The Armed Citizen® May 15, 2012

by
posted on May 15, 2012
ac2009_fs.jpg (2)

Four armed intruders began to kick down the door of a two-story apartment, so the three inhabitants locked themselves in an upstairs bedroom and exited onto the balcony where they had no escape. One of the occupants grabbed a rifle kept in the bedroom. One of the home invaders, dressed in camouflage with a black cloth covering his face, managed to kick open the bedroom door. The occupant raised the rifle and shot one round at the intruder, causing the home invaders to flee. Derrick Timmons, 20, was pronounced dead when his body was later found. The other offenders are still being sought by police. (The Courier Herald, Dublin, Ga., 3/15/12)

The Armed Citizen Extra

(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman)

Michael Moffitt was at home with his girlfriend when an 11 p.m. knock drew him to the apartment door. When the couple looked through the peephole they realized that it was being covered from the outside. Moffitt retrieved a legally owned AR-15 rifle and checked the peephole again. This time it was uncovered, so Moffitt opened the door to investigate. A masked intruder armed with a handgun tried to force his way through, leading Moffitt to open fire. The intruder was fatally wounded, and police declared that Moffitt had acted in self-defense. A second masked man was reportedly seen on the back of the building, but fled after hearing the gunfire. (The Tennessean, Nashville, Tenn., 4/20/12)

From The Armed Citizen Archives

May 1981: Burglars had broken into Dean French’s Cedar Flats, Wash., home a dozen times within a year, so one morning he pretended to leave for work, and then surreptitiously returned to keep watch for housebreakers. His patience was rewarded when he captured an 18-year-old burglar at gunpoint. (The Daily Olympian, Olympia, Wash.)

Latest

 American Revolution painting
 American Revolution painting

The Shot Heard Round The World: The Arms & Events Of April 19, 1775

April 2025 marks 250 years since the momentous events at Lexington and Concord—the opening salvos of the American Revolution. Today, exhaustive research of primary accounts and surviving firearms and artifacts give us a clearer picture of what really happened.

Gun Of The Week: Browning Citori 825 Field

Learn about Browning's latest version of the famed Citori shotgun, the Citori 825 Field, in this week’s range video.

The Armed Citizen® April 18, 2025

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

"The Shot Heard Round The World:" 250 Years Later

On April 19, 1775, simmering tensions between Great Britain and her colonists erupted into warfare with the engagements at the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord.

Watchtower Firearms Re-Organizing

Watchtower Firearms, a veteran-owned firm based in Texas filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection in late February 2025 to restructure and re-organize its financial structure.

The Road To Revolution: 250 Years Later

The militiamen who stood in defiance on Lexington Green are the first who fired upon the British regulars, but the road to revolution was paved long before gunfire erupted on that cold April morning in Massachusetts.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.