Chicago concealed carrier shoots 18-year-old male trying to break into business — the latest example of city residents using guns for self-defense

A Chicago concealed carrier shot an 18-year-old male who was trying to break into a business Sunday night, police told WFLD-TV. It's the latest example of city dwellers using guns to defend themselves.

What are the details?

A man inside a closed business in the 2600 block of West Lawrence Avenue in the Lincoln Square neighborhood heard a noise at the back door around 11:50 p.m. and found a male trying to break in, police told the station.

The 40-year-old man shot the suspect in the leg, police told WFLD, adding that officials said the man has a valid firearm owner identification card and a concealed carry license.

The suspect was taken to the Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was in fair condition, the station said, citing officials. WFLD added that the suspect was taken into custody and charges were pending.

A trend?

Earlier this month the manager of an auto parts store in the Chicago neighborhood of Calumet Heights fatally shot a man who tried to rob the business on the afternoon of April 1; the store manager has a concealed carry license.

The gun-toting male suspect, 30 to 40 years old, entered the store and demanded an unknown amount of money from the cash register, WMAQ-TV said. But the store manager pulled a gun and shot the suspect, police said. The suspect was taken to an area hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead, WMAQ said.

In January, an armed crook picked the wrong man to rob on a Chicago train — a concealed carrier who pulled his own gun and shot the suspect. The 33-year-old suspect approached and tried to rob a 25-year-old man aboard a Chicago Transit Authority Green Line train near the Laramie Station around 5 p.m. Jan. 20, authorities told WMAQ-TV. But the victim — who holds a concealed carry license and a Firearms Owner's Identification Card — pulled out his own gun and shot the suspect, the station said, citing authorities.

In December there were three incidents in less than two weeks in which Chicago concealed carriers won the day in threatening situations:

• On the night of Dec. 15 a concealed carrier shot two men in an outdoor confrontation and won't be charged for pulling the trigger, Patch reported.
• Early in the morning Dec. 10 a concealed carrier shot two, foiling a possible attempted car theft in the heart of city's downtown Loop.
• On Dec. 5 a 56-year-old man carrying a concealed gun fought back against a trio of armed teenage carjackers and turned the tables on them, shooting and seriously wounding two of the suspects, while the third broke a leg in a car crash.

Here are other examples from 2022:

• A 17-year-old carjacker died in December after a woman carrying concealed shot him in the head during an attempted heist on the south side the day before Thanksgiving.
• In September, gunmen opened fire at partygoers outside a Chicago home and shot a 13-year-old boy in the head, but the victim's 21-year-old cousin — a concealed carry license holder — pulled out his gun and shot back, after which the gunmen fled.
• Also in September, a concealed carry license holder shot an armed 13-year-old boy in Chicago as the boy allegedly was breaking into the concealed carrier's car.
• In July, a woman with a concealed carry license shot at a group of males who pointed a gun at her as they attempted to steal her car in Chicago — and a 13-year-old male who was with the would-be thieves was shot.
• In February, a knife-wielding man in a Chicago alley approached a concealed carrier, who shot the suspect once in the leg. Police eventually used a Taser on the suspect and arrested him.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!