Two thieves try to steal truck from armed 73-year-old and instantly regret it

A 73-year-old was accosted in his own garage by two armed robbers who were trying to steal his truck, but he made them instantly regret it after they discovered he was armed too.

According to St. Louis Police Captain Mary Warmicke, the man was working in his garage when the two thieves walked in.

Two armed intruders came in, announced a robbery, they wanted to take his truck. They pulled their weapons on him. He was armed himself. And protected himself. He did fire on the two suspects, who succombed to their injuries and remain here on the scene. The homicide unit is investigating the incident, and we have no other suspects that we're looking for at this time.

When asked by a reporter if it appears that the homeowner was within his rights to use lethal force against the alleged assailants, Warmicke responded, "it would appear this is a justifiable set of circumstances, yes."

Second Amendment rights are a contentious issue in America, and it's rare that gun defenders and gun control advocates can agree on the facts of the debate. According to some estimates, guns are used to prevent crime in self-defense as many as 2.5 million times a year - this includes those occasions when a weapon is brandished to scare off a criminal. Even the Clinton era Justice Department admitted that there were as many as 1.5 million cases of self-defense per year.