Normally we don’t cover local news, but it’s important to highlight these stories.

An off-duty deputy shot and killed a 16-year-old and critically injured three others during a robbery at a Rockford pizzeria.

The deputy involved in the Saturday night shooting is a 29-year-old U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, according to Winnebago County Sheriff Richard Meyers. Meyers did not identify the deputy, who was put on paid administrative leave.

My understanding is the paid leave is procedural following a deadly shooting and pending an investigation, so no problem there as far as I know.

 The deputy was talking with a friend at the restaurant when the suspects entered the business, acccording to Rockford Police Chief Chet Epperson.

One of the suspects pointed a handgun at the deputy and his friend. A struggle ensued and the deputy used an employee’s handgun to shoot the suspects.

That part’s interesting. Did the employee hand the deputy the gun, figuring the deputy was in a better position to hit the suspect in the struggle? Or did the employee lose control of the gun and the deputy got it back? It’d be interesting to see how that played out.

The one suspect was dead on the scene. The others are being treated for life-threatening injuries. But as far as I can tell, no innocent people were harmed. Thanks to a good shot and armed citizens. Gun control wouldn’t have stopped those criminals from robbing the place, but it would have stopped the good guys from fighting back.

Gun control only stops the good guys from fighting back. It’s always important to remember that. People willing to kill or commit armed robbery don’t care about some little gun control law. They’re already facing decades, life in prison, or even the death penalty. A few more years for breaking a gun control law? Means nothing to them.