If you are going to be out late at night in a major U.S. city — and certainly Chicago — there is a fair chance you may have a violent encounter. Not everyone does, of course, and many are able to enjoy the offerings of a major metropolitan area without becoming a crime victim.

Still, the chances are significant, and it is a good idea to be legally armed and ready for the (un)expected.

A good guy with a gun became his own first responder early Wednesday morning when he was apparently attacked on Chicago’s Far North side. Police said the terrifying incident unfolded around 3:30 a.m. on West Devon Avenue.

According to law enforcement, three men, ages 26, 33, and 31 were outside near their car when an unidentified person approached them with a firearm and demanded they hand over their property. 

The three initially complied, but one of the intended victims decided to push back. He is a concealed carry license holder and was armed and prepared for the worst. He fired several shots at the alleged violent attacker and struck him multiple times. 

The suspect was transported to St. Francis Medical Center where at last report he was listed in critical condition. He reportedly suffered gunshot wounds to the torso and a graze to the head.

There were no other injuries reported from the confrontation.

Despite both Chicago and Illinois having some of the most burdensome gun control laws in the nation, the city is locked in a violent cycle that appears to have no end. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, through Friday there have been at least 300 people killed by another person in the city in 2023.

At least one fortunate concealed carry permit holder and his friends did not become another grim statistic.