One of the problems with tracking the numbers of defensive gun uses in the country each year comes from how often the mere sight of a gun ends the conflict. Bad guys don’t like it when their prey bites back, after all. But because no shots are fired, the police are often not involved at all or, if they are, there’s no report taken.

For one woman in Louisiana, however, none of that matters. What does matter is that she had a gun when she needed it.

Four men who planned to commit a burglary on Thursday were surprised by a gun-toting homeowner, according to Sheriff Steve Prator.

Just before 10 a.m., deputies were called to the 11000 of Peggy Lane in Keithville regarding a burglary in progress. The homeowner said several men were at her front door dressed in hoods and carrying backpacks. When she met them at the door with a handgun the suspects fled in an SUV that was parked in the bushes.

At the same time, a passer-by reported to the Sheriff’s Office that they witnessed the hooded suspects on the porch of the residence and another hiding in the bushes.

In other words, they picked the wrong house.

Four suspects were arrested in conjunction with the crime, which means there is a report in this case, and we’re glad to know that the woman had a firearm handy. It’s unlikely she would have been able to overpower four young men in an unarmed confrontation, after all. Especially since the four were armed themselves.

Caddo Sheriff’s Lt. Jackie Lewis spotted the suspects’ vehicle and stopped it in the 3200 block of Colquitt Road. The vehicle contained several backpacks, masks, a large knife, and marijuana.

Deputies arrested 20-year-old  Jacorey Fuller, 20-year-old Andre Ealy, 20-year-old Tristen Bradley, and 24-year-old Micah Eugene have each been charged with simple burglary, possession of marijuana and possession of burglary tools.

Just think, though. There are those out there that would have seen this woman disarmed, powerless and at the mercy of people like this. No amount of weekend self-defense courses or rape whistles could have helped her if they’d entered her home and she’d been unarmed. They were armed and clearly had ill intent in their hearts.

They just didn’t plan on an armed response by someone with a gun, and that’s part of the problem.

Stories like this should be national news if for no other reason than to dissuade others from making similarly poor life decisions. It’s not, and there’s a reason for that which has little to do with the mainstream media’s anti-gun bias. No, in this case, stories like this don’t make the national news because they’re too common.

That’s right, they happen too often for them to be of interest to the national media.

Clear cut cases of the defensive use of a firearm are so regular with literally thousands of such uses happening every day that the national media simply can’t report them all, even if they were inclined. Further, it’s not news, it’s simply reality. The national news doesn’t report a lot of common occurrences, and for just that reason. They’re common.

Millions of gun owners use their firearm defensively each and every year, and this Louisiana woman is one of them, but criminals don’t really know how risky their chosen vocation actually can be. Too bad for everyone, but at least we have the right to keep and bear arms.

For now.

Hat tip: The Federalist