The Armed Citizen® July 1, 2024

Armed Citizen® Today

A thief's attempt to rob an Omaha, Neb., jewelry store was thwarted by the store owner's willingness to defend his livelihood with a gun.

On May 4, 2024, an alleged thief clad in black threw a rock into one of the store's glass windows to gain entry. The store's owner was in a back room and was armed. "I typically carry a firearm on my waist, even after hours," the store owner told local reporters. "It's just one of those things: keys, wallet, firearm."

As the thief raised a tool to break into the glass display cabinets full of jewelry, the owner emerged from the back room, pointing the gun at the intruder, and yelled. The sight was enough to send the thief running back through the broken window.

The shop owner, an Air Force veteran who had spent three years on deployment, told local news that he was glad to have the ability to defend his business, calling his firearm a tool for the job. "My use of [a pistol] is the same as any of the other tools I have back here," he said. "They all serve a purpose. But this is the one tool that I hope to never have to use." (KETV; Omaha, Neb.; 5/7/24)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives – September 1973

Hearing glass breaking in his Everett, Wash., market long after he had closed for the night, Arthur Burnett got a revolver and went to investigate. He found a man inside the store and announced that he was armed. When the man charged at him, Burnett fired two shots and mortally wounded the prowler. (Seattle Times; Seattle, Wash.)