While the national media almost never reports on armed citizen stories, each and every day Americans are using firearms to protect themselves and their loved ones. One of the most recent incidents took place Sunday evening in Port Arthur, Texas, where police say three suspects forcibly entered a home only to encounter a father armed with a rifle who was intent on protecting his kids.

According to PAPD, officers responded at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday to a home invasion type robbery with a shooting call. The preliminary investigation revealed three armed assailants forcibly entered a home in the 2500 block of 18th Street as a female resident was arriving home. The commotion alerted a male resident who armed himself with a rifle and confronted the would-be robbers in protection of his young children who were home during the robbery. One of the robbers was shot and killed during the encounter. The incident in currently under investigation by the Port Arthur Police Departments Major Crime Team.

Police say the other two suspects fled the scene, but 27-year old Terence Ellies was fatally wounded by the homeowner.

Of course, not every armed citizen story has a happy ending. Just hours after the home invasion in Port Arthur, Texas, a family in La Cresta, California were the victims of a home invasion as well. In that case, multiple individuals gained entry to the residence, and a shootout took place inside the home.

Deputies were summoned at 4:01 a.m., and found two people dead when they arrived, Sheriff’s officials said. One decedent was a suspect in what the agency called a botched home invasion robbery. Information was not immediately released on the second person who was fatally shot.

A second suspect in the robbery and one other person who was shot were taken to a hospital. Details regarding the severity of their wounds was not immediately available.

Sheriff’s officials believe at least one more suspect fled in a car. A detailed description of any possible outstanding suspect or vehicle was not available Monday afternoon.