This is a small local item, but given the mainstream media’s almost unwavering focus on instances of gun violence without much focus at all on the many more stories of successful (and non-violent!) gun-crime prevention, I thought this was a hoot and an appropriate palate cleanser for a Saturday evening. From the Fay Observer in North Carolina:

Ashley Marie Hurd, 26, a driver for Domino’s Pizza, took the order to a house on the 200 block of Stuart Avenue about 10 p.m., a police report said.

When she arrived, a man was standing outside, and she told him how much the bill was, said Lt. Todd Joyce, Fayetteville police spokesman.

As she was doing so, Joyce said, a second man, wearing a dark-colored jacket, came around from the side of the house.

The man put something to the back of Hurd’s head and demanded money, Joyce said.

“Unbeknownst to them, she had a weapon,” Joyce said. “She pulled out a gun, and when she did, the suspects fled and they didn’t get anything.”

Too good. The guy(s?) probably thought, Hey, here’s a mild young lady I can easily intimidate and/or overpower to make a quick buck (or worse!) — but he (they?) didn’t count on her being responsibly and readily equipped with the equalizing force of a firearm. It warms my heart to no end, not only that concealed carry laws have lately been trending toward greater accessibility across the country, but that women are the fastest-growing demographic taking their self-defense into their own hands. Righteous.