Grandmother Wins

posted on April 5, 2013
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
rackley2015_fs.jpg (2)

Once again a firearm has proven to be the great equalizer when a grandmother of 10 from Spokane, Wash., used a gun to hold a would-be burglar for police.

The suspect had been spotted earlier trying to enter another residence by a neighbor, who called police and scared him off, before the suspect broke into the home of Sandy Mize. While a K-9 unit was tracking the suspect, Mize confronted the man, firing a warning shot, before he fled out the back straight into the K-9 unit that arrested him.

The suspect was obviously determined to rob someone that night since he fled from one location to break into another. While I don’t really agree with the idea of a warning shot, there are too many things that could go wrong, there is no doubt this lady did the world a favor and helped take a bad guy off the streets.

Latest

attack in a back alley
attack in a back alley

Cold Performance: How to Prepare for the Uncertainty of Self-Defense

Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.

Derya Goes Silent: The OBone Suppressor

In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 26, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Rifleman Q&A: Understanding a Firearm's Cycle of Operation

The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.

Review: Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm Riflescope

Looking for a performance LPVO without the usual associated cost? The Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm might be your answer.

Myths & Misunderstandings About the “Modern Fighting 1911”

The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.