Defensive Gun Uses By People Legally Carrying Guns: 30 Cases During April 2023
Chicago, Illinois, April 1, 2023 (CBS News Chicago)
A suspected robber is dead after a store manager shot him in a Chicago auto parts store Saturday afternoon.
According to the Chicago Police Department, an armed 30- to 40-year-old man entered the O’Reilly Auto Parts store in the 9100 block of South Stony Island Avenue around 2:30 p.m. and demanded money from the register.
The store manager, who has a valid FOID card, shot the would-be robber…
Grand Forks, North Dakota, April 1, 2023 (InForum)
It happened just before 9 p.m. Saturday night, April 1, on the bottom floor of the Stanford Manor apartments…
According to the Grand Forks Police Department, Cross was laying on the floor after 24-year-old Javon Lowery of Grand Forks shot him once in the chest during a brief argument.
Police say Lowery actually fired multiple shots, but the rest missed. According to police, Lowery shot at Cross after he pulled out what Lowery thought was a sawed-off shotgun during the argument. It turned out it was only a pellet gun…
Grand Forks police would not confirm or deny that as being the motive. At this point police believe Lowery was acting in self-defense…
Midland, Texas, April 1, 2023 (CBS 7)
According to the Midland Police Department, on April 1, 2023, at approximately 9:00 PM, officers were called to make contact with a 21-year-old male from Midland who was involved in a shooting that occurred in the 700 block of E. Tennessee.
Detectives learned that the male was the victim of a robbery, which resulted in the victim shooting the suspect in self-defense…
Brentwood, California, April 2, 2023 (The Press)
Officers responded to a call at about 4 a.m. on Sunday, April 2, in the 2700 block of Serene Court to investigate the shooting. Upon arrival, police determined that the victim discovered suspects in the driveway of their residence trying to break into the victim’s vehicle. When the victim confronted the suspects, one of them fired toward the victim. The victim, who was also armed, fired back, shooting three to four rounds towards the suspects who fled shortly after in a vehicle…
Staff, “Brentwood police investigate shooting after attempted robbery,” The Press, April 5, 2023.
Carroll County, Mississippi, April 2, 2023 (WLBT.com)
Carroll County Sheriff Clint Walker says the incident happened down the street from Katy’s Place in the Coila area of the county at 1:36 a.m. on April 2.
According to a press release, witnesses told deputies that there was an altercation between Lamarcus Woodson, 31, and Michelle Eileen Hearn at Katy’s Place. The press release says that Hearn and Willie Ezell, a friend, left the club to remove themselves from the altercation.
Sheriff Walker says Woodson followed them to a house down the street from the club even though he was told to stay away from the property. Hearn, Ezell, and other witnesses told deputies that Woodson grabbed Hearn, and a struggle followed.
According to the press release, Hearn shot Woodson multiple times during the struggle. Woodson was airlifted to a Jackson hospital and is in stable condition.
The sheriff says Hearn was held on an investigative hold at the Leflore County Detention Center but has been released “as it appears to have been self-defense.”
Oakland, California, April 2, 2023 (NBC Bay Area)
A surveillance camera captured a daytime shootout inside an Oakland convenience store that sent two men to the hospital and customers running for cover.
The shooting happened Sunday at Market One on East 12th Street. The surveillance footage shows two men – one wearing a ski mask – walking into the store and start arguing seconds later.
When one man gestures to the head of the man in the ski mask, the man in the mask pulls a gun and starts shooting. As a customer ducks for cover, video shows a third man, the cashier, grabbing a gun and firing at the man in the ski mask and then chasing after him…
Police said they arrested the man in the ski mask and said both men in the initial argument were shot and are in stable condition…
Erie, Pennsylvania, April 3, 2023 (Erie Times-News)
Investigators said a group of people were playing basketball at Columbus Park, at West 16th and Poplar streets, when they were approached by a group of other people. One witness reported hearing someone from the group say, “Did you have anything to do with that?” to one of the shooting victims. The witness said the shooting victim said something similar to “no,” before someone from the group who the witness saw with a handgun began to fire the weapon toward those on the basketball court, detectives wrote in the criminal complaints…
The witness told police he then retrieved his handgun from a bag and fired it in the direction of the group, according to the complaints…
Arapahoe County, Colorado, April 6, 2023 (CBS News)
A 31-year-old man was fatally shot Thursday by a Glendale pawn shop employee during an apparent robbery attempt. The alleged robber was on parole.
A caller from the pawn shop called 9-1-1 late Thursday morning to report the incident. Deputies from the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office found a man dead inside the Top Colorado Pawn Shop at 8030 E. Mississippi Avenue.
Based on preliminary evidence, the man who died was trying to rob the store, according to an ACSO spokesman…
“He came in with the gun all ready, three seconds and he had it out, pointed it at one sales person, then pointed it at another sales person,” Anisov said. “The scary part is, he had no mask. Who knows, he might want to kill everybody.”
Anisov said the pawn shop’s jeweler, a 45-year-old man, was on the other end of the store when the robbery began. He approached the robber from behind and shot him…
Logan Smith, “Alleged robber shot to death during pawn shop hold-up,” CBS News, April 7, 2023.
Mobile, Alabama, April 6, 2023 (FOX 10 News)
The incident happened at about 9:20 p.m. in a vacant parking lot at that location, police said.
According to police, “a known male subject approached the male victim and fired shots at him, causing non-life-threatening injuries.”
Following the initial shooting, investigators say, an unknown person fired at the initial shooter, injuring him as well…
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, April 7, 2023 (KREM)
New details have emerged from Coeur d’Alene police regarding last week’s shooting at the Silver Lake Plaza parking lot between a man allegedly stealing from cars and an older man who confronted him with a gun…
Hagar says Dean and his wife were walking back to their truck in the Michael’s parking lot when they noticed Brown, who appeared to be robbing their truck. Dean drew a gun on Brown before the suspect ran back to the car he arrived in.
Police say Dean put his gun away, thinking the standoff was over. Soon after, Brown accelerated quickly towards Dean, who was hit and lifted onto the roof of the car.
While Brown continued driving, Dean pulled out his gun again, firing at the suspect twice. Brown began swerving after being hit, causing Dean to fly off the vehicle before the suspect crashed his car into a truck…
Jacksonville, Florida, April 7, 2023 (First Coast News)
A man police said was trying to rob a Jacksonville auto store Friday is in the hospital after he was shot by the business owner. Police said the man entered Galaxy Tire and Auto Repair, 540 Woodruff Ave., at around 11:45 a.m. and pulled a gun on the store’s owner demanding cash. After leaving the store with money, the gunman approached a person in a car in the parking lot and ordered them out of the vehicle. They complied, and the gunman tried to get away, but the car didn’t work.
The owner of the store exited the business to try and see which way the assailant was walking. The gunman then pointed his gun at the business owner, again, but this time the business owner was armed, according to Jacksonville police.
The business owner fired once hitting the man in his lower body, police said. The man fled and entered a nearby restaurant, Monroe’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Q, 4838 Hwy Ave., where he collapsed, police said…
Ann Arbor, Michigan, April 7, 2023 (MLIVE)
A 25-year-old old man who shot another man near an Ann Arbor memorial vigil on Friday is now facing felony charges…
Both the suspect and the victim had attended a memorial vigil for a 23-year-old Ann Arbor man in a car crash, according to Ann Arbor police.
The memorial took place on the basketball courts in the 800 block of S. Maple Road, but the shooting occurred around 8:30 p.m. on nearby Ben’s Drive off of S. Maple, according to Ann Arbor police…
Rawls reportedly shot a 24-year-old man, who returned fire.
Both men were struck. A stray bullet also struck a home on Ben’s Drive, entering the kitchen where a family was having dinner, according to police. No one in the house was injured.
The 24-year-old was treated at the University of Michigan Hospital for an injury to his foot and released. Rawls, who had gunshot wounds to his left wrist and bicep, remains hospitalized…
Jordyn Pair, “25-year-old man facing charges in Ann Arbor shooting,” MLIVE, April 11, 2023.
Chicago, Illinois, April 9, 2023 (CWB Chicago)
A smoke shop employee shot a would-be burglar who tried to break into the Lincoln Park businesses after closing time on Sunday evening, officials said.
Chicago police officers who responded to calls of a person shot in the 4700 block of North Talman around 11:45 p.m. found an 18-year-old man with gunshot wounds to his legs. The man initially told officers that someone shot at him from a black car.
But officers said the man clammed up after police received another 911 call about a burglary attempt at a business in the 2600 block of West Lawrence. Police determined that a 40-year-old man inside the business shot the 18-year-old, who was trying to enter through the back door, according to a CPD media statement…
New Orleans, Louisiana, April 11, 2023 (NOLA.com)
Roderick Bennett got more than he bargained for when he pulled a gun on a clerk at a Central City retail store, judging from documents that New Orleans police filed in court…
They booked Bennett, 49, with aggravated assault with a gun and possession of a gun by a convicted felon.
Police said Bennett was arguing an item’s price April 11 with an employee at the Dollar General store in the 2800 block of South Claiborne Avenue. A witness told them that Bennett pointed a gun at the employee, prompting the employee to shoot him in the chest…
Surveillance video showed Bennett leaving the store by the front door, then pulling a gun and approaching the employee as they argued, police said. The employee, too, pulled out a gun and fired it, striking Bennett…
Gastonia, North Carolina, April 12, 2023 (WSOCTV.com)
A shooting Wednesday in front of a smoke shop on East Franklin Boulevard in Gastonia may be a case of self-defense, police said…
Witnesses said the alleged shooter felt threatened by a man with a knife…
“The guy with the gun is the good guy,” the 911 caller told dispatch. “We saw him being chased by the guy with the knife.”…
Police have not announced any charges in the investigation…
Fort Worth, Texas, April 12, 2023 (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
A man was shot outside of a store in Fort Worth on Wednesday after he tried to steal a woman’s truck with a passenger inside, according to the Fort Worth Police Department.
On Wednesday at about 5:30 p.m., police were dispatched to the 4700 block of Benbrook Highway about a robbery.
A man was acting suspiciously inside a local business, according to police.
He was told to leave by an employee and went outside. The man got into a customer’s pickup truck that had the engine on. An adult passenger was sitting in the back of the vehicle, police told the Star-Telegram.
The passenger asked him what he was doing and the man stated he was going to take the truck, according to police.
When the owner of the vehicle saw the man inside her truck — who was attempting to put it in gear — she shot him, hitting him in the arm, police said…
Houston, Texas, April 13, 2023 (Click2houston)
Multiple suspects and an innocent bystander were injured during a robbery that turned into a shooting at a gas station near the South Loop Thursday night.
The incident took place at the Circle K Valero convenience store at around 8:09 p.m. in the 8000 block of S Loop near Broadway.
According to Houston police, five suspects between the ages of 15-18 arrived at the gas station and four entered the building while the other person remained behind the wheel.
Houston police officers say the four suspects who entered the store with face masks on began demanding customers’ belongings at gunpoint.
That’s when a 22-year-old customer inside the store pulled out his own firearm and began shooting at the suspects. The customer wasn’t injured in the incident, police said.
Gunfire was exchanged and three out of the four suspects were hit by bullets, HPD said…
Houston, Texas, April 15, 2023 (KTRK)
A stranger stepped in to help a man he witnessed being pistol-whipped by a suspected robber in southwest Houston Saturday night, according to police.
On Sunday, ABC13 learned that the suspect was wanted for murder out of Louisiana.
Investigators said the stranger saw the robbery as it was happening at a Chase Bank in the 10400 block of Westheimer Road.
A man pulled into the bank to withdraw money from the ATM when the armed suspect came around the corner and ordered him to hand over money, according to police.
Detectives said the victim reportedly began to comply until the suspect began to pistol-whip him.
That’s when police say someone driving by saw the crime happening and pulled out a gun to defend the victim.
The man shot the suspect in the leg and foot after several shots were fired. The suspect was taken to the hospital in stable condition, according to Houston police…
Goodyear, Arizona, April 17, 2023 (Arizona’s Family)
Officers were called out around 9:30 p.m. near 149th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard after family members witnessed 18-year-old Hassan Kamara and another person trying to break into a car. Police say Kamara pointed a gun at the homeowner, who was also armed. Investigators said the two shot at each other, and Kamara was hit. He was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. No one else was hurt…
Cleveland, Ohio, April 20, 2023 (Cleveland.com)
Police said Carson and a 38-year-old victim used Facebook Marketplace to strike a deal for a used Honda Civic and arranged to meet at an Olivet Avenue parking lot at 8 p.m. April 20. The seller went by the name Ron Gillard, the victim told police.
The victim, accompanied by a 35-year-old Cleveland man, arrived first. When the purported seller appeared, he parked the Civic on the other side of the lot, which the older victim thought was “weird,” according to a police report. He also noticed a Jeep Cherokee, parked nearby, which also looked suspicious, he told police.
The victim, who carried a holstered gun, instructed his companion to grab a 9mm firearm from his glove compartment. “Something didn’t feel right, and (he) believed they were going to get robbed,” the report states.
As the older victim walked toward the man calling himself Gillard, the Jeep pulled into the lot, and two or three men wearing all black emerged and raised guns in the air, police say. As the two victims drew their own firearms, the assailants began shooting, prompting the victims to return fire in self-defense, according to authorities.
The fake car dealer eventually fled in the Civic, while the assailants sped off in the Jeep, police say…
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, April 21, 2023 (CCX Media)
Brooklyn Park Police were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the 5800 block of 74 Avenue North, according to a community alert.
Responding officers found one man who had sustained a gunshot wound to the leg…
The shots were fired from a passing vehicle. The victim and another adult male returned fire…
Staff, “One Man Injured in Brooklyn Park Drive-By Shooting,” CCX Media, April 24, 2023.
Katy, Texas, April 22, 2023 (ABC 13)
Three men were hospitalized after an “unprovoked” triple shooting happened Saturday morning in west Harris County, according to deputies.
Harris County sheriff’s deputies responded to a shooting just after midnight in the 21000 block of Branford Hills Lane.
Investigators with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said two adult brothers and their next-door neighbor, who they’ve known for several years, were shot.
Sgt. John Klafka said the neighbor pulled out a gun without warning or reason and shot one of the brothers three times.
That’s when the other brother shot the neighbor, striking him twice, according to deputies. Investigators said he was also shot twice during the shootout…
“The neighbor was possibly suffering from some type of mental health issues,” Klafka said.
The man was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the initial shooting…
Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 22, 2023 (KOB)
The business in the International District hasn’t even opened up yet, and now it’s the site of an investigation from Albuquerque police – who are calling it a “justifiable homicide.” The business is near Zuni and San Mateo.
APD says early Saturday morning, the business owner shot and killed a man who allegedly had broken into their shop. Police have not identified that man…
According to the shop owner, there was a hole in the wall just big enough for a man to crawl through. So, one of the owners started sleeping at the store after the first break-in attempt.
He says he was woken up around 3 a.m. by an odd scratching sound coming from the side wall. Little did he know, a man had been tunneling his way through the wall. About an hour later the man broke through.
The shop owner says the man was waving a large hammer and an axe or a chisel when he stood up, and that was the moment he says he feared for his life.
He says he grabbed his gun and told the man to get out, or he will shoot. Instead of leaving the way he came in, the shop owner says the other man walked toward him swinging, so the shop owner opened fire and called the police…
Spencer Schacht, “Albuquerque business owner speaks out on fatal shooting,” KOB, April 23, 2023.
Crofton, Maryland, April 24, 2023 (Eye on Annapolis)
On Monday, April 24, 2023, at approximately 1:30 am, Anne Arundel County Police officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 900 block of Eastham Court in Crofton.
The victim advised he looked outside of his residence to see three suspects breaking into a blue 2022 Dodge Charger Hellcat.
The victim went downstairs to confront the suspects with his personal firearm, and one of the suspects turned and pointed a handgun at him. The victim fired at the suspect and turned to run back inside when he heard two more gunshots.
During their investigation, officers located two spent casings where the suspects were last seen fleeing. There were no reported physical injuries due to the shooting, and officers could not locate any vehicles or buildings struck by gunfire…
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 25, 2023 (NBC Philadelphia)
The 25-year-old man was walking along the intersection of 15th Street and 70th Avenue shortly before 7 p.m. when another man approached him and announced a robbery, police said.
The would-be robber then pulled out a gun and aimed it at the 25-year-old man, according to investigators.
The 25-year-old man, who police say has a permit to carry, then pulled out his own weapon and fired at least ten shots, according to investigators. The would-be robber was shot at least three times in the torso. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:23 p.m. Police have not yet determined his identity.
David Chang, “Man Kills Gunman Who Tried to Rob Him, Police Say,” NBC Philadelphia, April 25, 2023.
Oakland, California, April 27, 2023 (East Bay Times)
A neighborhood dispute Thursday night in the Upper Dimond district led to a 22-year-old man stabbing his 25-year-old neighbor before the knife wielder was shot by another person, authorities said…
The violence happened about 11:20 p.m. Thursday outside in the 3800 block of Midvale Avenue near 35th Avenue.
Police said two neighbors had been in a dispute that escalated physically and violently. Police have not confirmed what the dispute was about or how long it had been going on.
There were some other people present, including a man who then shot the 22-year-old man in the chest before fleeing the scene, police said. Police have not yet said if the gunman knew either of the neighbors…
Kingsland, Georgia, April 28, 2023 (WJXT)
A police chase spanning two states and five counties came to an end when a Georgia store clerk shot the suspect eight times.
The incident began Friday just north of Orlando, Fla. and ended in Kingsland, Ga.
Investigators say it started when Quinntavus Kwame Jordan, 32, robbed a Shell gas station in Flagler County, taking $90 in cash…
Jordan’s car was spotted traveling north on I-95. He was followed until he passed into Georgia…
The Kingsland Police Department used a stop stick to end the chase. But then Jordan ran to a nearby Friendly Express, taking the clerk’s car keys and then the vehicle.
Authorities say he tried to leave but crashed the car into the front of the store.
A fight ensued with the clerk, leading to the clerk shooting Jordan several times…
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly released a statement which read, “I commend the Georgia store clerk that put a swift end to this dirtbag’s crime spree. If he survives his injuries, he should spend a long time in prison.”
Chicago, Illinois, April 29, 2023 (FOX 32 Chicago)
Police say the victim was in the 5600 block of South Elizabeth Street around 9 p.m. when two unidentified males approached him as he got out of his car.
The victim told officers that one of the offenders pulled a gun and demanded his personal belongings.
The victim, who is a licensed conceal carry holder, exchanged gunfire with the robbers…
New Orleans, Louisiana, April 30, 2023 (FOX 8 Live)
Two juvenile boys attempting an armed holdup got more than they bargained for Sunday afternoon (April 30) when each was shot and wounded before being arrested, New Orleans police said.
Each of the boys — 13 and 11 years of age — was shot in the leg, and the wounds were not considered life-threatening, police said. Two alleged accomplices — a 16-year-old boy and 15-year-old boy — also were arrested after crashing a red SUV being used as their getaway vehicle.
The SUV was reported stolen earlier Sunday and had been used in an attempted robbery and an armed carjacking earlier, police said.
The crime spree came to an end when the intended victim of another armed robbery pulled his own gun and shot the boys around 3:57 p.m. in the 4900 block of Eastern Street in Gentilly…
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 30, 2023 (NBC Philadelphia)
A Philadelphia store owner shot an armed robber who stole from his business Sunday afternoon, police said.
The 20-year-old armed suspect entered a convenience store along the 4900 block of L Street at 12:01 p.m. and stole an undisclosed amount of cash, police said. As the robber fled the scene, the store owner pulled out his own gun and fired at him, police said.
The robbery suspect was later found by police inside a vehicle on K Street and Hunting Park Avenue suffering from a gunshot wound to his right leg. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition. He was later taken into police custody…
David Chang, “Philly Store Owner Shoots Armed Robber, Police Say,” NBC Philadelphia, April 30, 2023.
