ABC Highlights Woman Using Gun to Scare off Robber

February 9th, 2020 5:05 PM

On Saturday evening, ABC's World News Tonight gave attention to video of a woman using a gun to help her husband prevent a robbery in their Houston ice cream shop.

On screen were displayed clips of surveillance video showing the husband trying to fight off the serial robber, and then the wife could be seen walking in and firing warning shots, scaring the intruder away. Anchor Tom Llamas read a brief recalling the incident:

And the husband and wife teaming up to stop a serial robber in Houston. Video shows the suspect lunging over the counter attempting to grab cash from the register. Take a look at this -- the owner fighting back when his wife grabs a gun, and she fires multiple shots. The suspect then takes off. Police say he's wanted for several robberies.

Over the past couple of years, ABC has been noticeably more likely than CBS or NBC to devote somewhat more attention to such under-reported stories of guns being used to prevent crimes. In February 2018, within weeks of the Parkland school shootings igniting debate over gun laws, ABC ran surveillance video of two women fighting off an armed robbery in Oklahoma with guns, giving it full reports on three occasions.

In January 2019, ABC morning hosts cheered on video of a Colorado woman using a gun to chase robbers out of her neighbor's home.

And, also in January of last year, ABC devoted several reports to a road rage incident in Massachusetts in which a concealed carry holder helped end the conflict.