Concealed Carry and Self-Defense in Illinois Caught on Camera

It is something that seems to be catching on in Illinois. CCL holder shoots attempted armed robber at Orland Park gas station

A Concealed Carry License holder shot an armed person during an attempted robbery at a gas station in Orland Park on Tuesday morning, police said.

Orland Park, Illinois, is about a 25 mile drive southwest of downtown Chicago.

Surveillance cameras caught video of a man dressed in black with a mask and a gun walking to a set of pumps where another man was already putting gas into his Acura on the driver's side. The would-be thief approaches with a gun, but the car owner puts his right hand to his back waistband for a moment, then pulls out a gun of his own and fires.

The would be bad guy was injured, and ran away. Cops caught up with him, and they took him to a local hospital. No word on his condition, or any charges were released.

The Concealed Carry License holder is working with police.

Neighbors were shocked. Watch the video for that statement. (Note: You are not protected by your zip code.)

The owner of the gas station made a statement, that is both in the article and the video, basically in support of self-defense. The reporter didn't even seem to choke on it.

Here is the news story video CCL holder shoots attempted armed robber at Orland Park gas station

911 Transcripts of Self-Defense Incident in Mobile

He had every chance to walk away. He didn't walk away. ‘My husband had to shoot’: 911 calls detail moments homeowner shot intruder

First, he tried to break into a business owner.

The [business owner] tells the operator, “He was just climbing at the top of our barbed wire getting in when I saw him.”

The business owner, who did not want to be identified, tells me his surveillance cameras captured Lee’s “odd” behavior around 9:13.

Six minutes later, a 911 call was received from a homeowner, saying that someone was breaking into their home.

At 9:19, the homeowner’s wife calls 911, saying “There’s somebody trying to break into my house.”

When the operator asks if she knows the person, she responds, “No! I don’t know the person. My husband is armed and he is trying to get the person to leave. He is knocking at our window.”

The sound of glass breaking, is followed by the sound of a gunshot.

The case is going before a grand jury, though no one was arrested. I don't know how common that is in Alabama. I do know that in some states, Texas comes to mind, that every homicide is presented to a grand jury. Alabama has long history of recognizing the right to defend yourself, and your family.

Self-defense is a human right.

First He Got Shot, Then He Was Sentenced

This looks like actual Justice in Chicago. Garbage collector shot 2 robbers outside Chicago school; the one who survived is now sentenced to 8 years - CWB Chicago

Chicago seems to be warming up to the idea of legal self-defense.

A garbage collector shot two men who tried to rob him outside a Chicago charter school last year, killing one and wounding the other. On Monday, the surviving robber, a Hammond, Indiana, man, received an eight-year sentence.

The intended victim is a concealed carry license holder. When two guys thought it would be good to rob him, he showed them the error of their ways.

If you click thru there is security camera video that captures the moment of the ambush attack, and the garbage collector defending himself. It comes with the usual, Life is messy trigger warning/discretion advised warning.

The new, or maybe not-so-new State's Attorney in Chicago (2 years, maybe 3 now) seems to have a much better attitude about actually punishing criminals than Kim Foxx ever did.

They Ran Like Rabbits

They may learn from this experience. Homeowner shoots, grazes suspect during reported Jefferson County break-in - WVTM

A Jefferson County man fired a shot during a confrontation with two men who allegedly broke into his home Monday, grazing one of the suspects before both left the scene, authorities said.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded Sept. 7, 2026, to the 2400 block of 1st Place NW after a report of a person down. The victim told deputies that two men had entered his home and refused to leave when he confronted them.

They refused to leave before a firearm entered the conversation, then they left. One was apparently injured before they left.

Jefferson County, Alabama is home to Birmingham. It is about 130 miles west of Atlanta, Georgia, about 120 miles southwest of Chattanooga, Tennessee, or about 70 miles northeast of Mobile, Alabama.

The two would-be, bad guys were arrested a short time later. Both were held on charges of second-degree burglary, and harassment. The guy driving the car was also charged with Driving Under the Influence.

Good Guys 2, Bad Guys 0.

He Suffered a Failure of the Victim-Selection Process

He broke into an occupied dwelling in Alabama. Did he not expect to find an armed homeowner? From USA Carry: Mobile Homeowner Shoots and Kills Man Who Broke In Through a Window at 9:15 at Night, Police Say - USA Carry

A man broke into a Calgary Drive home through a window around 9:15 at night and the homeowner shot and killed him, according to the Mobile Police Department.

There is a homicide investigation going on, as there always is, but no charges have been brought against the homeowner, because Alabama is not Massachusetts.

Police are working the death as a homicide investigation. That word alarms people, and it should not. Every death by gunfire gets that label at the front end, including the ones that end with no charges at all. It describes the category of investigation, not a conclusion about the person who fired.

There are "news articles" on this incident from the local press, but they seem to be jumping to conclusions (Professional Journalists™ do that) about the word "homicide."

Self-defense is a human right.

Don't Get Involved in Road Rage

Road Rage never works out in your favor. In anyone's favor. Self-defense claim under investigation after I-24 shooting injures driver in Nashville

Hayden Foster, 36, from Alabama, told police that after he passed Perez on the interstate, Perez started following close behind and flashing his lights.

As vehicles arrived in Nashville, both stopped in the far left lane near Spring Street and Foster said Perez got out of a Honda CRV and walked toward his pickup truck with his right hand kept behind his back.

Foster shot several rounds, and drove a short distance before stopping and calling police. Perez drove himself to a hospital, and was then taken to a trauma center.

Police took a .22 caliber handgun from Foster, and found a knife on the ground near where the shooting took place.

A .22 caliber pistol wouldn't be my first choice, if they are talking about .22 LR, but they don't specify exactly what cartridge was involved. Is .223 considered .22 caliber? After all, .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire is built around .224 bullets. I'm sure Professional Journalists™ would call a .223 pistol an evil assault rifle, even if it was a pistol. As for the choice of caliber... to each his own. (5.7mm is .2244 inches)

After talking with the District Attorney's Office, police decided not to press charges for now while the investigation continues.

Self-defense is a human right, and this took place in Nashville, Tennessee, not anywhere in Massachusetts. I'm going to call this Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0.

What Violent Encounters Might You Need to Survive?

Light Over Heat with Professor David Yamane has a post about how you train, and what you look for. “When You Are Called on to Change History” - Gabe Suarez's training and Jordan Salinas's response in Twin Falls

As noted in yesterday’s post, Who Did It, With What, and Where? Playing “Tactical Clue” in the Civilian Gun Training Industry, rather than imagining the typical counter-ambush (defensive) scenario in his gun training classes, Gabe Suarez suggests students prepare mentally and physically for a counter-terrorist (offensive) scenario.

That post is at this link: Who Did It, With What, and Where? Playing “Tactical Clue” in the Civilian Gun Training Industry

In that post I love the quote:

“We live in a time of war,” Suarez tells his students. We never know when we will be sitting around, minding our own business, and then hear, “Aloha snack bar!”

That is essentially the position Jordan Salinas found himself in. He was minding his own business and suddenly he was in the middle of a mass shooting incident.

But back to the current post/first link above.

In terms of the civilian gun training industry, the final part of Suarez’s Pistol Gunfighting School completes the paradigm shift from Tactical Clue 1997 — the old Modern Technique of the (Defensive) Pistol — to Tactical Clue 2017 — the New Modern Technique of the (Offensive) Pistol.

Click thru for the details.

I have much to think about. My "self-defense" strategy is firmly in that 1997 paradigm, as described by Professor Yamane. Click thru and read both links. And you should be reading the Professor's writing; it is worth the time.

More on a Self-Defense Incident from Late August

It is always worth revisiting an incident when Colion Noir covers an incident. I covered this on 1 September, see the link below.

This is Colion Noir's video He Broke Into The Wrong House At 2 A.M.. It is a video, mostly, about dealing with the aftermath.

In the moment, you did the only thing you could do. Somebody's coming through a locked door at 2 in the morning. You don't know who it is. You don't know what he wants. And you've got about a second and a half to decide whether your family sees the sun come up. So, you decide, and then the deputies leave and the tape comes down, and you're standing in the same kitchen, the same hallway, the same entryway where it happened. And you realize you have to go to bed tonight in that house and tomorrow night and every night after that.

The video is just under 7 minutes.

Here is a link to my 1 Sept. post: Most People Call this Breaking and Entering

Texans Are Still Armed

Home Invaders are still getting shot. 1 dead, 1 hospitalized after East Side home invasion shooting, SAPD says

This incident took place in San Antonio, Texas.

Police believe the encounter stemmed from a home invasion attempt near Lamar and St. Charles Street, where the homeowner exchanged gunfire with two suspects.

One would-be bad guy was shot, fled to a home, where police caught up to him, and he was pronounced dead at that house. The other would-be bad guy ran like a rabbit.

The homeowner was also shot, and he was taken to a local hospital. Being armed in your own defense is not a guarantee of safety. It is a strategy for dealing with a violent encounter.

Self-defense is a human right.

Don't Bring a Knife to a Gunfight

A Good Guy with a gun stops a bank robber. Armed witness shoots bank robbery suspect in Cedar Hill | FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth

Upon arriving at the scene, police determined an individual had entered the bank with a knife and demanded money from bank employees.

That was when an armed bystander, drew a gun and fired. The would-be bad guy ran from the bank.

Police located the guy, provided aid, and had him transported to a local hospital. He did not survive.

Because it is a bank robbery, the FBI is part of the investigation, but no one has been arrested.

The shooter is cooperating with the investigation.

Cedar Hill, Texas, is roughly 15 miles southwest of downtown Dallas.

Self-defense is a human right. And this took place in Texas.

Legal Self-Defense During April 2026

The Crime Prevention Research Center is creating lists of self-defense incidents. Defensive Gun Uses By People Legally Carrying Guns: 28 Cases During April 2026

This list creation has been going on for a while. I have covered a few of them, but you can find all the info at their sight.

It is useful to have lists of incidents of legal self-defense. This is because the anti-gun part of the Left loves to say that self-defense doesn't happen.

From April 1st in Texas, to April 30th, also in Texas, click thru for the details. Share these lists with the people who don't believe armed self-defense ever happens, or who ask you why you think you need a gun.

Arizona Homeowners Are Heavily Armed

Bad guys keep ignoring that fact. You could also say he suffered a breakdown of the victim-selection process. Saint David resident shoots, kills man outside his home after reported burglary | KVOA

The homeowner told deputies that after entering the main living area of the home, he observed a shadow near a window in which it appeared as if someone was attempting to gain entry. The homeowner told deputies that he was armed and fired his weapon, apparently striking the individual attempting to enter the residence.

Police arrived on the scene to find a person unresponsive near a window. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Saint David, Arizona, is about a 55 mile drive southeast of Tuscon.

"This is an active and ongoing investigation, and our detectives are working diligently to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident," Sheriff Mark Dannels said. "While we understand there will be questions and speculation, it is important that we allow our investigators to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation before conclusions are drawn."

Self-defense is a human right, and Arizona has a history of recognizing it as a legal right.

Most People Call this Breaking and Entering

Professional Journalists™ (so called) don't like to disparage "teens." The Left will count this as a "teen, tragically shot," even if it is ruled to be justified self-defense. Oh, and he was a legal adult. Deputies: Teen shot and killed after entering someone else's home early Sunday - WYFF

Based on preliminary interviews and evidence gathered at the scene, investigators determined that the deceased individual had entered the residence during the early morning hours. The homeowner encountered the individual inside the residence and fired a weapon, striking the individual, who the Coroner's Office identified as 19-year-old Xavier Felix Rivera-Goucher from Campobello.

That he was 19-years-old does technically qualify as his being a teenager, but it also means he was a legal adult.

So how would you respond to a legal adult, who you don't know, in your home during "early morning hours?"

Chesnee, South Carolina, is about 55 miles west-southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina, or about 170 miles northeast of Atlanta, Georgia.

At this time, no charges have been filed. The investigation remains active.

Self-defense is a human right.

Self-Defense Is Legal in Georgia

But then I thought it was. Judge dismisses charges in Decatur Library shooting, rules shooter acted in self-defense - On Common Ground News - 24/7 local news

DeKalb County Superior Court Chief Judge Shondeana C. Morris ruled that Medicus Brown, 44, acted in self-defense in the shooting that took place on Feb. 2 at the Decatur Library, loThe Decatur Library, located at 215 Sycamore St. in downtown Decatur.

The 5 p.m. shooting at DeKalb County’s main library branch sent shockwaves through the community and prompted the temporary closure of the library as officials assessed the incident.

Decatur, Georgia is about a 5 mile drive east-northeast of downtown Atlanta.

Details of the case seem to indicate that this charge should never have been brought. There were 5 witnesses called in the hearing, and they all agreed on what was going on.

The librarian, library security guard and the library patron testified that the victim had Brown in a chokehold just prior to the shooting. They also testified that Brown appeared to be in imminent danger of receiving a serious injury or death.

So why did the grand jury bring charges? Because Prosecutors hate self-defense, and they control everything a grand jury sees about a case.

The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office said it does not plan to appeal the ruling or seek additional charges in connection with the shooting.

Translation: One loss is enough.

Self-Defense Is Legal in Florida

University Professors hate that. Judge dismisses murder charge in DJ Shy Guy killing under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law

First the case in question.

A judge has dismissed the second-degree murder charge against a man who admitted shooting and killing Tampa DJ Dedrick Sykes during a traffic confrontation in Ybor City.

The judge ruled Joel Moreno Cobo acted in self-defense under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law when he shot Sykes, known professionally as DJ Shy Guy, in November 2025.

Ybor City is a neighborhood in Tampa, Florida.

As for the university professor...

Elizabeth Berenguer, a professor at Stetson University College of Law who has written several scholarly articles about Stand Your Ground, said the phrase describes multiple interconnected Florida laws.

The most familiar part eliminates the duty to retreat. A person who is somewhere they have a legal right to be does not have to try to escape before using force in response to a perceived threat.

While I have not looked at Florida, in general the Duty to Retreat was invented by the courts. No legislature ever passed such a law. (See below.)

Stetson University is in DeLand, Florida, which is in the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area, on the Atlantic coast of Florida. Deland, Florida, is about a 40 mile drive north of Orlando.

As for The Duty to Retreat: Consider the case Runyan v. State, Indiana Supreme Court May of 1877

Indeed, the tendency of the American mind seems to be very strongly against the enforcement of any rule which requires a person to flee when assailed, to avoid chastisement or even to save human life, and that tendency is well illustrated by the recent decisions of our courts, bearing on the general subject of the right of self-defence.

It seems like the Left is gearing up for a fight on Stand Your Ground. I've seen a few stories like this in the recent past.

Prosecutor Hates Self-Defense

Is anyone shocked? Self-defense cases rise in Jackson County; prosecutor wants reform

Jackson County, Missouri, in the extreme western part of the state, and it is home to Kansas City, Missouri.

Missouri has a stand your ground law.

Prosecutor Johnson's office declined to charge in 12 cases in July and 46 for the year, citing self-defense statutes.

Is it perfect? Of course not. Justice is blind, because it is not perfect.

"More people in our community are using force, very often deadly, and feeling justified in doing so," Johnson said. "It is not our goal to remove anyone's guns from their home or possession. We are just trying to limit instances in which deadly force is justified in our community."

They don't want to remove the guns. They want to remove your ability to defend yourself. (Hat tip to Keep And Bear Arms.)

California Homeowner Disarms Home Invader

Self-defense rests on attitude, and it sounds like this guy had it in buckets. California Home Invader Disarmed by Resident, Killed With Own Gun

In the San Francisco area, not only did the gun control laws they love so much fail to keep a teenager disarmed, but his lack of knowledge led to fatal consequences for him.

This incident took place in Fremont, California, which is in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. Fremont is about a 15 mile drive north of San Jose, and about 25 mile drive south of Oakland.

The residents suffered "non-life-threatening injuries." In other words, it sounds like they got banged up in the altercation, but are otherwise fine.

Good on them, too.

While this sounds like a completely justifiable case of self-defense to me, I am not the prosecuting attorney in Alameda County, California. I have no idea how the prosecutor in that corner of the Bay Area feels about self-defense.

Self-defense is a human right.

Anti-Gunners Claim the CDC is Wrong

Why? Because it doesn't support their narrative. What happened to "Trust the Science™?" Anti-gunners hilariously claim the CDC is wrong, the Gun Violence Archive is right

Who are The Gun Violence Archive (GVA), and its executive director Mark Bryant?

You’ll remember GVA, Mr. Bryant and his faulty numbers. He claimed there were 417 mass shootings in 2019. The FBI says there were 30, because it uses a much narrower and more realistic definition.

Lies, Damn lies, and Liberal, anti-gunner statistics.

Click thru for the web of lies, the web of organizations all tied to The Trace, and Bloomberg, and more.

Revisiting a Self-Defense Incident in Fort Worth

While I covered this incident a few days back, it is worth revisiting. 1 dead, 1 hospitalized after men exchange gunfire at Fort Worth home, police say

You can click thru for details.

I have said many times that if you need a court order of protection, often called a restraining order, then you also need a plan for your personal safety. Here is a quote from the video below:

Somewhere in a courthouse in Tarant County, there's a file. And in that file, there's an order. And on that order, there is a judge's signature. And that signature did exactly as much work as the toner it was printed with. Because an order is a request in a serious font.

There is at least one, and maybe two, rulings from SCOTUS that states clearly the police have no duty to protect you. No, not even if you have an order of protection.

This is Colion Noir's video Protective Orders Are Not A Self-Defense Plan

A judge just signed a piece of paper telling a man to stay away from another man's property. And the man read the paper and then showed up anyway.

The video is 7 minutes.

Here is a link to my previous post

Legal Defensive Gun Use in March

From The Crime Prevention Research Center: Defensive Gun Uses By People Legally Carrying Guns: 24 Cases During March 2026 - Crime Prevention Research Center

The CPRC has been publishing lists of legal self-defense incidents.

From Harlingen, Texas, on March 3rd, through North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, on March 29th.