In the city of Norco, California, 80-year old convenient store owner Craig Cope found himself in the exact predicament every law-abiding gun owner in America hopes to avoid.

In the middle of the night on August 2nd, Cope’s store was approached by two criminals armed with rifles demanding that Cope give them everything he had.

Craig Cope, having been a store owner in the high-crime state for some time, was prepared for the situation and discreetly reached for the shotgun he kept hidden. Firing from behind the counter, Cope wounded one of the attempted-robbers which sent both running for their lives.

#WATCH: "He shot my arm off," cries would-be robber after 80 year old #Norco store owner shoots him with a shotgun. Four arrested, one remains in hospital. Store owner expected back at work. pic.twitter.com/i3LAVdv5WL
— Jeff Vaughn (@JeffVaughn) August 2, 2022

After the incident, Cope suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized, but has since been released and is recovering.

To my own surprise, the city of Norco surrounded Cope with praise for standing his ground against the criminals. The community has felt vulnerable from the limited police force and loose punishments for offenders.

Laws have never stopped the people who have the audacity to break them. The old adage remains, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” Our country needs to set a standard of holding criminals accountable for their actions, and refraining from placing blame on or punishing law-abiding citizens. Self-defense is a human right, that falls under the most basic right to life.

Craig Cope is a local hero in my book, and I can guarantee that his store won’t be the target of a robbery again anytime soon.