In this day in age, when debates about gun control can be seen just about everywhere, it’s important for people to see that guns really can save lives. Here are 19 people who used their fast-thinking and personal defense firearms to save their own lives, or the lives of other innocent people.
Former cop and volunteer security worker, Jeanna Assam, was a genuine hero at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2007. A shooter opened fire on a crowd of thousands as they were leaving Sunday mass. As everyone ran in the opposite direction of the shooter, Assam ran towards the gunshots, fired her weapon and killed the shooter, saving an incredible number of lives.
Alton Nolen from Moore, Oklahoma has been charged with first-degree murder in the vicious beheading of an employee at Vaughan Foods. His attack would have been much worse, though, if it wasn’t for Mark Vaughan, a man who worked as a reserve sheriff’s deputy and the chief operating officer of the company, who used his personal firearm to injure Nolen during his attack.
Two men opened fire on the outside of a Prophet Muhammed cartoon drawing contest in 2015 in Garland, Texas. Thanks to the quick response of the security staff and police officers at the event, they prevented any deaths from occurring, except for those of the two shooters.
A student shooter opened fire at Price Middle School in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2013. Despite having wounded one student already, the shooter was soon disarmed by an armed guard stationed at the school.
In Blanchard, Oklahoma, a young mother saved the lives of her baby and herself. Shortly after Sarah McKinley’s husband died from lung cancer in 2012, an intruder with a knife attempted to make their way into Sarah’s mobile home. Immediately after the break-in, Sarah grabbed her gun and fired, killing one of the suspects and scaring off the other.
While at an Internet cafe in Florida in 2012, the 71-year-old man saved the lives of many people. As soon as the gunmen entered the cafe, Samuel Williams took out his gun and scared the suspects away, saving the day.
In 2010, a 69-year-old grandmother protected herself in her Alabama home. Once the burglar broke into her home, Ethel Jones fired three shots, which wounded the intruder and scared him off. The suspect was arrested later on by the police.
While an intruder entered their home, a 14-year-old boy saved himself and his younger siblings in 2012. Once the intruder entered the home and pointed a gun at the children, who ranged in ages from 14 to 8, the 14-year-old boy fired a weapon, which put the intruder into the hospital.
After two intruders broke into her home in Ashtabula, Ohio, a pregnant mother of two saved the lives of her children and herself. Once the mother refused to let the intruders into her home, they broke into her back door. As they attempted to climb her stairs, the mother fired her weapon in their direction, hitting one of the intruders and scaring them both off.
In 2006, a robber was shot by an employee at Media Madhouse in Indiana. The suspect walked into the building, held a gun to an employee and demanded money. While this was happening, another employee reacted by shooting the suspect with their weapon, saving the lives of the customers, as well as the employees.
In 2013, 72-year-old Jan Cooper saved her own life, as well as the life of her 85-year-old wheelchair-confined husband, who is a World War II veteran. As a man was attempting to break into their home in Southern California, Copper grabbed her .356 Magnum Smith and Wesson revolver, fired one shot and scared off the burglar.
Robert Rodriguez woke up next to his wife after hearing a noise while they were sleeping. An intruder had made his way into their home in Austin, Texas, but Robert, who is a former sheriff’s deputy, wasn’t playing around. He took out his gun and held the intruder at gunpoint until the authorities showed up.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a woman stood beside her daughter to defend their family-owned liquor store when an armed robber walked into their store in an attempt to rob them. Using quick thinking, the mother and daughter team used their personal firearms to protect each other and their store. They managed to shoot the robber in the leg, while they both walked away unharmed.
Dave Thomas from Oswego, Illinois was minding his own business when he noticed that a man was stabbing someone outside of his home. He immediately ran into his house and grabbed his AR-15 rifle, which he used to scare off the attacker. The assailant got away but was eventually caught and arrested by the police.
In 2016, a 22-year-old woman was followed to her car outside of a Dollar Tree in Oklahoma City. As the men threatened to rob her, the young woman pulled out her gun, which caused them to turn around and run in the opposite direction.
In 2007, Sulejman Talovic walked into Trolley Square Mall in Salt Lake City with a shotgun and backpack full of ammunition. Luckily, off-duty police officer Kenneth Hammond was at the mall at the same time. Unfortunately, the gunman shot and killed five people, but thanks to Hammond and another officer, Talovic was shot and killed, preventing even more unnecessary killings.
The 23-year-old combat veteran, Craig Everette, was visiting his aunt and her boyfriend when he needed to use his quick-thinking to get everyone out of a life-threatening situation. His aunt’s hostile husband came to the home and began shooting his gun. Everette quickly ran outside, got his gun and gear, and ran back into the home, where he eventually shot the man to death.
When a 17-year-old girl was taken hostage in front of her home, her parent’s quick judgment saved her life. As the girl was walking to her car, two men approached her with guns and told her to go inside. Luckily, her parents were watching from inside the house. They both grabbed their guns and confronted the men, causing them to shoot their guns in defense.
As the woman clutched her purse, she was being dragged across a Texas parking lot in a mugging attempt. Fortunately, there was a stranger nearby who was carrying their concealed firearm. They joined in on the situation and held the man and woman at gunpoint until the police showed up.
