ARMED CITIZEN 1999
Contains those not posted previously by KressWorks
55 Cases
June 1999
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An 82-year-old retired Air Force pilot and his wife of 59 years were awakened early one morning to the
sounds of someone rummaging through their Oakland, California, area home. When an intruder turned
on the homeowner, he was met with a single, fatal shot from the same pistol that had seen the veteran
through World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. (Oakland Tribune, Oakland, CA, 3/27/99)
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A 14-year-old Plymouth Township, Wisconsin, girl was getting prepared for school early one morning
when she noticed a man peering inside through a bedroom window. The frightened girl, whose parents
had already left for work, responded by retrieving a double-barrelled shotgun. That image was
apparently enough to send the man fleeing. The girl’s father had set out both the shotgun and a pistol for
exactly such a contingency after she reported seeing the same man the previous day. (The Janesville
Gazette, Janesville, WI, 3/24/99)
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When two armed bandits set out to carjack a man in Philadelphia early one morning, one was
permanently relieved of his ability to cause such mayhem in the future. The intended victim, who had a
permit to carry a gun, was behind the wheel of his minivan when the assailants jumped out of their own
vehicle and tried to take control. The man exchanged gunfire with the rogues, sending one fleeing and the
other to a nearby hospital with fatal wounds. (Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia, PA, 2/8/99)
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The day after Amy Sash’s former I boyfriend was released from jail, where he had been held on a
charge of assaulting her, she purchased a Colt revolver for protection. The decision proved a fateful one
when, only a few days later, the man—who was under order by a court to have no contact with
her—kicked in the door of Sash’s Des Moines, Iowa, residence. After warning him, Sash fired, sending
her attacker to the hospital in serious condition. “[Y]ou have to protect yourself at some point,” said
Sash. (Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA, 2/26/99)
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Dave Mezzanotte was at his Fairmont, West Virginia, home with a sleeping infant one Tuesday night
when he heard noises and went to investigate. According to police, Mezzanotte said an intruder attacked
and beat him. Retreating to another room, Mezzanotte retrieved his .45-cal. handgun and fired at the
man, who quickly fled and sought medical help. Police later charged the intruder with one count of
aggravated robbery. (Times West Virginian, Fairmont, WV, 12/24/98)
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Since childhood, Rory Vertigan had been interested in becoming a police officer. One Friday afternoon,
while driving back from running an errand near the Phoenix, Arizona, apartment complex he managed,
his mettle for such work was put to the ultimate test. As Vertigan—who worked as a night-time security
guard—drove along, he was horrified to witness one of Phoenix’s finest come under gunfire on the street
immediately ahead. Officer Marc Atkinson had been following a vehicle with three men inside when the
car suddenly came to a halt. The driver jumped out, drew a handgun and fired as Atkinson attempted to
pull around out of danger. Tragically, the young officer was fatally struck by two bullets. As Atkinson’s
assailants attempted to flee, Vertigan gave chase, but backed off when their vehicle stopped again to
challenge him. In the ensuing gun battle, Vertigan fired the Glock handgun he is licensed to carry from his
car, wounding one of the passengers and then tackling him to the ground when he tried to escape on.foot. “That individual is one of the true heroes of our time,” Police chief Harold Hurtt said of Vertigan
who, at an emotional ceremony days later, was awarded a certificate of heroism, a check for $500 and a
certificate to buy a new Glock pistol to replace the one police impounded. (The Arizona Republic,
Phoenix, AZ, 3/28/99)
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Two desperate fugitives were on the loose in Enfield, North Carolina, after allegedly robbing a
convenience store and killing Police Sgt. Tonya Gillikin. Thankfully, residents Charles and Hazel Rives
were prepared. The elderly couple answered their doorbell at 5:40 one morning to a man who said that
his car broke down and that he would like to come inside. Chatles Rives who had a .25-cal. pistol in his
pocket, simply said “No”, but moments later, the man tried to force his way in. When Rives’ gun failed
to fire, his wife stepped into view with a .22-cal. revolver and warned, “I’ll blow you away.” That was
enough to cause the intruder and his accomplice to flee through the couple’s garden, leaving a trail for
police. Five-and-a-half hours later, the pair was in custody. (Daily Herald, Roanoke Rapids, NC,
3/16/99)
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Tramona Crawford of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was on the telephone with her cousin early one
Thursday when a cold, shivering man appeared at her front door. When the man told Crawford his car
had broken down and he needed to borrow some jumper cables, she hesitantly left to retrieve them, but
also grabbed her gun from beneath the bed. Seconds later, the man—who had been released from
prison only two days earlier—burst through the door with a knife at the ready. Crawford shot in
self-defense, killing the home invader. “I keep banging my head against the wall and asking myself,
‘What if my instincts hadn’t gone off?'" she later said of the drama. (The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte,
NC, 3/13/99)
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May 1999
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Patrons at a west side Torrance, California, eatery were terrified one evening when a customer allegedly
pulled out a knife and began threatening others inside the restaurant. Another customer, who had a
permit to carry a firearm, was prepared and answered the threat by drawing a handgun. Two of the
Good Samaritan’s shots struck the arm of the knife-wielding man, ending the chaotic episode. (The
Daily Breeze, Torrance, CA, 12/6/98)
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A 76-year-old Ypsilanti, Michigan, woman found herself facing a knife-wielding, black-clad robber who
broke into her house, threw her to the floor, and demanded money and valuables. Handing the culprit
about $200 in cash allowed the woman time to crawl away and retrieve a handgun. When she turned the
gun on the man, he screamed and begged for his life, then fled. Unhurt, the woman had to make her way
to a neighbor’s house to summon police after discovering that the thief had cut her phone line. (The Ann
Arbor News, Ann Arbor, MI, 2/21/99)
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It was around 3 a.m. when two people entered a Midlothian, Virginia, gas station brandishing a sharp
object and ordering the attendant to open the cash drawer or “I’ll kill ya!” The attendant, appearing to
obey, instead retrieved a handgun kept in the drawer for exactly such dire situations and leveled it at the
bandits. Figuring the loot wasn’t worth their lives, the suspects fled. (The Observer, Midlothian, VA,
1/11/99)
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Residents of a Caldwell, Idaho, home were awakened early one morning after hearing a noise coming
from the kitchen. Going to check things out, the residents, who had armed themselves, surprised a man
crawling through a window. They held him at gunpoint until Caldwell police officers arrived. The man.was later charged with burglary, felony possession of heroin and methamphetamine, and misdemeanor
possession of drug paraphernalia. (The Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID, 12/21/98)
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Sebron Mitchell, 91, was at his Augusta, Georgia, home one Saturday when he suffered an attack at the
hands of a man who was many years his junior. According to Mitchell, the man “tore the door down,”
choked him several times, and put a butcher knife to his throat, demanding money. The elderly resident
fought back while urging that the pair “go find some money". When the burglar began rifling a drawer that
had fallen to the floor, Mitchell grabbed a .32-cal. revolver and fired, wounding the intruder and sending
him fleeing. The incident marked the third time Mitchell had been targeted for robbery. His attacker was
arrested, treated at a local hospital, and then sent to jail. (Augusta Chronicle, Augusta, GA, 2/7/99)
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A Shreveport, Louisiana, grocery that Larry Whorton co-owns became the backdrop for a life-or-death
robbery drama one weekday evening when Whorton was tending the store. After two masked gunmen
entered, one jumped over the counter and demanded money. Since only a small amount of cash was in
the drawer, Whorton was told to get more from the back. Instead, he grabbed a shotgun and managed
to fire several shots at the men, who quickly left. Two suspects required medical treatment at a nearby
hospital soon afterward and were charged by police with armed robbery. (The Times, Shreveport, LA,
1/29/99)
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Donald Mays, 35, finally met his doom late one Tuesday evening after jumping out of a neighbor’s closet
and scuffling with the home owner. The behavior apparently was not out of character for Mays. In
previous years, he had broken into several apartments, tying up and robbing residents, and even raping,
choking and threatening to kill a female victim. In his final outburst, Mays, who had been released from
prison in another state and had moved to Arizona to live with his brother, may have entered the wrong
house in a drunken stupor. This time, however, circumstances were not kind to the long-time
ne’er-do-well. The episode ended when Mays was fatally shot by the terrified homeowner. (The
Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ, 2/5199)
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Bucks County, Pennsylvania, resident Robert Ipri came to the rescue of a bleeding 12-year-old boy one
Friday afternoon soon after a neighbor’s cockapoo had attempted to save the same young lad. A
blood-thirsty, free-roaming pit bull terrier had begun savaging the youth shortly before the smaller dog
ran outside, making itself a target. The out-of-control canine was preparing to go for the youngster’s
throat when it was distracted by the smaller dog. Just then, Ipri, who had taken notice of the melee,
grabbed his .357 Mag. hand-gun. He cautiously approached the pit bull and fired, striking the enraged
animal. The dog was later euthanized, according to police. (Bucks County Courier Times, 2/14/99)
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A masked, knife-wielding would-be robber found himself befuddled by his intended victims’ lack of
cooperation one Sunday night. Having entered a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, grocery store, the robber
demanded, “Give me the money!” in Spanish. The store owner’s son feigned compliance by going
behind the counter as if to access the cash drawer. Instead, he picked up a .357 Mag. handgun and
pointed it squarely at the intruder. “Hey, you cant shoot me!” exclaimed the frustrated thug, after which
he shed his mask, discarded his knife, and ran from the store. (New Era, Lancaster, PA, 2/1/99)
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April 1999
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Kenneth Thornton was beaten with a tire iron and robbed at his business, located in a high-crime area of
Memphis, Tennessee, in June 1998. After that traumatic incident, he had taken steps to ensure that he
would not be victimized again. Unfortunately, when he buzzed two men in at his equipment supply.company one December afternoon, he didn’t recognize that one was an assailant from the earlier
incident. The mistake could have cost Thornton his life, but when the second attack began, he grabbed
his handgun and fatally shot one of the intruders. The other man fled on foot. (The Commercial Appeal,
Memphis, TN, 12/1/98)
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When 62-year-old Perry Johns of Pensacola, Florida, answered a knock at his front door one morning,
he found a female acquaintance asking to use his telephone. Once inside, the woman asked Johns for
money, a request she reinforced by pulling a gun. The scene sent a friend of Johns’, who had been
visiting, running from the house to summon police. After briefly chasing him, the woman went back inside
and ordered Johns to drive her and a companion to a bank money machine to make a withdrawal. But
as they stepped outside, Johns grabbed a gun from behind the door and fired several shots, wounding
and sending the woman to the ground. Like her companion, she escaped, but was captured shortly
thereafter to face charges of home invasion robbery, aggravated assault with a firearm, and kidnapping.
(Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, FL, 1/9/99)
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Jerry and Mary Lou Krause had established a plan to protect themselves in case anyone ever tried to
invade their Swanton Township, Ohio, home. As it turned out, they desperately needed that plan one
evening when two men came to the door asking for directions. As Jerry Krause stood inside talking with
the first man, Mary Lou Krause followed the plan and fetched her .22-cal. handgun from the bedroom.
When she returned, a second man—this one armed with a gun—was helping the first man force his way
inside. In the exchange of gunfire that followed, Mary Lou Krause was grazed and the two intruders
were sent hightailing into the night. “... She was absolutely correct in defending herself,” said Lucus
County Sheriff Jim Talb. (The Blade, Toledo, OH, 12/28/98)
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While a lookout lay in wait outside a Kansas City, Missouri, residence, his two accomplices set about
robbing the homeowner inside. After apparently succeeding in their dastardly deed, the pair exited the
home to make good their escape. Much to his dismay, however, the “outside” man soon noticed the
homeowner was armed and had taken up the pursuit. An exchange of gunfire between the homeowner
and the three armed crooks sent the two invaders fleeing into the night while the lookout staggered to a
nearby house with wounds that later proved fatal. (Kansas City Star, Kansas City, MO, 12/24/98)
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South Omaha resident Gregory W. Webster was in his basement late one evening when three men
wearing ski masks and brandishing guns broke in. “A short scuffle ensued,” said police Sgt. Joe
Mackevicius. “The people breaking in drew guns and possibly fired shots.” Webster, who was
wound-ed in the left shoulder, fought back, firing shots from his own gun. Not confident that his efforts
were effective, he reportedly told police that his shots had struck only one assailant. Minutes later,
however, police apprehended one wounded man in a vehicle fitting witness descriptions, and another
wounded man turned himself in at a local hospital emergency room. (Omaha World-Herald, Omaha,
NE, 1/28/99)
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After suffering three robberies in only eight days at their Douglas County, Georgia, store, Randy and
Barbara Rogers decided to take action. The couple began taking turns guarding the store at night,
camping out of sight on the floor. While on watch early one morning, Randy Rogers—armed with his
wife’s .38 Spl. revolver—was ready when two men smashed out the glass front door and came inside.
Rogers surprised the pair and fired his gun, wounding one of the men in the buttocks and sending both
fleeing. Police quickly captured both men and charged them with burglary. (Douglas County Sentinel,.Douglas County,
GA, 1/14/99)
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Business owner Mark E. Duncan was at work in his Holton Package Store in Holton, Indiana, one
afternoon
when two men walked in and announced, “We’re here to take your money.” As one man stood at the
door with a hand in his pocket “as to portray having a weapon,” according to the police report, the other
approached Duncan. That’s when the store owner turned the tables on the would-be crooks. Reaching
behind the counter, Duncan retrieved a handgun he kept there for exactly such situations. “The two men,
seeing the owner obtain the gun, ran out the door,” states the report flatly. (Herald-Tribune, Batesville,
IN, 1/6/99)
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Residents of a Burnsville, Minnesota, house were rocked awake shortly after 1 a.m. by a man who
repeatedly rang the front door bell and then kicked in the door and came inside. After a male resident
armed himself and closed the bedroom door, the man pushed it open and punched the resident in the
nose. As the two wrestled, the intruder proclaimed, “I don’t care if I die.” Soon he was going after the
female resident of the house. The attacker began choking her and then pushed her head through a closed
window, breaking out the glass. When her tormentor came at the woman again, the male resident fired a
shot, hitting the intruder in the leg. The wounded home-invader left to seek help at a hos-pital, where he
was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary. (Rurnsville/Lakeville Sun-Current, Bloomington,
MN, 12/9/98)
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March 1999
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Barbara Thompson was at home in bed one Friday night when she heard someone breaking down her
back door. The Hoffman, North Carolina, woman thought it might be a former boyfriend who was under
a court order to stay away for earlier assaulting her and breaking her arm. As the attacker made his way
inside, he broke down Thompson’s bedroom door and fired at her with a shotgun. Thompson, whose
15-year-old daughter was in another bedroom of the house, fired back with five shots from a .38-cal.
revolver, stopping her tormentor dead in his tracks. (The Pilot, Southern Pines, NC, 12/17/98)
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The proprietor of Joe’s Carryout in Van Buren, Ohio, had been the victim of an attempted robbery
before— in fact, only 10 days earlier. In that incident, Joe Tooley’s stalling tactics, and the unexpected
presence of his wife, caused the two masked, armed bandits to flee. This time, a man walked in and told
Tooley to fill a bag with cash. When Tooley asked why he should, the bandit replied that he would shoot
Tooley if he didn’t comply. Unable to open one of his registers, Tooley took an antique display gun off
the wall and told the robber he would be shot instead. Apparently unwilling to take the risk, the man fled
on foot—without any money. (The Times-Reporter, New Philadelphia, OH, 11/21/98)
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A friendly outing on the links at a DeKalb County, Georgia, country club turned dangerous one
afternoon when would-be robbers struck a golfing foursome traveling in three carts on a wooded trail.
Remarkably, the incident wasn’t entirely unusual. Robbers had plagued the course for months and golfers
had been warned. This time however, one golfer was prepared. Three robbers, two of them armed,
forced occupants of the first cart onto the ground and began rifling their pockets As the driver of the third.cart rounded a corner and saw what was happening he pulled a gun from his golf bag, firing a shot that
struck one of the ne’er-do wells in the face. The wounded juvenile was sent to a local hospital in critical
condition and police said they planned to charge him and his two cohorts with attempted robbery,
kidnaping, and aggravated assault. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta, GA, 12/11/98)
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When Michelle Sheppard emerged from an office building after conducting business one afternoon, she
was confronted by her estranged husband, who was angry and armed with both a knife and a gun,
according to sheriff’s office spokesman Col. Bob Garner. The knife attack that ensued left the New
Orleans woman with stab wounds to the forehead, back, neck, and side. As she attempted to escape,
Sheppard ran into the parking lot of a nearby business, where she attracted the attention of a patron who
witnessed her plight and decided to help. The Good Samaritan used a gun he was licensed to carry to
hold Sheppard’s attacker until police deputies arrived. (New Orleans Times-Picayune, New Orleans,
LA, 10/31/98)
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A number of unsolved burglaries and a subsequent string of sexual assaults near the University of North
Carolina’s Charlotte campus had female residents there fearing for their safety. It was that heightened
sense of awareness, and an armed citizen, that helped prevent yet another attack. Twenty-six-year-old
Adrian Rodricka Cathey entered a woman’s apartment early one morning and assaulted her with a knife.
This time, however, the intended victim fought back, retrieving a firearm and shooting her assailant.
Cathey, who had a record of arrests on charges of rape and attempted murder, was later found dead in
a parking lot. (The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, 11/18/98)
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As Bruno Kosinski, 81, of Chicago’s Ukranian Village was getting into his car before dawn one
morning, two teenagers attacked him with pepper spray, knocked him down, stole his wallet, and
threatened to kill him, according to police. That’s when the five foot, five-inch Kosinski fought back
rising to his feet and firing once with a handgun he carries in his pants for protection. The shot struck a
male attacker in the neck and sent a female accomplice fleeing. Though he did not have a carry permit,
Kosinski was not charged with any crime. “He had a registered weapon and used it to defend himself
against these gang bangers,” said a police spokesman. (Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL, 12/9/98)
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When four armed robbers set their sights on Frank’s & Sons Jewelers near Houston one morning, they
hadn’t planned on becoming targets themselves. Two of the men jumped over the store’s glass counters
while a third guarded the door and a fourth remained in a getaway car. Once inside, one of the men
began filling backpacks with jewelry while the other ordered store owner Donnie Galvin to open the
safe. Galvin complied, but rather than withdrawing jewels or cash, he drew a .357 Mag. revolver. He
shot one robber and then used that man’s gun to shoot the other robber, saving his own life and those of
his two employees. Both men died of their wounds while their accomplices made good their escape.
(Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX, 12/24/98)
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Lori Bowers’ beagle, Pete, began barking shortly after noon one day while his owner slept in her
Harney, Maryland, home following her night job. When Bowers awoke, she heard noises other than
those made by her pet. Going to investigate, she saw a man in her living room attempting to disconnect
her videocassette recorder. “I own a .45 pistol, and back in my bedroom I cocked [it] and he heard [the
sound].” The man, realizing the homeowner was about to get the drop on him, took off so fast he ran
right through Bowers’ screen door. Police later arrested two men driving a truck—full of stolen.property—that matched the description given to them by Bowers. (Carroll County Times,
Westminster, MD, 9/11/98)
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February 1999
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Out of kindness, 84-year-old E.H. Brown of Savannah, Georgia, allowed a stranger to use his telephone
one Thursday afternoon. The elderly homeowner became suspicious, however, when the man asked to
use the bathroom just as another man came up onto the deck of the house. When one of the intruders
knocked down Brown’s 78-year-old wife, Brown, who had armed himself with a .38-cal. revolver,
pointed and fired. One man fled, and Brown held the other one until police arrived. “He did a hell of a
job,” said a local police lieutenant of Brown’s heroic actions. (Savannah Morning News, Savannah,
GA, 11/6/98)
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Parmacy owner Richard Bromberg, 60, was in the habit of catching up on paperwork in his Hartford,
Connecticut, store on Sunday afternoons, but this time would be different. Although it was obvious to
nearby residents that Bromberg was working inside his store, a would-be thief, apparently oblivious to
the proprietor’s presence, brazenly broke out the store’s plate glass door and crawled over broken glass
to get inside. Bromberg confronted the man and ordered him to stop, but the man continued to advance.
That’s when Bromberg fired, striking the man in the head and sending him to the hospital in critical
condition. (The Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT, 10/26/98)
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Apparently unsatisfied with wilder fare, a male black bear decided one night to look for more appealing
cuisine in the dining room of Brien Boggs’ Cumberland, Washington, house. Boggs awoke to the loud
noise of the bear opening a sliding glass door. He quickly armed himself with a shotgun and made his
way toward the animal. When he let fly a blast from about 10 feet away, the potentially dangerous,
80-pound animal fell dead. “As habitat is lost and the bear population grows, people need to be careful,”
said state Fish and Wildlife Officer Mike Frame. (The Seattle Times, Seattle, WA, 10/19/98)
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When Scranton, Pennsylvania, cab driver Thomas Ristics was dispatched to Tipick up a second fare, the
man already
on board put a pistol to his head and said, “You’re not stopping anywhere.” Fearing for his life, Ristics
pulled the .357 Mag. revolver he is licensed to carry and fired three times, wounding the man. Ristics
then risked driving the wrong way on a one way street to seek help for his assailant at a nearby medical
center. (The Tribune, Scranton, PA, 11/2/98)
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As she readied herself for work early one morning, Mary Schrader heard terror stricken shouts
emanating from the driveway of her East Lake, Florida, home. She, too, was filled with terror when she
realized the voice was that of her husband, Dennis, who was preparing to get into his car and leave for
the day. Two men wearing masks and clad in black clothing had accosted and pistol-whipped Schrader,
then attempted to enter the couple’s home by using him as a shield. By then, Mary Schrader was ready.
She set off the alarm and armed herself with a .22-cal. rifle, finally forcing the intruders to stand down
and flee. Fresh in the Schraders’ minds was a recent incident in which a local couple had been robbed,
kidnapped, and locked in the trunk of their car. (St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, FL, 10/31/98).
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Djuana M. Simpson was at home on the east side of Akron, Ohio, when an attacker broke in. It was a
situation that felt all too familiar because, incredibly, the attacker was the same man who had invaded
Simpson’s home once before. This time, as he threatened to kill Simpson, she fought back in defense of
her life, firing at the man and sending him to a local hospital with a gunshot wound. Police said that even
while being treated the man vowed to kill his victim when he got out of jail. (Akron Beacon Journal,
Akron, OH, 10/31/98)
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A 60-year-old resident of Chicago’s northwest side was confronted with a terrifying sight: a knife
wielding intruder inside the house. The quick-thinking senior homeowner answered the threat to his life
with four shots from a .22-cal. pistol, striking down his attacker and sending him to a hospital with
gunshot wounds to the head and thigh. Police said the homeowner would not be charged because he
acted in self defense. (Chicago Tribune, Chicago, 11,10/20/98)
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A desperate would-be robber had made nefarious advances toward three victims in Berkeley,
California, during a crime spree that became progressively violent. According to Berkeley police Sgt.
Mike Stafstrom, “He kept running west, robbing anybody he ran into—then he ran into the wrong guy.”
That “wrong guy managed to retrieve a .45-cal. handgun from his nearby home. When the two
exchanged gunfire, the ne’er-do-well was shot in the leg. (San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco,
CA, 10/17/98)
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Richard and Yvonne Wilson were making dinner at home one Sunday when a 6-foot, 7-inch,
200-pound man walked in, brandished a gun, and ordered the couple upstairs. He then proceeded to tie
up the couple with bed sheets and began to rummage through the house. It wasn’t long before the home
invader returned to his captives; but in the interim, Richard Wilson had time to untie his bonds and arm
himself with a gun he keeps for protection. Wilson fired when the man approached the door, sending him
fleeing. (Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA, 10/20/98)
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An Olympia, Washington, resident, along with this wife and their two children, was asleep at 2 a.m. one
Saturday when a
burglar forced open the kitchen door of their home. Roused by the noise, the homeowner armed himself
with a 20-ga. shotgun and confronted the trespasser, warning him to leave. When the warning went
unheeded and the man advanced toward him, the homeowner shot once, killing the intruder. (The News
Tribune, Tacoma, WA, 11/1/98)
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January 1999
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A Tacoma, Washington, man arriving home late one night opened his garage door and was confronted
by a group of burglars already inside. One burglar hurled a pipe wrench at the homeowner, striking his
vehicle. The man responded by letting fly a shot from his .357 Mag. handgun, which sent the hoodlums
fleeing. (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA, 9/19/98).
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After one of three men apparently thought that Steven J. Serrao at of Bend, Oregon. was staring at him
at a popular market, the group followed Serrao to his car nearby and began to punch him in the face
through the open windows. Serrao produced a .380-cal. hand-gun, for which he has a permit, and fired
at his attackers, wounding one. All three men ran, but were later apprehended by police. (The Bulletin,
Bend, OR, 9/2/98)
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Don Mosely and his wife, Jane, were inside their Little Rock, Arkansas, home when he was alerted to a
sound at the front door. Expecting to see his brother, who had left moments earlier, Mosely opened the
door and found himself facing a 14-year-old wearing a black hood over his head, wielding a .22 rifle,
and shouting “Gimme your keys!” Seconds later, Mosely was shot. After playing dead, he retrieved a
gun and followed the intruder’s path to the back bedroom, where Jane Mosely had dialed 911 and
readied her .32-cal. handgun. The couple opened fire on the attacker, inflicting fatal wounds and ending
the rampage. A second suspect was quickly captured while a third was being sought by police.
(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, AR, 9/13/98)
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A 36-year-old Louisiana man was appropriately charged with "simple burglary" and "simple trespassing"
after he broke into a home and attempted to make off with an antique cedar armoire, according to
authorities. What the man hadn’t counted on was an alert neighbor who telephoned sheriff’s deputies and
then used a gun to hold him until they could arrive and make the arrest. (The Advertiser, Lafayette, LA,
9/15/98)
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Indianapolis gunshop owner Joe Montgomery didn’t have much time to react when two men carrying
knives entered his business and forced him into a restroom in back. Once there, however, Montgomery
was able to retrieve a .357 Mag. handgun he had set aside for just such an emergency. He fired several
shots, killing both men. Police arrived to find both bandits lying on the floor with stolen guns tucked into
their waistbands. “It appears that it is a pretty classic self-defense case,” said police spokesman Lt. Tim
Horty. (Journal and Courier, Lafayette, IN, 9/4/98)
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A Maryland homeowner was leaving for work early one morning when someone leaped from the roof
and began choking him. The resident, who according to police had begun arming himself in response to a
neighborhood crime wave, was able to grab his .32-cal. gun and fire a shot, killing the attacker, who was
armed with a knife. (Prince Georges Journal, Lanham, MD, 9/22/98)
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A Tillicum, Washington, store was the scene of a brutal assault one morning when a man walked in,
bought a cup of coffee, then threw it in the owner’s face. Not stopping there, the man proceeded to hit
the store owner over the head with a rock filled pillowcase, knocking him to the floor. When the man
began to rifle the cash drawer, the owner came back up with a gun and fired, scaring off the attacker,
who was caught soon afterward. (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA, 10/6/98)
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When a would-be burglar armed with a handgun entered a Waialua, Hawaii, residence intent on robbing
the owner, he initially received cooperation—or so he thought. The resident told the home invader that
the money was in a backpack. Rather than booty, however, the burglar received a boom when the
homeowner pulled a 9mm handgun and fired two shots. After jumping from a second floor window, the
burglar ran, trailing blood and dropping his own gun. (West Hawaii Today, Kailua, HI, 9/8/98).
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After being robbed four times last year and defending his property with lethal force on one occasion,
Orlando, Florida, convenience store owner Nam Chun once again found himself in deadly peril. Two
gunmen burst into his store and demanded, “Give me your money,” to which Chun responded with
several shots from his handgun. One man fell dead of his wounds outside the store while another
escaped. (St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, FL, 7/20/98)
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According to police, a Lancaster, California, man became enraged when a friend of his wife told him she
didn’t know where his wife was. Police said the man reacted by stabbing the woman and two other
people in the same neighborhood. He was finally stopped by another neighbor, who fired once from a
shotgun, hitting the man in the abdomen. (Daily News, Los Angeles, CA, 9/8/98)
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Jim Gentry’s seven-year-old grandson had been playing in the yard at his grandparents’ Athena, Oregon,
home, located in an isolated canyon setting, only an hour before the trouble began. A cougar had waited
until dusk, then attacked the family’s dog. “He got pretty chewed up,” said Gentry of the pet, which lived
thanks to his owner’s quick action and one shot from a .410-bore shotgun. (The Herald, Everett, WA,
10/4/98)
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Displaying a persistence that defied common sense, a man with a history of run-ins with the law returned
yet a third time in as many days to rob the same Ventura, California, residence, according to police. This
time, however, would be different. When resident William “Billy” Stubbert opened the door, his alleged
attacker advanced aggressively. Stubbert fired twice, hitting the man in the arm and hip. “It’s apparent
these guys are clear cut victims,” said Ventura Police Sgt. Bob Anderson of Stubbert and his
roommates. (Ventura County Star, Ventura, CA, 9/15/98)
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