Armed citizen shoots and kills suspected serial attacker in Hardeeville, South Carolina, after the assailant attempted to pull a victim from their car at gunpoint.
At a Glance
- An armed citizen fatally shot a suspect involved in an attempted armed abduction in Hardeeville, South Carolina
- The incident occurred Monday night at 9:38 PM when police responded to reports of a man trying to remove someone from their car at gunpoint
- Witnesses directed police to where the suspect fled on foot before gunshots were heard
- Police found the suspect dead at the scene and believe he was a repeat offender involved in multiple attempted armed assaults
- The case highlights the ongoing debate about armed self-defense and Second Amendment rights
Repeat Offender Meets Armed Resistance
In a textbook example of why our Second Amendment rights matter more than ever, a would-be violent criminal in Hardeeville, South Carolina discovered the hard way that law-abiding Americans aren’t easy targets. Police responded Monday night to reports of an armed man attempting to forcibly remove a victim from their vehicle at gunpoint. Instead of finding another victim to add to the crime statistics, authorities arrived to find the suspect had been shot dead after encountering an armed citizen who refused to become a victim.
The Hardeeville Police Department received “a report of a male subject attempting to remove a victim out of their car at gunpoint” at approximately 9:38 PM. Witnesses at the scene provided officers with critical information about the direction the suspect traveled on foot after the failed carjacking attempt. Shortly thereafter, gunshots rang out in the area where the suspect had fled. When police arrived at the location of the gunfire, they found two men – one alive and one dead from gunshot wounds.
Serial Offender’s Crime Spree Ends
Following preliminary investigation, Hardeeville police believe the deceased individual was no first-time offender but rather “a suspected multiple offender” who had been involved in numerous attempted armed assaults in the area. This wasn’t just some random unfortunate encounter – this appears to be a case where a predator who had repeatedly terrorized the community finally targeted someone capable of defending themselves when law enforcement wasn’t immediately present.
“A report of a male subject attempting to remove a victim out of their car at gunpoint,” reported WSAV regarding the initial call that brought police to the scene.
The incident represents the exact scenario that Second Amendment advocates have long argued justifies armed self-defense by responsible citizens. In this case, the armed citizen appears to have acted lawfully in response to a credible threat from someone police believe was “a suspected multiple offender.” Had this citizen not been armed, we might instead be reading about another violent carjacking, kidnapping, or worse – rather than the end of a crime spree.
Self-Defense Rights Under Attack
While details of this case continue to emerge, it’s worth noting that the right to self-defense – particularly with firearms – remains under constant assault from anti-gun groups. Organizations like Everytown for Gun Safety routinely oppose Stand Your Ground laws that protect citizens who defend themselves, misleadingly labeling them “Shoot First” laws and claiming they
“Provide safe harbors for criminals and prevent prosecutors from bringing cases against those who claim self-defense after unnecessarily killing or injuring others,” said the President of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys regarding Stand Your Ground laws.
Such characterizations completely misrepresent cases like the Hardeeville incident, where a citizen exercised their right to self-defense against a real and immediate threat. Without strong self-defense protections, the armed citizen in this case might face criminal prosecution for protecting himself and potentially others from a repeat violent offender. This is precisely why President Trump has consistently defended Second Amendment rights and opposed efforts to restrict the ability of law-abiding Americans to carry firearms for protection.
Protecting Communities One Armed Citizen at a Time
The Hardeeville incident serves as a powerful reminder that when seconds count, police are often minutes away. In this case, the armed citizen didn’t have the luxury of waiting for officers to arrive while facing an immediate threat from someone allegedly attempting an armed carjacking. The incident demonstrates exactly why the Second Amendment remains essential to public safety – sometimes the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
While anti-gun activists continue pushing to disarm law-abiding citizens, cases like this highlight the potentially deadly consequences of such policies. Had stricter gun control measures prevented this citizen from carrying a firearm, we might be reading about another successful violent crime rather than the end of a suspected criminal’s reign of terror. For communities across America, armed citizens represent not just their own last line of defense, but sometimes the defense of others who would otherwise become victims.
