An 80-year old retired security guard cashes his social security check and heads home. He's followed by a husky 6-foot tall thug, who pounces on him as he enters the elevator in his apartment building. The remorseless thug pummels and beats the man, grabs his cash and starts to exit stage right. The elderly security guard tries in vain to fend off the attack with a .38 caliber handgun, and a round is discharged and lodges in the wall.

What is the police (a/k/a government) reaction to the situation?

Well, since the elderly citizen lives in New York, the natural police reaction is to arrest the victim and charge him with illegal possession of a firearm. When 80-year old Lester Campbell recovers from his beating, he will face two misdemeanor counts; one for illegal possession of the firearm he was carrying and one more for the firearm that he confessed to having in his apartment.

His assailant fled the scene and is still at large. You can also bet that police confiscated both of his firearms, so when his next social security check comes, he'll be completely defenseless.