The phrase “good guy with a gun” is often debated, criticized, or dismissed as a slogan. Yet across the United States, documented incidents show ordinary citizens—lawfully armed, acting under extreme stress—intervening to stop violent attackers and save lives. 

These cases are not arguments in themselves. They are real-world events recorded by law enforcement and journalists, each showing how armed resistance has, at times, abruptly ended mass-casualty threats. It shows how responsible carry practices can make a real difference in an active shooter scenario. 

What follows is a factual listing of a dozen documented occurrences, with sources, where a good guy (or gal) with a gun—a handgun or rifle—stopped a bad guy with a gun. Each incident comes from mainstream reporting or encyclopedic documentation. The goal here is not glorification but clarity: to examine what actually happened, how quickly events unfolded, and the impact of armed intervention on the outcome.

Good Guy With A Gun 1: Greenwood Park Mall (Indiana, 2022)

In July of 2022, a mass shooting began inside the food court at the Greenwood Park Mall, just south of Indianapolis. The shooter was armed with a rifle and several magazines and opened fire on shoppers in a crowded public space.

Within seconds, a legally armed civilian shopper responded. From a significant distance, he drew his handgun and engaged the shooter, striking and killing him. Police later confirmed the attacker had fired dozens of rounds and was in a position to continue killing indiscriminately.

Law enforcement officials publicly described the civilian’s actions as heroic, noting that the rapid intervention almost certainly prevented additional deaths. The entire confrontation lasted less than two minutes—underscoring how quickly mass shootings can unfold and how decisive resistance can end them.

Instance 2: Turnberry Towers Lobby Shooting (Las Vegas, 2023)

In 2023, a rifle-armed attacker wearing a helmet approached Turnberry Towers, a high-rise residential complex in Las Vegas. He shot out the front glass doors and attempted to enter the lobby.

He did not anticipate that the front desk attendant held a concealed carry permit. As the attacker stepped inside, the attendant immediately drew his handgun and fired, stopping the attacker before he could advance further into the building.

Police later confirmed the attacker’s rifle had malfunctioned, but emphasized that the defender’s immediate response was critical. The shooting was over almost as soon as it began, with no residents harmed.

Good Guy With A Gun 3: Crosspoint Church Shooting (Michigan, 2025)

In 2025, a gunman opened fire with a rifle at Crosspoint Church in Michigan, aiming at people in the parking lot during a church service.

A church deacon acted right away, using his truck to hit the attacker and stop the attack. This action knocked the gunman off balance. At that point, an armed volunteer security guard from the church closed the gap and shot the attacker, killing him.

The coordinated actions, first with a car and then with a gun, stopped the attack. This prevented the gunman from entering a church, where dozens of other lives were in danger.

Instance 4: Aldi Grocery Store Robbery (Wisconsin, 2012)

An Aldi grocery store in Milwaukee was the scene of an armed robbery in 2012. The suspect pulled out a gun and threatened both customers and employees of the store.

A shopper who was legally carrying a hidden gun pulled it out and shot the armed robber, ending the threat right away. After getting medical care, the suspect was arrested.

No one else was hurt, and investigators found that the armed customer acted lawfully to protect himself and others during a violent crime that was about to happen.

Good Guy With A Gun 5: West Freeway Church of Christ (Texas, 2019)

On December 29, 2019, a man named Keith Thomas Kinnunen entered the West Freeway Church of Christ in Texas carrying a shotgun concealed under a coat. During the service, he opened fire, killing two parishioners.

Within six seconds, Jack Wilson—a 71-year-old volunteer security team member—drew his handgun. He fired a single, precise shot from across the sanctuary, killing the attacker.

The church credited its security program, established years earlier, with preventing what could have become a far deadlier massacre.

Good Gal With A Gun 6: New Life Church Shooting (Colorado, 2007)

In December 2007, a heavily armed attacker launched a coordinated assault that included multiple locations before arriving at New Life Church in Colorado. He opened fire outside and inside the church, killing two people.

A female member of the church’s volunteer security team engaged the attacker with her handgun. She struck him repeatedly and stopped the attack. The gunman later died of his wounds.

Law enforcement confirmed that without armed intervention, the attacker—who carried a rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition—would likely have caused significantly more casualties.

Instance 7: Trailer Park Standoff (Texas, 2012)

In a Texas trailer park standoff in 2012, police engaged a suspect with a rifle who was actively firing at officers. Amid the chaos, Vic Stacy—a 66-year-old resident with no military or police background—acted.

From approximately 56 yards, Stacy used his .357 Magnum revolver to shoot the attacker, stopping him instantly. Officers later confirmed the suspect had been in the process of reloading and preparing to continue firing.

The incident became notable for both the distance involved and the fact that a private citizen intervened to protect law enforcement and nearby residents.

Good Guy With A Gun 8: Las Vegas Construction Site Shooting (2025)

In 2025, an angry ex-employee returned to a construction site in Las Vegas armed with a rifle. He opened fire on former coworkers, starting what could have become a workplace massacre.

An employee at the site who was carrying a handgun responded immediately, shooting and killing the attacker before anyone else was injured. Police confirmed the response occurred within seconds of the first shots.

Investigators later stated that the rapid armed intervention prevented fatalities at a densely populated worksite.

Good Gal With a Gun 9: Charleston Party Shooting Defense (West Virginia, 2021)

In 2021, a man with an AR-style rifle shot into a crowd at an outdoor party in Charleston.

A woman who was legally armed at the event pulled out her gun. She shot the attacker, killing him and stopping the attack. Police praised her actions in public, saying they probably saved many lives.

The event showed that armed self-defense isn’t just for people who work in security; it can happen in everyday situations, too.

Instance 10: Sutherland Springs Church (Texas, 2017)

In 2017, a gunman killed 26 people inside First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in one of the deadliest church shootings in U.S. history.

When the attacker left the church, Stephen Willeford, who lived nearby, got his AR-15 rifle. Willeford shot the attacker, forcing him to run away. He then chased the attacker until he crashed his car and then killed himself.

Authorities determined that Willeford’s actions stopped the attacker from going into another church nearby, where more people were present.

Instance 11: Armed Carjacker  (Washington, 2018)

On a Sunday in June 2018, a gunman descended on a busy Walmart parking lot with the intent of continuing his crime spree.

Earlier in the day, he’d attempted to carjack a vehicle from a family at a gas station. He wrecked his vehicle while fleeing, then attempted two other carjackings, while firing gunshots at his victims’ cars. He then attempted another carjacking and was successful, eventually driving that stolen vehicle to a local Wal-Mart location. After abandoning that vehicle, he fired shots inside the store, then attempted two more carjackings in the Wal-Mart parking lot while shooting at the drivers.

He shot the first driver, who refused to give up his vehicle. On his second and final carjacking attempt in the store parking lot, an armed citizen shot him dead as he pointed his gun at the second driver.

Good Guy With A Gun 12: Memorial Drive Shooter (Massachusetts, 2026)

On Monday, May 11th, suspect Tyler Brown opened fire on a busy road in downtown Cambridge, Massachusetts. Brown allegedly fired shots from an AR-style pistol, indiscriminately at motorists, seriously wounding two. In a hail of more than 60 fired rounds, he randomly targeted at least a dozen cars, some with occupants, including a state police cruiser.

Rachael Saveriano was trapped in her car as Brown walked toward her with his gun. Suddenly, a man described as a Marine veteran opened her door and helped her escape. The Marine, a former firearms instructor, retrieved his pistol from a safe in his backseat and, as the gunman got closer, he fired eight rounds, ending Brown’s walk of terror.

The unnamed Marine’s heroic actions enabled Trooper Landon Veney to return fire, allowing Veney to close in and arrest Brown so he could stand trial for his actions.

Good Guys Make A Difference

These dozen incidents do not suggest that armed citizens are a universal solution to violence, nor do they negate the complexity of public safety policy. What they do demonstrate—clearly and repeatedly—is that armed resistance has, in many documented cases, stopped active shooters and saved lives.

In each example, the defining factor was not ideology, training pedigree, or professional status, but timing. When violence began, someone already on scene had the means and will to intervene. In those moments, the outcome changed.

The debate over firearms will continue. However, these events remain part of the historical record. They are evidence that, at least sometimes, a good guy with a gun makes the difference between tragedy and even greater loss. Don’t hesitate to bookmark this article and use it as a reference the next time someone tries to falsely claim that armed citizens can’t stop bad guys with guns.