By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
The Washington Examiner is reporting on several self-defense cases in 2023, described as reminders to would-be “murderers, thieves, and sexual offenders” about the importance of the Second Amendment and why the Founding Fathers included it in the Bill of Rights.
It is a treatise on some notable incidents in which armed private citizens defended themselves, their loved ones and their homes over the past 12 months.
There are anecdotes about the shooting of a would-be carjacker at a Houston gas station, the Washington farmer who held a couple of burglars at gunpoint until sheriff’s deputies arrived, and the expectant mom who shot a thug after he attacked her husband inside the family’s garage.
A look at some of the news files by TGM also revealed other self-defense incidents worthy of note.
Last November’s fatal shooting in Reed Springs, Mo., was ruled justified by investigators in Stone County. According to the Springfield News Leader, a man identified as Michael A. Ruhde was killed after “violently invading” a private residence, where the homeowner shot him.
Ruhde was reported under the influence of methamphetamine at the time, and when he forced his way into the home, the owner’s wife called police while the homeowner tried to keep the suspect at bay. There was a physical confrontation and the homeowner fired, fatally-wounding Ruhde.
Investigators in Minnesota concluded that a shooting in a Minneapolis homeless camp because they believe the shooter “acted in self-defense,” according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The man who was killed was identified as Tyrone J. Mohr after he reportedly started a fight. The newspaper says Mohr attacked the man and allegedly waved a gun at him, according to witnesses. However, the shooter still faces charges for apparently violating a domestic abuse non-contact order and providing police with a fake name.
And in South Carolina, WYRD in Spartanburg is reporting that authorities will apparently not file charges in the shooting death of a man who was involved in a confrontation with a homeowner. Spartanburg County sheriff’s deputies found the man with two gunshot wounds outside of a residence where the incident occurred.
The Washington Examiner article also mentioned a November case in California where a pair of thugs broke into a Los Angeles home “while the homeowner’s wife and 5-month-old infant were inside.” The two armed intruders were quickly confronted by the armed homeowner, who opened fire, sending the suspects fleeing.
According to the Crime Prevention Research Center, there are somewhere around 21 million-plus legally-armed citizens across the country who are licensed to carry. However, the CPRC notes that the permitless carry laws now in force in 27 states actually mean more people are legally armed, without a permit or license.
State laws vary on the use of force in self-defense, with some states recognizing there is no duty to retreat, while other states do require an effort to retreat.
