattered window
and dialed 911. She opened the door and confronted the would-be intruder. The man tried to leave, but she
said, "Oh, no! You’re not going any-where. Sit down in that chair and stay there." She held him until police
arrived. (The Daily Star, Tucson, AZ, 9/4/97)
***********
After her Carroll Valley, Pennsylvania, home was burglarized, Linda Steinle bought a .40 cal. pistol and
took courses to learn how to safely use it. She heard a screen being knocked out of a back window one
morning and, pistol in hand, went to investigate. She found three teenagers discussing breaking into her
home and getting ready to hot-wire the ATV parked under her back deck. Steinle told them to freeze. She
said, "Don’t do anything stupid ... I know how to use this." She led the three into her home, where she
dialed 911 and held them for police. The three face charges of criminal conspiracy and attempted burglary.
(The Times, Gettysburg, PA, 8/30/97).
***********
After her keys and a few other items were stolen from her Orlando, Florida, apartment, Caryn Anderson
stayed home from work, anticipating the thief would return. Sure enough, the crook used the stolen keys to
gain entry, and she was waiting for him—armed with a .38 cal. revolver. Anderson dialed 911 and told the
dispatcher to send help. She then slammed the door shut on an alleged accomplice and trapped the would-be
burglar inside. A struggle ensued, and Anderson shot the crook in the arm. Police arrived and took the
suspect into custody. The alleged robber was a neighborhood teen. Two others were arrested in connection
with the crime, and all are suspects in at least five more burglaries. (The Sentinel, Orlando, FL, 9/5/97)
***********
Cindy and Daniel Murphy were awakened by noises in their home and went to investigate, finding two
invaders in their kitchen. There Daniel received a shotgun blast from the thugs. Fearing for the lives of her
husband, herself, and their two-year-old child, Cindy ran to the bedroom and returned with a .38 cal.
revolver, She fired at the suspects, hitting one and forcing both to flee. Daniel was taken to the hospital in
critical condition, but was recovering. Cindy was credited by police as being "heroic" and for "hav[ing] the
presence of mind to defend her fallen husband and two-year-old daughter." (The Constitution, Lawton, OK,
8/31/97)
***********
A Newark, New Jersey, liquor store owner lived above his business to keep watch on the place when
closed. One morning, the shopkeeper heard the alarm go off and went downstairs to investigate, armed with
his 12-ga. shotgun. He found a man ransacking the store who threatened the owner with a large rock. The
owner told the intruder not to move, but the would-be thief lunged at him. A struggle ensued and the
burglar was shot in the neck. The attacker escaped, but was found by police and arrested a short time later.
The store’s back window was broken, and a hammer and a crowbar were found nearby. The intruder was
charged with burglary and assault. The owner was not charged. (The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ, 9/2/97)