The Armed Citizen® March 22, 2024

Armed Citizen® Today

A lone mother armed with a gun defended herself and her three children from a knife-wielding assailant inside a Mississippi home, garnering praise from local law enforcement.

According to a press release from Carroll County, Miss., law enforcement, officers received a call from a man at work who alerted them that a man was attempting to break into his home, with his wife and three kids inside. The 44-year-old suspect, when he couldn't kick down the door, drove a pickup truck into the dining room to gain entry.

As the man crashed into the house, the mother and three kids took refuge in the back of a closet and prayed while the suspect hunted for them. Eventually, the man found the family hiding in the closet, and as he entered, still wielding the knife, the mother shot him once in the arm, causing him to flee.

Local deputies arrived on the scene after the defensive encounter and chased the suspect, finally arresting him inside a local business. The man was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his gunshot wound and faces four counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary. At the time of the assault, police confirmed that the man was out on felony bond for possession of a weapon by a felon.

"We can all learn a lot from this family about the importance of having an emergency plan in place in our homes and, most importantly, the power of prayer," Carroll County Sheriff Clint Walker told WLBT 3 News. "I thank the Lord for this father’s preparation; the bravery shown by the mother and children, and that what could have been a tragedy was transformed into a testimony of their faith in God." (WLBT 3 News; Gravel Hill, Miss.; 1/22/24)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives – June 1971

Philip Finazzo, a Detroit. Mich., bar owner, rushed behind the counter and grabbed a .32-cal. revolver after an armed bandit took money from his bartender and customers. Firing several times, Finazzo fatally wounded the man and recovered the stolen cash. (The Detroit Free Press; Detroit, Mich.)