As reported, an armed robber in Opelika, Alabama approached a citizen and demanded money, while threatening that citizen’s life. The citizen drew his own handgun, and opened fire on the armed criminal, striking him in the buttocks. The would-be victim was unharmed, and the armed robber was taken to the East Alabama Medical Center, were he is being treated (and detained).
Survey evidence shows that gun ownership in Alabama is quite high, and crime is low. While there are many factors that determine crime rates, having citizens who can stop a criminal right away, and help ensure that the criminal is taken off the street – either to a hospital, a jail, or a morgue – is certainly a crime reducing factor.
Unfortunately, some parts of the United States insist upon clinging to their handgun bans, despite decades of proof that criminals who are willing to commit armed robbery or other serious crimes are just as willing to break the law that says they can’t have a gun.