Where are you safe? Home? Work? While driving? Are you armed?

Our homes, our place of work, and our car feel safe today because nothing happened there yesterday. These honest citizens were prepared even where they thought they were our of danger. Again in recent weeks, these honest gun owners saved their lives and the lives of others.

The longer discussion of what we might want to do is on the Self Defense Gun Stories webpage. For now, here are the stories and the links to the original news sources. How will you protect the people you love?

Ann Arbor, Michigan: elderly man at home

You are a 77-year-old man at home on a Wednesday evening. It is 6 p.m. when you hear the sound of breaking glass and the sound of someone moving around your home. You’re armed. You walk toward the noise. You see someone standing in the center of your kitchen and you shout for him to stop.

The intruder moves toward you. You present your firearm and shoot your intruder until he turns away. The intruder runs back toward the kitchen window the way he entered your home. He leaves headfirst.

You call 911 and ask for the police. You put your firearm away when the police arrive. You give the officers a brief statement and show them what happened. They find a bullet hole in the kitchen wall. You missed your attacker even though he was only 5 yards away from you.

You are not charged with a crime.

Edinburg, Texas: mom with children at home

You are a mom at home with your children on Tuesday evening. It is about 9 p.m. when you hear someone break into your home through the garage. You gather your children with you in your bedroom and you lock the bedroom door. You grab your gun and your phone. You call 911 and ask for help.

The intruder tries to get into your bedroom. You shout that you’re armed. You tell him that you’ve called the police. The intruder bangs against your door again and you shoot your door near the doorknob. Now your intruder runs away.

You stay on the call with the police dispatcher. You put your gun away when the police arrive. The news stories aren’t clear how the police entered your home. You give the officers a brief statement. The police find your attacker about a hundred yards away from your home with a gunshot wound on his left arm.

Your attacker is taken to jail and booked on charges of burglary of a habitation. His bond is set at $750,000. Later, you saw his mugshot in the news from a prior arrest. His head and neck are covered in tattoos.

You are not charged with a crime, and your children are uninjured.

New Orleans, Louisiana: store employee at work

You are working behind the counter at a Dollar General store. A man comes up to the cash register. You scan the item and the man argues about the price. He tells you to come outside and he’ll beat you up. You stay inside the store. The customer walks to the door and then turns around with a gun in his hand. He points his gun at you.

You’re armed, too. You present your firearm and shoot your attacker in the chest. He runs outside. He crawls into his car and drives away. You stay at the scene and call 911. You give the police a brief statement, and other witnesses tell the police what happened as well.

Your attacker crashed his car on the way to the hospital. Another driver delivered him to the emergency room. Your attacker was in critical condition for several days. He says he doesn’t remember being shot.

Your attacker was taken from the hospital and charged with aggravated assault with a gun and possession of a gun by a convicted felon. He is held on a $95,000 bond.

You are not charged.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: young woman on the road

You are a 27-year-old woman. You’re driving through downtown traffic on a Wednesday. It is about 5:30 when a stranger runs up to the passenger side of your car. He smashes the passenger-side rear window with a crowbar.

You’re armed. You shoot your attacker. He runs back to his car and drives off. You drive to your relatives' house nearby. Now you feel safe enough to call the police. You show the police your identification and your carry permit. You show them the crowbar in the back seat of your car. The police find one shell casing from your firearm inside your car. You give the police a brief statement that describes what happened.

Police find your attacker at a nearby intersection. The woman who was driving with him ran from the scene. EMTs take your attacker to a nearby hospital with a single gunshot wound to the groin.

You are not charged with a crime.

Crime can happen anywhere and at any time. Please protect yourself and the people you love.

What can you do now to be safer later?

Rob Morse writes about gun rights at Ammoland, at Clash Daily, at Second Call Defense, and on his SlowFacts blog. He hosts the Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast and co-hosts the Polite Society Podcast. Rob was an NRA pistol instructor and combat handgun competitor. Republished with permission.