A WOMAN from retired preacher Bill Willis’ church invited him to take a concealed-carry class with her. Though Willis had never been particularly interested in firearms, he agreed, obtaining his permit, purchasing a .22-cal. pistol and practicing with it regularly. Not long after, Willis’ wife, Judith, woke him in the middle of the night and announced there was an intruder. Willis spotted the man darting into the bathroom and quickly retrieved his Walther p22. Police say he warned the suspect three times, “Come out with your hands up. I have a gun and I will shoot.” The man exited the bathroom and approached Willis, pretending to surrender, then pulled out a knife and viciously stabbed Willis’ arm. Willis shot and killed the assailant. Deputies have temporarily seized Willis’ pistol as evidence, but he purchased another. “It would be foolish not to be prepared,” he said.
The Greenville News, Greenville, S.C., 09/12/07
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YEV GERASIMENKO WAS taking his turn caring for his 4-day-old daughter while his wife rested. He was interrupted by loud knocks at the door and answered it to find two large men. One asked for someone Gerasimenko didn’t know. “I said, “There’s nobody here by that name,” and I shut the door as soon as I could,” he explained. That’s when police say the biggest man took a running start and slammed into the door. Gerasimenko called for his wife to take their baby, lock herself in the bathroom and phone police. He loaded his 9 mm handgun and yelled for the man to leave, but he continued trying to breach the door. “I’m shouting, ‘I have a gun! Why are you trying to break into my house? I’ll shoot you if you don’t go away,” Gerasimenko recalled. But the suspect didn’t heed the warning. Gerasimenko fired two shots, wounding the suspect and holding him for police.”…A gun in a good responsible citizen’s hand is a blessing,” Gerasimenko said.
Statesman Journal, Salem, Ore., 09/20/07
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THE SCREAMS OF his pregnant wife -a horrible sound -woke Roger Gilchrist from a dead sleep. He grabbed his gun and ran to the garage, where he discovered that his wife had driven in and stumbled upon a gun -wielding burglar. “Under the circumstances, with him having a gun and standing next to my pregnant wife, I’,m not going to wait and see what happens -I’m going to fire,” Gilchrist said. Police say the burglar shot first and Gilchrist returned fire, injuring the intruder. The suspect fled, but was apprehended shortly thereafter. “If [my husband] didn’t have the gun, we would’ve both been dead,” said Gilchrist’s wife.
Daily Press, Victorville, Calif., 09/26/07
