From the Heritage Foundation, I'm Michelle Cordero, and this is Heritage Explains.

It's a new year, and lawmakers across the country are gearing up again for high-profile

fights over gun control legislation that could severely limit your Second Amendment rights.

This makes it really important that we continue to emphasize the important role lawful

gun owners play, not just as a long-term protection

against tyrannical governments, but in immediate and regular defense against crime.

Almost every major study in this has concluded that Americans use firearms in lawful defense

of themselves and others between 500,000 and 3 million times every year.

Yet, as we've pointed out on this podcast, these are not the stories that make their way to the national cable channels.

Like this story, for example, out of Las Vegas.

Well, Gerard, Metro officers on scene say that that suspect waited for hours before going

inside the home officers say once he was inside, a woman shot and killed him, but police

say she acted in self-defense.

And I realized that something traumatic has happened in my neighborhood.

As crime scene tape covered houses.

And I thought, well, you know, what's going on?

And multiple cop cars filled the streets.

Oh my gosh.

The whole street was full.

Neighbors like Deb Shite say they still can't believe it.

You never think, wow, this can happen in my neighborhood.

Officers say the shooting

...