Your thoughts on a local shooting

[SeaCat]

Last night we had a shooting further into town from where I live. Two guys broke into a house through the back door and were confronted by the Home Owner. The intruders pulled out handguns and the Home Owner opened fire, popping off one round because his handgun jammed. The intruders left. (The police recovered two handguns from the guys back yard.) Later in the evening the police picked up one of the intruders at a local hospital where he was being treated for a gunshot wound to the chest. He quickly turned in his friend to the police and both were positively identified by the Home Owner. (They hadn't worn masks.)

The intruders were aged 14 and 15.

Today on the news blogs the responses have been interesting. The Home Owner has been getting called everything from a psychopath to a Child Abuser because he shot the kid. Several people have even said they would donate money to the kids defense fund.

Many people have made the comment that if the home owner hadn't been armed then this kid wouldn't be in the hospital suffering from a gunshot wound.

What are your thoughts on this?

Me? I personally want to kick the Home Owner. Either he was loading the wrong type of ammunition for his hand gun or he didn't keep it clean which is why it jammed. Now call me blood thirsty but if he had the right ammo and kept the handgun clean it wouldn't have jammed which means he would have dropped at least one of the intruders right there.

Cat

 

[Teloz]

... Me? I personally want to kick the Home Owner. Either he was loading the wrong type of ammunition for his hand gun or he didn't keep it clean which is why it jammed. Now call me blood thirsty but if he had the right ammo and kept the handgun clean it wouldn't have jammed which means he would have dropped at least one of the intruders right there.

Cat

In that situation, the home-owner would be free and clear even in a UK court, over here it's all down to reasonable force.

Accepting that gun crime is very rare in the UK, If someone enters my home and I am in fear for my life I can hit them with a big stick until they are incapacitated and I am no longer in fear. One more blow after that and the force is unreasonable.

If someone threatens you with a gun and you are afraid for your life, if you have a gun yourself you shoot the bastards!

So yes Cat, I concur with you, the home-owner should be prosecuted for not maintaining his gun.

 

[DeeZire]

It boggles the mind to think that the public is sympathetic to the armed intruders. What is wrong with people these days?

 

[Liar]

Many people have made the comment that if the home owner hadn't been armed then this kid wouldn't be in the hospital suffering from a gunshot wound.

Well, that's just stating the fact, isn't it?

 

[Freefall_mc]

I don't care if Minnie Mouse was the intruder. If someone is brandishing a weapon at you, you can only assume they intend to use it, and you act accordingly, no hesitations.

And I still don't like guns. Too damn easy. But...that's just me.

 

[bronzeage]

Where I live, he wouldn't have needed to wait until they broke the door.

The homeowner could have shot them both dead through the window and then called to police to collect the bodies.

In this state, breaking into a place where people sleep is considered deadly intent. No justification is needed beyond that. The threat to break in is enough to justify deadly force.

There have been a few cases where the home owner obviously over reacted and killed a person who was not a threat to anyone, but as far as I know, the court has always sided with the home owner.

 

[TE999]

The intruders were aged 14 and 15.

Today on the news blogs the responses have been interesting. The Home Owner has been getting called everything from a psychopath to a Child Abuser because he shot the kid. Several people have even said they would donate money to the kids defense fund.

Many people have made the comment that if the home owner hadn't been armed then this kid wouldn't be in the hospital suffering from a gunshot wound.

I can say this, if anyone breaks into my home, armed or no, be they 5 or 75, I will do my level best to hurt them as badly as I can. They have no business being there, period. Florida has a 'Castle Law' that allows force to be used in case of home intrusions.

As far as those people taking the 'children's' side...they're idiots. When you commit a crime and are carrying a weapon, you're no 'child'. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Slap the little bastards in jail for a while. Let them mingle with real criminals. They may or may not come out as criminals, but at least they're not bothering decent people while they're in there.

Everyone should have some sort of plan of home defense and something to defend it with. If there's a break in...hurt them...and when they're down...they stay down.

As far as potential litigation goes, I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 8.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

In California, if some unknown person is in your home after dark, you are presumed to be in fear of you life and the lives of your family. Commence firing!

 

[Dragonlipz]

Like many of us the homeowner got lost in the moment: adrenaline and testosterone.....a good combo and a deadly mix.......I have fired a shot in anger and during war.....not a lot of difference either way....I was protecting myself.....

 

[piezoguy]

I personally like my 12 ga. Nothing more distinct than my racking a round into the chamber... If that doesn't stop someone in their tracks, well, the next sound will. I'm sorry, but if someone is breaking into my house, they deserve full well what they get. It's not like i'm reaching out my back window shooting at someone I "think" is going to break in a block away...

 

[DesertPirate]

Break into a house and point a weapon at the owner? He's lucky to be alive.

 

[TE999]

Break into a house and point a weapon at the owner? He's lucky to be alive.

Only because the homeowners weapon jammed.

 

[DesertPirate]

Only because the homeowners weapon jammed.

Revolvers don't jam
That's why I have one.

 

[Boxlicker101]

In California, if some unknown person is in your home after dark, you are presumed to be in fear of you life and the lives of your family. Commence firing!

That's most parts of California. In Berkeley or SF, it might not apply. In fact, in those two places, you might be required to hand over all your valuables and be subject to lawsuit by the intruders if they are not valuable enough.

Okay, I'm being sarcastic.

I have to admit, if the home owner hadn't had a gun, the youth would probably not be in the hospital today. Of course, the home owner and all his family might well be in the morgue.

 

[Edward Teach]

Revolvers don't jam
That's why I have one.

Amen.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Amen.

Bein' what I was, I have a government .45 but I have to admit that there is something about the style and grace of a wheelgun that no semi-auto will ever match. Maybe some day . . .

 

[vrosej10]

Being shot is a hazard of robbery of all kinds, same a parachute failure in skydiving and traffic accidents in drunk-driving. If you are stupid enough to get shot during a robbery, you take your chances. Anyone who gets shot commiting these crimes, quit bitching. No one made you rob the place. Good luck to the home owner.

 

[3113]

You know, Cat, when you post things like this I get confused. You say you want "thoughts" in the heading, but then you present a scenario so lopsided that there's really no way for us to think contrary to what you think. I mean, you don't present the article and the comments for us to judge for ourselves, but rather relate them to us. And the way you relate them really leaves no other conclusion than that those in favor of the evil robbers are stupid and demented, while people like you (were you the ONLY one who sided with the virtuous homeowner?) are wise and brave.

You're a very smart man, and you've been on this forum a long time. So you must know by now that however liberal left some of us are here, favoring or not favoring gun control and people being able to shoot intruders, most of us DO believe in self-defense. There are no Amish on this board last I looked. So it's very doubtful you'd get any contrary thoughts when you presented this as you did and asked for our thoughts.

Which is why I'm confused. When you asked for "thoughts" did you really mean that you just wanted us to supportively shout "Amen!", shake our heads sadly at the state of our unethical world with you, and agree that the guilty be lynched? What thoughts did you expect from us when the facts, as you present them, are pretty straightforward and most of us are rational and reasonable (most of the time at least)?

Sometime or other, you really should present a story where your view is totally wrong and then ask us what we think. That might be an interesting exercise.

 

[piezoguy]

Bein' what I was, I have a government .45 but I have to admit that there is something about the style and grace of a wheelgun that no semi-auto will ever match. Maybe some day . . .

I love my Kimber Classic... But yes, a wheelgun is undeniably a must have... I was about to get a .454 Casull.

 

[JackLuis]

Thoughts?

Was the homeowner using reloads?

Rule #1, Use factory Ammo, the best you can prove works your gun. Min, 100 rounds without a jam or misfire, all in the 8 ring hopefully.

If the kids had used either one of their guns=dead/wounded Homeowner.


The kids probably were just playing, and figured if they pulled a gun, they would be in charge. Piss poor idea if you come up against a hard ass with a functioning .45.

 

[Boxlicker101]

You know, Cat, when you post things like this I get confused. You say you want "thoughts" in the heading, but then you present a scenario so lopsided that there's really no way for us to think contrary to what you think. I mean, you don't present the article and the comments for us to judge for ourselves, but rather relate them to us. And the way you relate them really leaves no other conclusion than that those in favor of the evil robbers are stupid and demented, while people like you (were you the ONLY one who sided with the virtuous homeowner?) are wise and brave.

You're a very smart man, and you've been on this forum a long time. So you must know by now that however liberal left some of us are here, favoring or not favoring gun control and people being able to shoot intruders, most of us DO believe in self-defense. There are no Amish on this board last I looked. So it's very doubtful you'd get any contrary thoughts when you presented this as you did and asked for our thoughts.

Which is why I'm confused. When you asked for "thoughts" did you really mean that you just wanted us to supportively shout "Amen!", shake our heads sadly at the state of our unethical world with you, and agree that the guilty be lynched? What thoughts did you expect from us when the facts, as you present them, are pretty straightforward and most of us are rational and reasonable (most of the time at least)?

Sometime or other, you really should present a story where your view is totally wrong and then ask us what we think. That might be an interesting exercise.

He does have a point there, you know. Only a lunatic could have any sympathy for the robbers. Too bad he wasn't able to finish them off.