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Roughly one in seven adults who own or have owned a gun (15%) say they have fired or threatened to fire a gun to defend themselves, their family, or their possessions.
Among prisoners who possessed a gun during their offense, 90% did not obtain it legally from a retail source.
Guns are used defensively by firearms owners in approximately 1.67 million incidents per year.
About ¾ of gun owners say that owning a gun is essential to their freedom.
A majority of gun owners (56.2%) indicate that there are circumstances for which they carry a handgun for self-defense.
About half of defensive gun use involves more than one assailant (51.2%).
Late Saturday night a 26-year-old woman was stabbed by a 17-year-old teen following a heated argument between the two on Chicago's 31st Street Beach. The victim, a CCL holder, fired on her attacker who sustained an injury in her left shoulder.
Read MoreA Chicago mother and CCL holder stopped an intruder who entered her daughter's bedroom late Saturday night at their South Shore residence. The assailant scaled the apartment building and climbed through the daughter's window.
Read MoreA confrontation gone wrong occured late Friday night in the 4700 block of West Wrightwood Avenue. The CCL carrier was attacked by three men he knew outside of his home following an argument. The victim then fired his weapon, injuring his attackers.
Read MoreWhether it's "the attitude behind the guns here in Kennesaw" or the weapons; this Kennesaw, Georgia law is the talk of the town. Since the 1980s Kennesaw has legally required its citizens to own a gun for town safety.
Read MoreArmed residents in Los Angeles have taken a stand against looters taking advantage of the tragic event. Neighbors are banning together to protect each other and their properties.
Read MoreAre you 18 years of age or older?