Armed Citizens Stop Mass Shooting

Armed citizens stopped a man shooting into a bar with an intervention that is praised by local police.

On the night of May 20, 2025, a potentially devastating shooting at a Peoria, Arizona, sports bar was averted thanks to the swift actions of two armed citizens.

According to Peoria Police, 46-year-old Mario Franco of El Mirage was asked to leave the Deli Sports Bar near 95th and Peoria Avenues after being refused service due to intoxication. Shortly after, Franco returned with a firearm, firing multiple shots into the air and towards the bar, injuring one patron inside. 

Two individuals seated on a bench outside the establishment witnessed the incident. One of them engaged Franco with gunfire in the parking lot, fatally wounding him. Both individuals remained at the scene and cooperated fully with law enforcement. 

Peoria Police spokesperson Kristopher Babros commended the bystanders for their prompt response, stating, "We're grateful that they stood up and took action and did what was right." 

This incident aligns with findings from Dr. John Lott and the Crime Prevention Research Center, which indicate that between 2014 and 2023, armed citizens intervened in 180 out of 531 active shooting incidents in the U.S., surpassing the 150 incidents stopped by law enforcement. Of these, 58 were classified as mass shootings that were prevented due to the actions of armed civilians.

The prompt actions of the armed citizens in Peoria likely prevented further casualties, highlighting the potential impact of responsible firearm ownership in critical situations.

The above stats bear repeating -- armed citizens intervene in more active shooting incidents than police officers do. Yet, we routinely see press reports that this is not true -- that good guys with guns don't stop shootings.

There are dozens of these types of articles when you do a simple search. The narrative is that these events do happen, but they are rare -- and the real solution is to keep bad guys from having guns.

Yet, real-world experience -- and common sense -- should dictate that we are solely responsible for our own safety. Evil exists in the world. We must have the will and the skill to be the protectors our society needs.