As reported, a pair of armed robbers entered the Central Pawn West pawn shop in Phoenix, AZ at about 11AM on Sunday, intending to rob it. One of the robbers entered the store and pointed a gun at the throat of a 15 year old employee, threatening his life. The owner of the store saw the robbery unfolding, and grabbed his own gun. The owner then opened fire on the robbers, hitting one of them in the face and leaving him in “extremely critical” condition. The other robber fled, and is being sought by police, who know his license plate number. Neither the store owner nor the 15 year old employee were harmed.
Once again, guns are a valuable self defense tool. Unarmed individuals can suffer a terrible fate when a criminal robs them, even if they fully cooperate with the criminal’s demands. The same is true for those who try to run from the robber. However, when crime victims are armed, they are often able to defend themselves. This armed barber shot an armed criminal who threatened him and his son, saving their lives. This armed pet shop clerk shot an armed robber who threatened a fellow employee’s life, as well as his own life, preventing them both from being stabbed. This armed pizza delivery man defended himself against 3 armed robbers, and walked away unharmed. This armed citizen stopped a bank robber, while this armed Israeli citizen stopped a terrorist. Indeed, studies show that armed citizens stop criminals millions of times each year.
Those who oppose armed self defense should also note the many cases like this, where a law abiding citizen uses their gun for self defense in a busy area, and not one bystander is endangered. Remember, statistics show that armed citizens are less likely than the police to shoot the wrong person.