Last December a woman in Florida was awakened by the sound of an intruder in the house. She grabbed her gun, confronted the intruder and fired one fatal shot, according to police.
This is the type of scenario many Americans envision when buying their first or second or third firearm. Forty-eight percent of gun owners say they own a firearm primarily for protection, according to the Pew Research center, a share that's up 22 percentage points since the late 1990s. Gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association compile reports of incidents like the Indianapolis home invasion to point out the social benefits of good guys with guns who protect themselves and their communities from would-be wrongdoers.
