In a span of approximately two weeks, from the end of July to August 12, local media have reported at least 13 instances of women using firearms for self-defense across the United States.
Amy Swearer, a leading legal expert at the Heritage Foundation, highlighted these cases in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. She emphasized the importance of the right to bear arms for women as well.
Incidents from states ranging from Arizona to Pennsylvania demonstrate that women have used firearms to protect themselves, often from former romantic partners. For example, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, a woman shot the father of her child in the shoulder after he attacked her. The man was wanted for violating a restraining order and subsequently confessed to assaulting her. Similarly, in Jackson, Mississippi, a woman used her legally owned firearm to fend off masked individuals attempting to carjack her husband and son.
Can we take a minute to appreciate how many women have protected themselves and others with firearms in the last two or so weeks? It's basically a highlight real of just how important the right to keep and bear arms is for us, too. Tip of the DGU iceberg, but important:
— Amy Swearer (@AmySwearer) August 14, 2023
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These 13 stories provide only a glimpse into the likely larger number of unreported instances where women have used firearms in self-defense. According to experts, many cases where individuals brandish a firearm to deter criminals go unreported, both to authorities and in the media.
In over half of the cases assembled by Swearer, the women were defending themselves against current or former romantic partners. Instances include a woman in Texas who shot at her ex-boyfriend when he tried to shave her head with electric clippers and another woman who shot her partner in the face after he allegedly threatened her with a gun.
Swearer also cited a case in Indiana where a woman used her firearm to protect her husband, who was being held at gunpoint by her daughter's ex-boyfriend. The suspect was later declared dead at a hospital.
In terms of gun ownership statistics, 2020 saw a record-breaking number of firearms sales, with around 23 million guns sold and over 21 million background checks conducted. Notably, a significant increase in gun ownership was observed among women. According to research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, nearly half of new gun buyers between 2019 and 2021 were women, making them the fastest-growing demographic of new gun owners.
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