Lifesaving Partner During Home Invasion

by
posted on May 2, 2016
** 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. **
gsagi2015_fs.jpg

Today’s violent home invasions happen at a speed that allows perpetrator(s) to overcome the perceived chief home defender before there’s time to react. Stronger male residents are usually the primary target because of physical strength.  

Rather than remind you that your significant other should also be well versed in running a firearm designated for self-defense and know where it is at all times, even if they don’t carry, I’ll cite a case last week in Sultan, Wash. A criminal broke down the door, began beating a 75-year-old man and then started stabbing him. His 80-year-old wife retrieved a gun and killed the perpetrator. The couple’s adult son was asleep in the home at the time. Had the woman not known the gun’s whereabouts and how to run it, it’s pretty certain at least one of the senior citizens would have been murdered.

Survival stories like this more eloquent than nagging reminders from armchair quarterbacks, in my opinion. Undoubtedly, taking a life—even that of someone attempting to kill a loved one—is a life-altering experience, and not in a good way. There is no other choice, though, when you have the means and training to stop the felonious attack.  

The man is currently in the hospital, and our thoughts and prayers go out that both victims heal quickly.  

Latest

weapons of war
weapons of war

A Deadly Testing Ground: Guns of the Spanish Civil War

Great powers have often used smaller conflicts as test beds for new weapon systems, and also as dumping grounds for obsolete machinery. The Spanish Civil War was one such conflict.

Sequel: The New Taurus Judge

Not content to merely mark the gun's 20th anniversary with a special engraved edition, Taurus also introduced the New Taurus Judge this year.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 3, 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.

Questions & Answers: A Wreck of a Remington 40-X

An American Rifleman reader writes in about a project Remington 40-X .22 target rifle that needs some serious help.

New for 2026: KJI K950 Tripod and Titan Inverted Ball Head

KJI (formerly Kopfjäger) releases the carbon-fiber K950 tripod and Titan inverted-ball head.

Book Review | Guns, Shooting and Hunting: What I’ve Learned in 60 Years

Much of what one learns is truly inexpressible to others—so it’s a wonderful rarity when someone can put their knowledge into words.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.