Cases where armed citizens have stopped active shooter incidents
The list of active shooting cases that were averted by people legally carrying guns that were missed in the FBI Active Shooting reports. Our original write-up on this problem is available here. Specifically, just those cases where just mass public shootings were stopped is available here.
| Location | Date | Detail |
| Portland, Oregon | January 11, 2014 | A gunman opened fire and shot three people inside the Mystic Gentleman’s Club. A man with a valid Oregon concealed handgun permit followed the gunman outside and fatally shot him. The nightclub’s owner called the man a “hero” for saving the lives of others. |
| Chicago, Illinois | July 4, 2014 | A Gresham man fired on a group of people leaving a party, only to be shot himself by one of the victims, a military service member with a concealed carry permit. |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | March 22, 2015 | A 40-year-old man started firing at people in a barber shop, customers and barbers alike. A man with a concealed handgun permit walked by the shop and entered when he heard the shots. The permit holder shot the attacker once in the chest. “He responded and I guess he saved a lot of people in there,” said Philadelphia Police Captain Frank Llewellyn. |
| New Holland, South Carolina | May 5, 2015 | Two firefighters with concealed carry permits stopped a man allegedly attempting to shoot toward the crowded fire station parking lot, which was full of children and firefighters. |
| Conyers, Georgia | May 31, 2015 | A customer fired back at a suspect who killed two people in a Ga. Highway 20 liquor store. “I believe that if Mr. Scott did not return fire at the suspect, then more of those customers would have [been] hit by a gun,” said Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett. “It didn’t appear that he cared who he shot or where he was shooting until someone was shooting back at him. So, in my opinion, he saved other lives in that store.” |
| Winton, Ohio | July 26, 2015 | During a dispute on the street, the shooter fired at four people, including a 1-year-old boy. Because of a permit holder’s quick actions, no one was seriously injured. |
| Lyman, South Carolina | June 26, 2016 | A 32-year-old male started shooting at a nightclub in South Carolina. Before the attacker could shoot a fourth person, a permit holder shot back, wounding the attacker in the leg. “At least one South Carolina sheriff credit[ed] a man with a concealed carry permit with preventing further violence at a nightclub.” |
| Arlington, Texas | May 3, 2017 | A concealed carry holder was heralded as a “hero” by Arlington police for preventing mass murder by killing an “incoherent” gunman at a bar. |
| San Antonio, Texas | December 7, 2017 | A man with a gun inside a Popeye’s restaurant threatened a family with a gun before the father shot him dead. Police stated that the permit holder saved at least several lives. The FBI might not have included this case because it could have been part of a robbery. |
| Tumwater, Washington | June 18, 2018 | The attacker who opened fired inside a Walmart and then shot a motorist in the parking lot was stopped when a concealed handgun permit holder chased and killed the man. |
| Titusville, Florida | August 4, 2018 | A back-to-school event for children and their families experienced a shooting that was quickly stopped by a concealed handgun permit holder. “He’s a hero,” Titusville Police Sgt. Bill Amos said. “This park was filled with families and children and, at that time, it was an active shooter situation for him and he was trained enough to deal with it and he did.” |
| Birmingham, Alabama | October 27, 2018 | A masked man entered a McDonald’s restaurant and immediately started firing his gun. It appeared that he intended to kill or wound as many people as possible. A concealed handgun permit holder returned fire, killing the attacker. |
| Colonial Heights, Tennessee | February 13, 2019 | After a killer fatally shot his wife he turned his gun on others in a dental office where she worked. A patient with a concealed handgun shot the murderer as he aimed at another person. |
| Newnan, Georgia | August 13, 2019 | Deputies in Coweta County say that an armed, off-duty employee may have stopped a mass shooting at a crowded bar in Newnan a Saturday morning. |
| Duncan, Oklahoma | November 18, 2019 | After killing two people in a parking lot, “The shooter shot himself after a bystander confronted him with a firearm.” |
| Kwethluk, Alaska | May 16, 2020 | A 19-year-old man was arrested after he broke into the Kwethluk public safety building in Southwest Alaska, armed himself with multiple rifles, pulled the fire alarm, and fired on a responding village police officer. The attacker brought multiple guns and a bullet-resistant vest and helmet. The attacker was charged with four counts of attempted murder. |
| Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania | July 10, 2020 | A 55-year-old man gunned down his ex-wife and her date in the parking lot of a central Pennsylvania restaurant. A restaurant customer, who was licensed to carry a firearm, shot and wounded the shooter as he walked back to his pickup truck. |
| Brownsburg, Indiana | July 14, 2020 | A 22-year-old man launched an unprovoked attack against two men working in Brownsburg Cemetery. Fortunately, one of the people wounded in this shooting had a permitted concealed handgun. He was able to get out of his car and shoot the attacker. |
| Dallas, Texas | July 25, 2020 | Three men were shot and a woman was hit by shrapnel when someone opened fire outside a sports bar in North Oak Cliff on a Saturday night. The gunman was not allowed in due to COVID-19 restrictions. The shooter went to the back of the sports bar, where he exchanged gunfire with armed patrons. |
| Weslaco, Texas | August 17, 2020 | A man upset because of a medical condition was planning to shoot people at a Weslaco, Texas Walmart. The man was “very upset” because his plans were stopped by an armed citizen. |
| Chicago, Illinois | July 4, 2021 | A Chicago man allegedly shot and killed a woman and wounded two men at a gathering on July 4 after being asked to stop firing a gun into the air while children played. A witness with a concealed carry permit fired back, striking the shooter in the hip and arm. It seems likely that if the concealed handgun permit holder hadn’t intervened in this case there would have been at least three deaths instead of just the one woman. |
| Fort Myers, Florida | July 22, 2021 | A convicted felon in illegal possession of a gun fired multiple shots into a crowd before a bystander returned fire. When the bystander confronted the attacker, he stopped attacking and “threw his gun in a parking lot.” Fortunately, no one was injured. |
| San Antonio, Texas | August 11, 2021 | A woman who crashed into a parked car in San Antonio’s West Side neighborhood climbed out of her vehicle and began shooting indiscriminately at people who came out of their homes to rush to her aid. An armed resident fired back and shot the driver to death. |
| Syracuse, New York | August 31, 2021 | A property manager pulled out a legally-possessed 9mm handgun and fatally wounded a man who opened fire on a crowd outside a building. The district attorney credited the property manager with saving the lives of several individuals. |
| Lancaster, Pennsylvania | October 17, 2021 | Four people were injured after a fight between two teenagers at Lancaster’s Park City Center Mall escalated into a shooting. A 16-year-old who was illegally carrying a gun started the shooting. But it could have been much worse were it not for a concealed handgun permit holder who intervened and shot one of the participants. |
| Portland, Oregon | February 19, 2022 | A homeowner allegedly confronted participants at a racial justice demonstration Saturday night before pulling out a handgun and shooting multiple people in the crowd, leaving one woman dead and several others injured. The shooting ended when a person with the group of demonstrators, who is licensed to conceal carry a firearm, fired back, striking the homeowner in the hip. |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | March 19, 2022 | The suspect got out of a car stopped in the middle of the street and began shooting at a house party with around 100 people inside, mostly temple students. The 30-year-old male homeowner was hit in the stomach and a 19-year-old woman was shot in the foot. Investigators say the suspect had been upset about a car accident earlier in the night. A gun permit holder at the scene fired back. |
| Phenix City, Alabama | April 13, 2022 | Two suspects went to the truck shop over a dispute from earlier in the day. One got out of his vehicle and begin to shoot at four people standing outside the business. One of the intended victims with a concealed handgun permit had his own firearm and returned fire, striking both suspects. The business owner said “If there would not have been returned fire, he would have advanced on us we would have had a fatality. Thank God for my employees.” |
| South Fulton, Georgia | April 24, 2022 | A teenager started shooting at multiple people before one of them fired back, killing the teenager. It all happened just a few yards from a Stop the Violence rally, at which there was a large number of people present. |
| Atlanta, Georgia | April 30, 2022 | The group of women, including three sisters, were celebrating a birthday at a Cleveland Avenue apartment complex when a neighbor started yelling at them, claiming they disrespected his sister. The suspect then pulled out a gun and started shooting. Four women are injured. One of the victims grabbed her gun and shot back, killing the suspect. |
| Surprise, Arizona | July 3, 2022 | The suspect was invited to a neighborhood Fourth of July gathering and he opened fire without provocation after being offered food and drinks. Two innocent people were murdered and several others were injured. A concealed weapons permit holder, who was armed at the time of the attack, was able to fatally shoot the suspect after himself had been shot in the head. |
| West Palm Beach, Florida | August 7, 2022 | A concealed carry permit holder fatally shot a 22-year-old man who brandished a short-barreled shotgun from his car at a family gathering and threatened to fire into the crowd. Police said the suspect refused to drop the weapon after multiple people confronted him. That’s when the permit holder fired his weapon, killing the armed suspect. |
| Billings, Montana | November 30, 2022 | An unruly 35-year-old customer was reportedly arguing with staff over missing food at the Montana Club and began yelling and threatening others near the restaurant entrance. When the suspect was escorted out, he retrieved a handgun from a vehicle and threatened to shoot. At that point, another armed customer outside the restaurant fired the bullet that struck the 35-year-old in the chest. |
| Chandler, Arizona | December 14, 2022 | A 29-year-old gunman was killed by an armed employee when he opened fire in the Amazon warehouse parking lot. Police said the gunman had jealousy issues regarding his girlfriend, who worked at Amazon but was not present at the time. The gunman proceeded to the Amazon facility in an attempt to locate an unknown male worker whom he only knew by name. The armed employee is being credited as a “good Samaritan” by police, likely preventing further bloodshed. |
| Tucson, Arizona | December 18, 2022 | The incident started when the suspect was kicked out of the bar because of his disruptive and threatening behavior. He returned shortly after with a rifle and fired a shot into the ceiling. The suspect was shot three times by an armed patron at the bar after he was repeatedly told to put the rifle down but refused. The owner of a local bar credited the armed citizen with protecting the lives of other customers and employees. Multiple media outlets initially reported the shooting as a “bar fight.” |
Suspect with a gun fired first:
| Location | Date | Detail |
| Columbus, Ohio | November 9, 2014 | A mother and her 13-year-old son were at the corner store in their Columbus, Ohio neighborhood when police say two men approached them and opened fire, shooting her son in both feet. That’s when the mom pulled out her licensed gun and shot back. She said the suspects have been harassing her for years. The mom says she unloaded her gun, as the suspects ran away, still firing back. The mother got a concealed carry license. |
| Jacksonville, Florida | March 9, 2016 | The suspect went to the landscaping company off Philips Highway at about 7 a.m. and shot the 55-year-old supervisor. When he tried to shoot again, the gun jammed, so the suspect began hitting the supervisor in the head with the gun before fleeing. Once another employee saw the shooter pick up a bat, after his gun jammed, he pulled out his own gun. The armed employee said he held the shooter at gunpoint until he heard police sirens in the distance. JSO arrested the suspected shooter shortly after, a few blocks away. |
| Hammond, Indiana | June 23, 2016 | A 25-year-old Hammond man told police he was driving east on 169th Street when a man in a dark Chrysler vehicle opened fire on them. The man’s 24-year-old girlfriend and their two children were in his vehicle. No one was struck by the gunfire. The man told police he returned fire with his handgun because he feared for his safety. |
| Augusta, Georgia | July 4, 2016 | Two suspects were shooting at each other among a crowd of bystanders right after the 4th of July Fireworks show. One bystander tackled one of the suspects to the ground and wrestled his gun away from him. Another man, with a conceal & carry permit, pulled his own gun out and told the unidentified suspect to drop their weapon. The suspect pointed his gun at the man, at which time the man fired 3 to 4 shots at the suspect. The suspect fled the scene on foot. |
| Glendale, Arizona | December 7, 2016 | The suspect had gotten involved in a conflict with the two victims while in the store’s parking lot. He reportedly followed the men into the store and confronted them. The suspect fired at the victims, and one of the men returned fire with his own gun. |
| Chicago, Illinois | August 7, 2017 | A CCP holder was driving a white 2015 Dodge Charger southbound when another male driving a 2007 Chevrolet Equinox fired shots in his direction. The CCP holder then returned fire at the shooter, who crashed his car before running away from the scene. The Dodge sustained damage from the gunfire, but the CCP holder was not injured. |
| Steubenville, Ohio | August 21, 2017 | Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge was shot in an ambush-style attack outside the Jefferson County Courthouse on his way into his office Monday morning. The victim walks toward the courthouse when the suspect approaches from a parking lot and appears to begin firing. The victim drops his firearm but retrieves it and returns fire. The suspect was shot once. Another officer in the area also fired at the suspect, who was hit multiple times. The suspect returned to the car and managed to back up. But investigators say he died immediately. |
| Louisville, Kentucky | August 28, 2018 | The suspect was at the business to get paperwork for a recent vehicle purchase when he became belligerent and began to threaten staff. When the suspect was asked to leave with an escort, he made threats of getting a gun. It was in the parking lot the suspect got a gun and fired it hitting two victims, who were employees. A third employee armed himself with a gun, which was kept in the business, and returned fire. The suspect fled. |
| St. Paul, Minnesota | September 20, 2018 | A 35-year-old man had been stopped at the light at Seventh and Robert streets when a red four-door vehicle struck his vehicle. The suspect kept going and the man followed him to Ninth and Robert streets, where the other driver suddenly stopped and exited his vehicle. The suspect got into a verbal argument with the other driver and denied striking his vehicle. The man whose vehicle was struck said the suspect suddenly pulled out a gun and started shooting at him. After he was shot in the ankle, the man said he ducked behind his own car. He has a permit to carry and he returned fire at the suspect. The suspect ran away and was not found. A woman, who was a passenger in the suspect’s vehicle, drove away. |
| Benton County, Missouri | September 21, 2018 | The suspect allegedly made threats that he would kill patrons of Hidden Lakes Restaurant and Bar after becoming upset about a game of pool. Later, the suspect returned to the restaurant with a shotgun and fired the gun multiple times at vehicles and the building of the restaurant. A patron outside the restaurant witnessed the shooting and returned fire. The patron allegedly shot once at the suspect’s vehicle. |
| Columbia, South Carolina | January 5, 2019 | The incident began with two men arguing inside The Little Gym during a kid’s birthday party and continued in the parking lot. The suspect was armed with a knife and made threats before going to his car, getting a gun, and firing it at the person he was arguing with. That person, in turn, fired back, killing the man. |
| Huntsville, Alabama | January 16, 2019 | A disruptive customer shot and killed an IHOP employee in Huntsville, Alabama. When the customer began firing on others in the restaurant, another employee pulled out his own handgun and likely saved many lives. |
| Alpharetta, Georgia | March 16, 2019 | The suspect shot his girlfriend to death after an argument over a cellphone and accusations of an affair. A Good Samaritan driving by the bank heard gunshots, stopped his car, and grabbed his gun. He raced toward the suspect, forcing him to drop his weapon. Witnesses said he held the suspect at gunpoint until officers arrived. |
| Chicago, Illinois | June 7, 2019 | One suspect and his accomplice shot at two men standing next to a car. One of the alleged victims, a concealed carry holder, reportedly returned fire, striking the accomplice. |
| Winston, Missouri | June 14, 2019 | Several civilians, one of whom was legally carrying a firearm, came to the defense of a wounded female police officer after the restrained inmate she was transporting seized her service weapon, shot her, and commandeered the vehicle. The civilians witnessed the attack and followed the police vehicle until it came to a stop, where the armed civilian held the inmate at gunpoint while the other men pulled him out of the car. One witness later recounted, “If the Good Samaritan hadn’t threatened to use deadly force, the situation could have ended very differently [for the police officer].” |
| Nashville, Tennessee | July 31, 2019 | An Uber driver defended himself and his passenger by shooting a man who opened fire on the driver’s vehicle. The man—who had a long history of violent crimes, including armed robbery—said he had felt “disrespected” by the Uber driver’s passenger and followed the car to exact revenge. |
| Detroit, Michigan | August 6, 2019 | The suspect allegedly approached a group of men who were playing dice. He produced a weapon and fired shots, hitting three of the men. One of the men, a CPL holder, returned fire injuring the suspect. The suspect was able to flee the scene and make it to a local hospital. |
| Lansing, Michigan | December 26, 2019 | When an unknown assailant began shooting at people leaving a restaurant, one of the patrons—a concealed carry permit holder—returned fire, causing the assailant to flee. No one was injured and police are trying to track down the assailant. |
| Yellow Springs, Ohio | February 12, 2020 | A well-known Hollywood stuntwoman and her husband attempted to ambush the stuntwoman’s ex-husband and his new wife outside the ex-husband’s home, police said. The ex-husband got out of his car to get his mail when the stuntwoman and her husband opened fire on the couple with multiple guns. The ex-husband, however, was a concealed carry permit holder and armed. He returned fire, ultimately killing both attackers |
| Las Vegas, Nevada | April 22, 2020 | Local prosecutors determined that a concealed-carry permit holder acted in lawful self-defense when he shot and killed a man who fired a gun at him. The permit holder and a woman were eating fast food in a parking lot when the man, apparently angry over a failed gun purchase earlier in the day, randomly chose to vent his frustrations on them. Police said the man began shooting at the permit holder, who hid behind a trash can and returned fire with at least 11 rounds. |
| Lansing, Michigan | June 15, 2020 | A concealed-carry permit holder intervened to defend himself and other motorists when a mentally distressed man began firing a handgun at cars on a highway. Emergency dispatchers received at least 10 calls about the man before he jumped in front of the permit holder’s car and pointed a gun at him, police said. The permit holder, who had been on his way to enjoy a round of golf, shot and killed the man. |
| Klamath Falls, Oregon | August 2, 2020 | A “legally armed citizen” intervened during an instance of domestic violence in a convenience store parking lot, police said, possibly saving a woman’s life. After seeing a man fire a gun several times at a woman in a car, he drew his own firearm and shot the assailant twice before calling 911. The assailant—later identified as the woman’s boyfriend—was arrested and charged with attempted murder. The woman was not harmed, although multiple rounds hit her car. A review of the evidence found that the suspect was heavily intoxicated when he fired the shots. |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | August 15, 2020 | A nightclub employee acted quickly to protect patrons when a man entered the club firing a gun and pointing it at other people. The employee ran to retrieve his own firearm from his car, returned, and fatally shot the armed man before he could injure anyone. Everyone else escaped unharmed, police said. |
| Hopkinsville, Kentucky | August 23, 2020 | A child’s father and grandfather got into an argument over child custody. Police said the grandfather shot the father several times, wounding him. The father then shot and wounded the grandfather in self-defense, police said. The grandfather was charged with several felony offenses, including receiving a stolen firearm. |
| Warren, Michigan | August 29, 2020 | A man with a concealed carry permit defended himself during an incident of road rage, drawing his gun and returning fire with a driver who shot at him. The permit holder was struck in the leg and treated for injuries that weren’t life-threatening. It could have been much worse had the enraged driver not sped off after realizing the permit holder also was armed. |
| Camp Verde, Arizona | October 27, 2020 | An adult man and a teenager approached a driver who was pumping gas and started a verbal altercation. The teen pulled out a gun and fired at the driver. Although wounded, he drew his own firearm and shot the teen. After both assailants fled, police found and arrested the wounded teen. |
| Marion, South Carolina | November 5, 2020 | A man opened fire twice on a crowd of people, first while driving past and then after parking and walking toward the crowd, police said. During this second confrontation, an intended victim drew a firearm and shot and wounded the attacker. |
| Henryetta, Oklahoma | November 9, 2020 | Aware that local authorities were searching for someone described as armed and dangerous who had shot at and fled from police, a homeowner became alarmed when his son told him a strange man was at the door. The homeowner saw the man trying to get into a car in the next driveway, grabbed his shotgun, and held the man at gunpoint until police arrived. He was indeed the wanted suspect. |
| Crossville, Tennessee | November 20, 2020 | The incident stemmed from an altercation that occurred in the driveway at a residence on Butternut Ridge Rd. During the altercation, the suspect obtained a handgun and then shot the victim in the abdomen while he was sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle. Another victim was sitting in the backseat of the vehicle where he pulled his weapon and shot the suspect in self-defense. |
| Lexington, South Carolina | November 28, 2020 | The suspect fired a few rounds at people in front of a Pear Court home, including two people he had been following in his car to that location. One of the people is a former girlfriend of the suspect, another is a concealed weapon permit holder. The CWP holder returned fire in self-defense and struck the suspect in the upper body. |
| Pine Bluff, Arkansas | December 17, 2020 | A paramedic defended himself and his partner with his firearm after a call to a domestic dispute turned violent. The paramedics began to treat a woman who told them that her boyfriend had beaten her; the boyfriend angrily confronted them for treating her injuries. After a physical altercation, he took out a gun and opened fire on the paramedics, police said. One paramedic was armed and, though injured, shot back, killing the boyfriend. Both paramedics were treated for gunshot wounds, but they and the woman survived. |
| Green Township, Pennsylvania | December 22, 2020 | A man at a gun range inexplicably turned his firearm on his friend, shooting and wounding him, police said. Another gun owner saw the attack and came to the friend’s aid, fatally wounding the gunman and likely saving the friend’s life. |
| Houston, Texas | December 25, 2020 | The victim and a neighbor were involved in a dispute over parking and he was approached by several men with guns. At some point, one of the suspects is accused of firing the first shot. Investigators said the victim, who reportedly feared for his life, fired back and fatally shot the other suspect. |
| Memphis, Tennessee | January 12, 2021 | The victim was traveling eastbound when a gray Nissan Altima pulled up on his passenger side and fired a shot, striking a window. The victim said he fired back and then followed the suspect to get his tag number. Once he obtained the information, he pulled over at James and North Cliffe and called the police. |
| Cleveland, Ohio | January 20, 2021 | The suspect walked into the Marathon Gas Station and fired several shots at the clerk. The clerk, who was not injured, fired back and struck the suspect one time in the ankle. The suspect then drove off in a black Monte Carlo and crashed into a city salt truck at Superior Avenue and East Blvd. The suspect did not stop, but police said the salt truck driver followed him to University Hospitals. Police officers then arrived at the hospital and placed him under arrest. |
| Toledo, Ohio | January 28, 2021 | The suspect, a regular customer, entered the store and began shooting at the managing clerk while he worked behind the counter, then fired again when the clerk pursued him outdoors. The clerk, who holds a concealed-carry permit, fired a single shot in return. |
| Gary, Indiana | February 3, 2021 | The suspect became angry with a woman after she asked him and someone he was dancing with to stop bumping into her inside the bar. She said that’s when the suspect struck her with a bottle. As the woman was leaving to get into her car, the suspect followed her and fired a gun, at which point she fired one back while running away. |
| Hickory, North Carolina | February 14, 2021 | The suspect went to get a gun from his car after he was involved in a fight outside the venue. The suspect was shot and killed by a patron as he was shooting at the grouping of people gathered outside of the establishment’s front entrance. The suspect was the first to fire his weapon and shot into the crowd of people. |
| Scottsdale, Arizona | March 4, 2021 | The suspect was driving aggressively when he threw an unknown object at another vehicle. The object cracked the front windshield of the victim’s vehicle. The suspect then drove next to the victim’s vehicle, pointed a gun, and fired at least two shots. DPS said one bullet struck the inside of the victim’s vehicle and another bullet hit a tire. The suspect then moved in front of the victim’s vehicle with the gun in hand. In fear for his life, the victim fired several shots back at the suspect’s vehicle in an attempt to get away from him. |
| Toledo, Ohio | March 24, 2021 | A concealed carry permit holder used his firearm to defend himself and his two young children during a road rage incident, exchanging 10 to 15 rounds with another driver who exited his car and began shooting at the permit holder. Other witnesses followed the initial shooter to take photos of his vehicle, police said, and no one appeared to have been injured. |
| Jeannette, Pennsylvania | April 7, 2021 | A mother used her firearm to successfully defend her teenage son from another teen, who shot him in the hand during an altercation. Police said the teen fired several rounds at the woman’s son and continued to chase him with a gun as he ran away. The boy’s mother returned fire, hitting the shooter in the thigh and causing him to flee. Police said they arrested him and charged him with attempted homicide. |
| Columbus, Ohio | April 8, 2021 | A CCW permit holder was walking near another victim when an unknown suspect began shooting at them. The CCW permit holder then brandished his own concealed firearm and returned fire at the unknown suspect who fled the area. |
| Reading, Pennsylvania | April 12, 2021 | The incident began when a vehicle occupied by a young couple and their 7-month-old child parked in the hotel lot in the first block of Meridian Boulevard in Spring Ridge. Almost immediately, a black SUV occupied by two men and two women pulled up alongside them. One suspect got out of the SUV and assaulted the 22-year-old man in the car. Two women got out of the SUV and assaulted the woman in the car. The female victim, 21, was the ex-girlfriend of one suspect. Finally, the other suspect got out of the SUV and began firing a handgun. The assaults ended when the male victim managed to retrieve a handgun from his car and fired on the suspects, who got into the SUV and fled. |
| Lakehead, California | April 18, 2021 | A man on a boating trip with a friend heard gunshots and screaming. Police said someone with a handgun had approached a group of others, used racial slurs, and opened fire, wounding two. One person in the group pointed out the shooter as he walked away; the man and his friend used their own firearms to detain the shooter until police arrived. He was being investigated for hate crimes. |
| Atlanta, Georgia | April 19, 2021 | An argument over a woman escalated. Two of the men involved in the dispute began chasing and shooting toward a third man, who pulled out a gun of his own and fired back. |
| Alexandria, Louisiana | April 25, 2021 | The suspect was reportedly driving his vehicle, with a trailer attached, on Lee Road when he drove too close to an oncoming vehicle, striking and breaking the side mirror of the oncoming vehicle. After knocking off the mirror, the suspect stopped his vehicle, verbally confronted the occupants of the victim’s vehicle, and then retreated to his truck and retrieved his pistol. According to eyewitness testimony, the suspect began firing at the occupants of the victim’s vehicle with his pistol. The victim occupant retrieved his own weapon and returned gunfire in self-defense. The suspect then fled. |
| Aurora, Colorado | May 1, 2021 | The suspect crashed his car into a parked car and was then confronted by the owner of the parked car. During a confrontation, the suspect shot the owner in the stomach. The wounded car owner then returned fire, shooting the suspect in the hip as he was attempting to run away. Authorities located the suspect about two blocks away a short time later. He was arrested after a short foot chase. |
| St. Paul, Minnesota | May 1, 2021 | Two men in their mid-20s told police three other men approached them and started shooting. The two men, who police said had valid permits to carry, fired back. No one was injured, but six parked vehicles were hit by bullets. One bullet traveled south across I-94 and struck Rondo Elementary School. Police recovered dozens of shell casings at the scene. |
| Colonial Heights, Virginia | May 5, 2021 | A Jeep SUV was traveling north in the center lane when a gray Toyota SUV in the right lane started shooting at the Jeep. The driver of the Jeep returned fire and pulled over to the right shoulder immediately after the shooting. Officials say the Toyota did not stop. |
| Chicago, Illinois | May 13, 2021 | The two, 24 and 25, were standing on the sidewalk in the 4800 block of West Quincy Street when someone they knew walked up and fired. The 24-year-old, a concealed carry cardholder, returned fire. |
| San Antonio, Texas | May 15, 2021 | The suspect who arrived with a woman at the facility pulled out a gun and shot at the woman but missed. Some of those shots hit the building. A protestor, who had a license to carry the pistol, saw the shooting, pulled out his gun, and fired shots in an attempt to protect the victim. That’s when the suspect ran from the building. |
| Destin, Florida | May 21, 2021 | A fight broke out after the club closed and the suspect “recklessly fired” a weapon in multiple directions. A 22-year-old Montgomery, Alabama, man and his friends were in the area where the shots were being fired. The man told investigators he fired six to seven shots in return because he was “concerned for his safety and the safety of his friends.” |
| Crowley, Louisiana | May 28, 2021 | The inebriated suspect entered City Bar on E 1st Street around closing time and was seen by witnesses striking a female he had arrived with. When the staff and crowd inside the bar demanded the individual leave, he stepped outside but re-entered the bar a few minutes later. Those inside the bar again asked the suspect to leave, and a portion of the crowd followed him out to make sure he left and insisted he leave the premises. The suspect allegedly pulled out a gun, and a patron then struck the man. The subject opened fire in the direction of the crowd, striking three people, including the female the individual had arrived with. One person in the crowd returned fire and struck the suspect, who then fled the scene and was located in front of a bar nearby on Parkerson Ave. with multiple gunshot wounds. |
| Experiment, Georgia | June 1, 2021 | The pair of men were driving back to Griffin when the suspect (the ex-girlfriend) began following them and tried to run the men off the road several times. At a certain point, the friend let the man out of the car so he could run from the suspect. When she saw him get out of the car, she turned her car and began following him. When he would not stop, she reportedly pulled out a handgun and began shooting, hitting him in the left hip. When the friend saw the suspect start shooting, he pulled out his own handgun and began firing back. |
| West Salem, Ohio | June 13, 2021 | The suspect was reportedly driving a pickup truck recklessly in a parking lot and sprayed gravel at nearby vehicles. Some people nearby began yelling at the suspect, and a physical altercation soon ensued. The suspect pulled out a handgun and fired multiple rounds. Another person on the scene, who was licensed to hold a CCW permit, started shooting at the suspect, causing him to leave. A bystander died from his injuries and three other people were also injured during the shooting. The suspect faces a second-degree felonious assault charge. |
| South Tucson, Arizona | June 20, 2021 | There was a confrontation between the suspect and two brothers. The suspect reportedly fired at the brothers while inside the restaurant’s banquet hall. He then followed the men into the parking lot and fired at them again. At one point one of the men returned fire, striking the suspect. |
| Decatur, Georgia | June 22, 2021 | A group of men was hanging out in front of a gas station at the corner of Glenwood and Austin. The suspect walked up and fatally shot one of the men in the group. Two men in the group returned fire and killed the suspect. |
| Richmond, Virginia | July 3, 2021 | The suspect was killed by an armed bystander near Mechanicsville Turnpike convenience store after shooting and killing another man. |
| Portland, Oregon | July 3, 2021 | The suspect had shot one victim, and then another person began shooting at the suspect. |
| Lithonia, Georgia | July 14, 2021 | The 18-year-old and his 16-year-old brother were at the gas station when the suspect approached the older sibling from behind and pointed a gun at his head. After a brief fight, the 18-year-old was able to get away, but officials say the suspect assaulted the younger teen and shot at him. After the suspect fired the shots, investigators say the 18-year-old returned fire, killing the suspect “in defense of his brother.” |
| Knoxville, Tennessee | August 6, 2021 | The suspect arrived at Asylum Tattoo for an appointment, but was intoxicated and causing a disturbance. The suspect was asked to leave the shop but returned multiple times before brandishing a handgun at the victim. The suspect fired at the victim but missed and the victim returned fire, shooting the suspect in the shoulder. |
| Chicago, Illinois | August 9, 2021 | A man was killed and another man was seriously wounded in a drive-by shooting. The 24-year-old, a concealed carry license holder, returned fire. The car carrying the shooters crashed into a parked car, and the pair ran off. |
| Las Vegas, Nevada | August 13, 2021 | A fight broke out among a group of people drinking in the parking lot when one person had gotten a gun from a car and started shooting at the others, injuring six older teenagers. An unidentified person fired back, striking the initial shooter. The initial shooter died at the hospital. |
| Tulsa, Oklahoma | August 16, 2021 | There was an assault and after initially leaving the scene, the suspect returned with a gun. The suspect shot at a truck and hit a man inside on the arm who had been assaulted earlier. Officials said the man in the truck pulled out a gun and shot at the assault suspect, hitting him in the arm. |
| St. Louis, Missouri | August 18, 2021 | The suspect shot at the 25-year-old man following an argument inside the store. The victim did fire back, fatally shooting the suspect, who died inside the store. |
| San Antonio, Texas | August 24, 2021 | A man had walked out of the back door of the strip club and went to his car to leave when he got into an argument with three men. He told them to move away from his car and that’s when one of the men pulled out a gun and started shooting. The man returned fire and wounded the suspect, hitting the man twice in the shoulder. |
| Minneapolis, Minnesota | September 9, 2021 | The video reportedly shows that the victim was standing outside the market with two other men. The three men then ran away, as the suspect apparently runs toward the victim and shoots him. He continues to shoot the victim even after he is on the ground. The complaint says a witness fired back at the suspect before loading the victim in a car and driving him to the hospital. |
| Kalispell, Montana | September 16, 2021 | When the manager of a 24-hour fitness center revoked a patron’s membership after discovering that he had been sleeping at the gym without permission, police said, the patron shot the manager to death in the parking lot. An assistant manager alerted a customer, who retrieved a handgun from his car. After the shooter fired several rounds at the customer, wounding him, the customer returned fire and wounded the shooter, disabling him until police could arrive. |
| Shreveport, Louisiana | September 21, 2021 | A man entered the store with a gun and got into some sort of argument with a couple of employees. Then he allegedly pulled out a gun and started firing shots. One of the employees grabbed his own gun, and shots were exchanged between the two. |
| Woodbridge, Virginia | September 23, 2021 | A 26-year-old man and several passengers were driving through the area when an unknown man fired shots at their car. The driver returned fire before fleeing and encountering police on an unrelated call in the area of Fox Lair Drive. |
| Chicago, Illinois | September 27, 2021 | The suspect was so annoyed that a man was spitting while he talked during a card game at a South Side hookah lounge, he shot him to death. A concealed carry license holder standing next to the guard in the doorway pulled out his own weapon and fired once, striking the suspect in the arm. The suspect took off running but the concealed carry holder followed him and pointed him out to police, who arrested the suspect about a block away. |
| Columbus, Ohio | October 6, 2021 | The 36-year-old man told investigators the other man had approached him and shot him in the leg. The man, who police say is a CCW permit holder, fired shots in return, fatally wounding the man. |
| Tonopah, Arizona | October 9, 2021 | A homeowner told reporters that he doesn’t normally carry a gun, but was glad he did so on the day a wanted felon threatened his family. The felon had prompted an hourslong manhunt after fatally beating a sheriff’s deputy and stealing his car. The wanted man approached the homeowner and his daughters outside their residence, threatening them with a wooden knife. Law enforcement officials said the felon left but returned with a gun and exchanged fire with the homeowner, who wounded him. |
| Seattle, Washington | October 23, 2021 | The women said that a man they had been in a disturbance with pulled out a gun and fired at them. Both women pulled out their own firearms and returned fire. |
| Pleasant Hill, Iowa | November 14, 2021 | A man had reportedly driven to the apartment complex and was seated in his car when the suspect allegedly shot at him multiple times. The man reportedly returned fire from his vehicle, wounding the suspect on his right temple. |
| Jacksonville, Florida | November 15, 2021 | The victim called to report the crash. The suspect arrived a few minutes after officers left and fired at least one round into the driver’s side door, hitting the victim in the leg. The victim fired back with his own gun multiple times. |
| Blytheville, Arkansas | November 16, 2021 | A suspect from out of state was walking in the area when he approached a driver who had pulled over on the side of the road to adjust something on his trailer. The suspect then attempted to attack the driver, leaving the driver shot in the process while two witnesses saw what was happening and tried to help. The suspect attacked the witnesses, and one of the witnesses shot the suspect after giving him warnings to stop the assault. |
| Maple Falls, Washington | February 10, 2022 | The incident began with a dispute over a backyard garbage fire. The suspect then returned to his home to retrieve a shotgun “loaded with birdshot and fired a round into the air toward the neighbor” who was burning trash. A neighbor called 911 and two deputies responded. Upon arrival, the suspect started yelling at the deputies, waving a shotgun around, and “appeared to be intoxicated by his speech and actions.” The suspect fired at the deputies, hitting both. That was when good Samaritans armed with their own weapons stepped forward and fired multiple shots in the direction of the suspect to provide cover for and protect the wounded deputies. The sheriff thanked the armed good Samaritans who came to the wounded heroes’ aid and kept them safe until backup arrived. |
| Melbourne, Florida | February 27, 2022 | A group of people were gathered on the street when an unknown vehicle drove by, shooting toward the crowd. One person in the group returned fire at a retreating car with his legally carried handgun. |
| Dyersburg, Tennessee | March 12, 2022 | A Dyersburg man had been shot at by at least three gunmen. When a relative of the victim intervened and returned gunfire, the suspects fled the scene in a dark-colored SUV. |
| Minneapolis, Minnesota | March 30, 2022 | A rideshare driver told investigators that one of two teenage passengers he drove to the area shot him as they were leaving his car. The driver, a permitted gun owner, returned fire, striking one of the teens. He then sped off and flagged down the police. The two teenage passengers (a boy and a girl) ran away from the scene but were later arrested by the police. The rideshare driver was hospitalized with serious injuries. |
| Baton Rouge, Louisiana | May 6, 2022 | The suspect walked into the laundry carrying a rifle, while his girlfriend armed herself with a tire iron. During the fight inside the business, the suspect allegedly fired several shots from his rifle, striking a bystander. Surveillance footage showed a woman walking backward out of the building, holding a small handgun and firing inside. The suspect reportedly followed the woman outside and started shooting at her. The suspect and his girlfriend fled the scene but were later detained by police after a traffic stop. |
| Pittston Township, Pennsylvania | June 2, 2022 | The suspect shot a woman twice in her back in a shopping plaza when she confronted him for rummaging through her vehicle. A bystander licensed to carry a firearm fired three shots at the suspect, who fled the scene. |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | June 5, 2022 | Footage shows that a passerby was walking down the street with his friend when the suspect appeared to exchange words with him. When the passerby continued walking away, the suspect pulled out a Glock .45 pistol with a blue laser sight and fired into the man’s turned back. The passerby’s friend, who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, fired back, hitting the suspect multiple times. |
| Nashville, Tennessee | June 20, 2022 | Two men, a 39-year-old and a 23-year-old, who were working at the gas station were outside when the suspect approached them wanting to return items he claimed to have purchased earlier. The 23-year-old reportedly told the suspect that he would have to wait for the manager to return. The suspect then pulled out his Glock pistol and threatened both men. The 39-year-old reportedly tried to disarm the suspect, and during a struggle between the men, the suspect fired twice. The 23-year-old then returned fire, striking the suspect multiple times. The 39-year-old was struck once during the shooting. |
| Chicago, Illinois | July 12, 2022 | A concealed carry holder was in the parking lot of a restaurant with his 11-year-old daughter when an unknown vehicle pulled up and a 19-year-old male suspect exited. The suspect produced a firearm and shot at the concealed carry holder’s vehicle, prompting him to return fire with his own gun. The suspect was later found by police in a nearby residential garage with gunshot wounds to his hand, arm, and foot. |
| Houston, Texas | July 18, 2022 | The suspect was walking with a woman and baby when he began attacking her. A group of good Samaritans intervened to help the woman being assaulted and the suspect left the area. A short time later, the suspect came back in a vehicle and opened fire on the group, hitting a man and an innocent woman. That’s when someone in the group shot back at the suspect. |
| Detroit, Michigan | July 27, 2022 | Two people were sitting in the car when they were approached by the accused shooter with a long gun. Police say the shooter fired shots for an “unprovoked reason.” One of them fired back and fatally shot the accused shooter. Police said that the suspect was clinically diagnosed with mental illness and believe that was a “significant factor” in the incident. |
| Nashville, North Carolina | July 29, 2022 | A group of people were at the lounge when the suspect pulled a gun and shot a man to which he has no relation. A third-party bystander, upon seeing the shooting, pulled his own weapon and fired, striking the suspect. |
| Akron, Ohio | July 30, 2022 | The shooting stemmed from an ongoing dispute between the man and at least one of the injured women, who are neighbors. The alleged harassment by the suspect had reached a point of no return when he wearing a bulletproof vest, producing a handgun, and firing shots at his neighbors. Two women were struck and injured. A 23-year-old pulled out her own gun and fired back at the suspect. |
| Evansville, Indiana | August 3, 2022 | The bystander was in the parking lot of the store when he saw the two men arguing. One of them pulled a handgun, fired it several times in the air, and then fatally shot the other man. The bystander, who has a valid permit to carry his gun, “yelled for the male with the gun to drop his weapon but he refused.” The bystander stated “he shot at the male and the male fled behind the building,” where he later died. |
| Greer, South Carolina | August 17, 2022 | The suspect went to the house of a “former domestically-related partner,” got into an altercation, made verbal threats, and then left. He returned within 30 minutes and fired at least two shots at the people standing outside. One of those people returned fire, hitting the suspect in the leg. The suspect fled the scene and was arrested later by the deputies. |
| Chicago, Illinois | August 24, 2022 | A male victim, 33, was approached by a male offender, 33 when the offender produced a handgun and fired shots. The victim returns fire. Both the victim and offender were struck. |
| Miami, Florida | September 17, 2022 | A man who opened fire into a crowd of people outside the bar, leaving two other men wounded, was shot in the arm by a bystander who returned fire. |
| Huntington, West Virginia | October 25, 2022 | When an armed citizen was approaching his parked vehicle, he encountered an unknown black man who brandished a firearm and shot him. The citizen returned fire with his own firearm. The suspect dropped what was later determined to be an AR-15-style pistol and fled the scene. |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | October 31, 2022 | It all happened after the suspect caused an accident with another vehicle carrying two women and a 5-year-old child on Halloween night. An argument ensued when both drivers got out of their vehicles and turned violent when a bystander tried to intervene. The suspect fired six times at the bystander. That’s when a licensed gun owner in the other vehicle allegedly took her gun out and shot once toward the suspect. |
| Elkrun Township, Ohio | December 17, 2022 | The suspect began ramming the pickup truck of a passerby who stopped to assist the suspect’s girlfriend asking for help after a domestic dispute. Deputies said the suspect fired shots first at the people inside the vehicle. The passerby returned fire, hitting the suspect in the torso multiple times and killing him. No charges are expected to be filed against the passerby and he wasn’t injured. |
Suspect with a gun, the victim shot first:
| Location | Date | Detail |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | December 15, 2015 | The suspect, who had been traveling on U.S. Highway 91 about a mile south of the Idaho border, crashed into a natural-gas regulating device, which then spewed gas. A Richmond EMT approached the car and the suspect aggressively reached down his partially unzipped jacket with his right hand and pulled his hand back out of his jacket with what was described as a black semiautomatic handgun. Assistant Smithfield City Fire Chief, who holds a concealed carry permit, reported that he feared for the safety of his life and the lives of his co-workers, so he immediately pointed his gun at the suspect and fired, hitting him in the shoulder. The suspect allegedly returned fire toward the CCP holder and the other EMT. Authorities say the suspect refused to get out of his car and continued to drink from a bottle of Crown Royal whiskey until he passed out more than an hour into the standoff, and SWAT officers were able to remove him from the vehicle and provide medical attention. |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | June 9, 2017 | The tow-truck driver was trying to repossess a silver Toyota Sienna minivan in the parking lot of the Santana Food Market when the altercation broke out with a friend of the van’s owner. The repo driver hears glass shattering and thought he was being shot at so he used his own gun to fire back in self-defense. The men shot at each other. The tow truck driver fatally shot the 32-year-old man in self-defense. |
| Detroit, Michigan | September 27, 2018 | As the victim walked up to the gas station, he noticed a man in a ski mask. The masked man then pointed a shotgun at him. The victim, a concealed pistol license holder, pulled out a gun of his own and fired shots. |
| Commack, New York | December 25, 2020 | The confrontation began at 12:45 a.m. when a gunman showed up at a former hotel that now serves as a homeless shelter in Commack, demanding to see a shelter resident. A shelter employee led the gunman to the man’s room, where he was living with a teenager and a toddler. The gunman ordered everyone to the lobby — where he was confronted by the resident’s relative. A shootout ensued inside and outside the facility between the two. The shelter visitor was fatally shot, while the resident’s relative was seriously wounded. |
| Fort Worth, Texas | June 25, 2021 | A driver used his firearm to protect himself and his family during a road rage incident. Police said a motorcyclist was riding illegally between lanes when he was almost hit by another driver who could not see him. Enraged, the motorcyclist sped ahead and stopped in the middle of the highway, bringing traffic to a halt. He pointed a handgun at the driver, who begged him to put the gun down because he had children in the car. When the motorcyclist continued to make threats, police said, the driver pulled out his own firearm and fatally shot him. |
| Medford, Oregon | December 11, 2021 | A California resident, visiting a neighbor’s house, heard the commotion and confronted an armed drunken suspect. CCP holder said he fired first, but both men got shots off. Four of the shots hit the suspect, fatally wounding him. CCP holder was unharmed. |
Suspect with a gun, but didn’t shoot (not included in our list):
| Location | Date | Detail |
| Orlando, Florida | April 25, 2016 | The altercation started as an argument between the two that was instigated by the suspect. The situation escalated and the suspect, a convicted felon, pulled out a gun. The victim, who had a valid concealed weapons permit, pulled his own gun and fired several times, killing the suspect. |
| Seattle, Washington | April 17, 2017 | A 19-year-old woman went to meet the ex to return his gun. But, when she saw him on the street, he charged at her holding his own gun. She opened fire to stop the attack. |
| Cape Coral, Florida | June 1, 2018 | On June 1, a concealed carry permit holder in Cape Coral, Florida, shot a convicted felon who had pulled a firearm on employees of a roofing company. Police said the unnamed good Samaritan acted in self-defense and will not face criminal charges, while the convicted felon—who was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm—will be charged with aggravated assault. |
| Shreveport, Louisiana | August 6, 2018 | Two men were in an argument when the suspect armed himself with a gun and an axe handle, before making threats toward the victim. The victim was also armed and fired at the armed suspect, killing him. |
| Nashville, Tennessee | March 13, 2019 | A customer at an auto parts store got into an argument with a clerk and left only after discovering the clerk had a gun on his person. Later that afternoon, the clerk saw the customer returning to the store armed with a shotgun. Fearing for his safety and that of others inside the store, the clerk fired at the man through the store window, striking him in the chest. Critically wounded but out of the hospital a week later, the man was charged with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a firearm. |
| Lithonia, Georgia | September 30, 2019 | A fight broke out between two suspects and the employee. One of the suspects pointed a gun at the sandwich shop worker inside the restaurant. The argument spilled outside and the Subway employee pulled his gun and shot the two suspects. |
| Nashville, Tennessee | November 10, 2019 | The victim was dropping off the suspect’s ex-girlfriend at work at Martin’s Bar-B-Que. The suspect then drove his black Jeep in front of the victim’s vehicle and walked over to the passenger side and began roughly jerking his ex-girlfriend out of the car onto the street. The suspect reportedly displayed a pistol tucked into his waistband by lifting his shirt. When the suspect reached for the gun, the victim pulled out his own gun and shot him. The suspect fled the scene in his vehicle, but police caught up with him at S. 5th and Sylvan streets. |
| Lakewood, Washington | January 15, 2020 | The driver of a pickup truck began passing cars dangerously on a winding two-lane road, then took offense when another driver honked at him. Police said the pickup driver stopped his truck, halting traffic, then climbed out with a gun, pointing it at the people in the car behind him. A passenger in that car also was armed and ultimately was forced to shoot and kill the pickup driver in defense of himself and those around him. |
| Detroit, Michigan | April 12, 2020 | The 28-year-old suspect approached a 23-year-old man and pulled a gun on him. But the victim has a concealed weapons permit holder, police say, and he pulled a gun of his own and shot the suspect. |
| Ft. Wright, Kentucky | October 9, 2020 | Two men had been driving and had stopped after a collision involving both of their vehicles near Fort Wright. The victim shot the suspect after the suspect approached him with a rifle on the side of Interstate 75 in northern Kentucky. |
| Miami Beach, Florida | January 7, 2021 | Surveillance video captured a dramatic confrontation between an employee of a store and a man who threatened him with a firearm. The assailant initially left the scene after an argument with the employee, during which he brandished his gun, police said. He returned a short time later and the employee, fearing for his life, fired his own legally possessed handgun at the assailant’s car, causing him to flee. Police later arrested and charged the assailant with aggravated assault. |
| Covington, Kentucky | January 10, 2021 | It all started over a spilled drink. The confrontation ensued after the suspect and the victim bumped into each other inside the bar. The two men didn’t know each other, but after the spill, the suspect retrieved a gun from his trunk. Once the victim exited the bar, the suspect confronted him with the handgun by pointing the handgun at his abdomen or torso. The suspect threatened to kill the victim, and that’s when the victim’s cousin stepped in. The cousin drew that gun, firing one shot, striking the suspect in the head and unfortunately killing him. |
| Lake Saint Louis, Missouri | March 20, 2021 | At one point, the driver in front stops his car and exits his vehicle with a weapon. The driver in the second car sees the weapon and he notifies the first driver that he has a weapon too. The first driver made a sort of assertive action toward the car that was occupied by the second driver and his family. As a result, the second driver discharged his weapon in an effort to protect himself. |
| Roswell, New Mexico | April 25, 2021 | The store employee was taking a break and was in his vehicle when the suspect pulled up in another vehicle, got out, and approached the store employee. The suspect reportedly became confrontational when he told the store employee he wanted to buy cigarettes from the store, which was closed to customers at the time and began talking about the firearm on the employee’s passenger seat. The suspect, whom investigators believe was intoxicated, then returned to his vehicle and retrieved a handgun of his own. He approached the employee again, who by that time had exited his vehicle with his gun and was standing outside. The men eventually agreed to put their guns away in their waistbands, before the suspect then reportedly ordered the employee to give him his gun. The suspect began reaching for his own gun in his waistband and at that point the store employee, who later told investigators he feared for his life when he saw the suspect reaching for his gun, drew his gun and shot him once in the chest. |
| Columbus, Ohio | June 3, 2021 | There were several small fights inside the bar, and later in a parking lot. The suspect pulled a gun and began pointing it at several people, including a 43-year-old man. The man then shot the suspect in self-defense. |
| Natchez, Mississippi | July 3, 2021 | When a man got into an argument with a gas station clerk over the amount of change he was owed, another customer offered to get the disputed 21 cents from his car and give it to the man. Police said the man pulled a knife on the friendly customer, who in response drew a firearm in self-defense. A woman who was with the knife-wielding man pulled out her own firearm and threatened the customer, who shot and wounded her. Police arrested the man and woman on several charges, noting active warrants for the woman’s arrest in another state. |
| Spartanburg, South Carolina | August 5, 2021 | The suspect and another motorist began arguing at a traffic light, then traveled alongside each other on Southport Road toward Highway 221. Both drivers increased their speeds and drove aggressively while passing other vehicles on the road. Finally, the suspect pulled alongside the other man, drew his pistol, and pointed it at the man, who then drew his own gun and shot at the suspect, striking him under the armpit and killing him. |
| Port Allen, Louisiana | August 15, 2021 | An argument among several people in a grocery store spilled into the parking lot, where it took a violent turn as one woman pulled out a firearm. Police said one of the woman’s targets also was armed and shot her in self-defense, wounding her. Police arrested the original assailant and an accomplice, but did not charge the person who fired in self-defense. |
| Houston, Texas | August 21, 2021 | The suspect walked into the business and asked associates about the 59-year-old man’s whereabouts. Police said the man 59-year-old man was outside on a work break when he and the suspect got into an argument. Police said the suspect pulled out a gun during the fight. Then, the 59-year-old man told investigators that he pulled out a gun he owned and shot the man in self-defense. The suspect who was shot crashed his vehicle in an attempt to flee but then fled the scene on foot. Officers later found him in the area and paramedics took him to a nearby hospital. |
| Melbourne, Florida | August 28, 2021 | The masked suspect walked into the barbershop on Saturday afternoon and pointed a gun at several people who were inside the strip mall business. Police say New York Hair’s owner shot and hit the suspect in the hip as several customers and employees at the barbershop disarmed the suspect and held him until police arrived. The suspect was unhappy over a haircut or some other previous transaction at the New York Hair Barber Shop. |
| Houston, Texas | September 4, 2021 | An erratic driver began chasing another vehicle, eventually pulling up alongside and pointing a gun at the occupants, police said. The driver of the second vehicle drew his own gun and fired in self-defense, seriously wounding the erratic driver and a female passenger. The wounded couple drove off, throwing two firearms out of the window. Police said they didn’t anticipate charging the second driver, who immediately called 911 and cooperated with law enforcement. |
| Orange City, Florida | November 20, 2021 | A woman who police say was responsible for a hit-and-run crash drove to her home, ran inside, and came back out with a gun. The motorcyclist and other witnesses to the hit-and-run followed her. When the woman pointed the gun at the motorcyclist, the motorcyclist, who has a valid Florida concealed weapons permit, pulled his own handgun and fatally shot the woman. |
| Chicago, Illinois | December 2, 2021 | A CCP holder was in an alley when he got involved in a verbal altercation with an unknown male offender in a vehicle. The offender in the vehicle produced a firearm at which time the CCP holder drew his own firearm and fatally shot the offender. |
| New Orleans, Louisiana | December 5, 2021 | Shortly after midnight, a hotel patron opened fire for self-defense after he said a valet became aggressive and demanded money for valet parking and pointed a gun at him outside New Orleans’ Ace Hotel, killing the valet. |
| Richmond, Virginia | March 21, 2022 | A man and a woman showed up at the business to retrieve a car that had been towed to the lot. According to the employee, the man called beforehand and made threats to employees over the phone upon learning that the vehicle had been towed. An employee fatally shot the angry man as he walked towards employees and cocked his handgun. |
| Hopkinsville, Kentucky | May 5, 2022 | The suspect was shot in the head during an altercation in the parking lot where he had been pointing a long gun at multiple people in the area. The suspect then fled the scene in a vehicle and was later arrested by police. |
| Hollywood, Florida | July 8, 2022 | A driver, who has a concealed gun permit, saw the suspect driving recklessly and speeding. When he spoke to the suspect as they got to a traffic light, the suspect pulled out a gun. The permit holder was forced to open fire with his own gun, striking the suspect twice. |
