15-year-old son of deputy shoots burglary suspect

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
81

I don’t see how “leave because a giant killer hurricane is going to hit your area” and “leave because people are breaking into your house” are even the same thing.

Of course it makes sense to run away from a giant killer hurricane. That’s an unstoppable force. To run away from intruders when you have other options - well honestly that’s going to fall somewhere between “cowardly” and “sensible” depending on the circumstances. But in the Texas case, I think the kid did exactly the right thing, as he was trained to do.

Except he needs a little more range time and practice, maybe, so he hits his target more accurately.

Somebody attempted to carjack me once, for real. Also I have had my home burglarized, once. I don’t know if my reaction was typical, but if you’ve never experienced a confrontation like that you may not know just how you’d react. I can tell you that my immediate, visceral and unpremeditated reaction was absolute and utter and pure outrage that someone would DARE to violate my space, or try to take something I WORKED for.

In the carjacking incident, I totally surprised myself by going batshit screaming insane on the guy who pulled open my passenger car door and started climbing accross the seat at me. I am a fairly small female and was not armed but my reaction was instantaneous rage, and I attacked him, screaming, nails, teeth, whatever. I lunged at him across the seat without even thinking. It didn’t occur to me to wonder if he was armed (I didn’t see a weapon, and yes I reported it) or what his intent was, or what statistics about carjackers’ intents were, or anything. I didn’t care. I just reacted.

He ran away. :smiley:

Honest and for truth had I been asked before that happened how I’d react, I don’t think I would have had a clue. I probably would have assumed I’d cower and give up whatever was asked for, and/or call teh authorities. But people, when faced with sudden intrusion and violence (I consider breaking into someone’s home a de facto violent act no matter what their intent) just react instinctively. At least I did. And quite possibly, so did this 15-year-old. And, good for him, I say.

Nunzio, have you ever been confronted in a physically violent manner?

82

Dude, it’s my TV. I worked hard to buy it. If you want one, do what I did. Go to fucking Sam’s Club and buy one. Cause if you try and take mine, it really isn’t hard to work up the nerve to shoot you. Seriously, no hassles? Go to fucking Sam’s Club. Pay cash.

83

I think attitudes like this are what makes America’s pro-gun culture so frightening.

84

What, that he misspelled burglar?

85

And not a peep about a 15 year old child discharging a firearm…

86

No, the idea that people will applaud the shooting of a human being. I agree with the people who say this kid did the right thing, but I do not applaud the fact that somebody got shot.

87

When my son was 15 he was competent in handling a firearm. He had a pellet gun when he was seven, and was taught how to properly handle it. He learned to fire a .22 later, then several handguns for target shooting. When he was sixteen he could hit more clays with a 16 gauge then I could.

I have no problem with this 15 year olds actions, assuming they do not deviate from what he had been taught.

88

I really think it depends greatly on how or where you live. And your life experience.

I think it is beyond horrible that some celebrate the end of a life…but live near where I do, and work/volunteer in the “trenches” and it becomes, if not right, at least understandable that sheltered people have this attitude.

89

They’re shooting intruders when they’re only twelve.
They grow up so fast these days.

90

What in the world is wrong with a 15 year old discharging a firearm? I was allowed to take out the .22 by myself when I was 8, had to ask to take the big guns out but almost never was told no.

I am in no way advocating giving children firearms but if they know how to properly and safely fire them, which the kid seems to know as did I, not a problem at all for me. Feel free to parent as you wish.

Capt

91

Yes.

I think what many of the sheltered don’t understand is that someone breaking into your home is a VIOLENT AGGRESSIVE INTRUSIVE ACT BY DEFINITION.
It really doesn’t matter if the person is “only” interersted in your flat screen or DVD player or iPad. You break into someone’s personal space with criminal intent: this is violent and intrusive and lethal force is justified. Period.

Don’t like that? Then don’t invade someone else’s property and try to steal their stuff, bitch. Problem solved.

92

Home invasions have always been frightening. The choice is to actively deal with problem or contact others in the hope things work out in the end.

93

Lust4life isn’t American.

94

I think it’s good that we can have compassion even for the criminal in this case; it speaks to our best nature. But it’s very easy to talk about such things after the fact; judging the actions of the person who defended their home according to the calm that comes after the storm isn’t very fair. I won’t say the kid did the right thing, since there were many things he could have done. But he did a right thing, which I think is where our concern as spectators for the justice of his choice should end.

And the fact remains, if you don’t want to get shot, don’t break into somebody’s home…

95

Freakin’ especially in TEXAS.

96

If they’re lucky they do. Not everyone’s child goes to the same school the President’s children attend.

97

There’s a great example of not being able to just ‘run’.
Front doorbell rings then the backdoor gets smashed in. You don’t know what’s going on. You don’t know if that’s two people or the same person. I don’t know how Nunzio’s house is setup, but at my house, I only pass one window between the front door and the backdoor. Hardly enough to see what’s going on outside while my backdoor is getting smashed in.

So anyways, your front doorbell rings, on the way to the door, the backdoor starts getting kicked in. Clearly you’re not going out the backdoor, but is the guy at the backdoor the same guy that rang the doorbell? Is there a guy at the front door as well? What do you do? I mean, this isn’t the metermaid or UPS anymore, you’re 12 years old and your backdoor is getting bashed the fuck in. That girl called her mom, got a gun, hid in a closet, called 911, waited for the burglar to come and find her* and then shot him, all before anyone else showed up.

*Clearly he wasn’t just ransacking the place. I mean, he could have just done that and left all while she was in the closet, right? Why’d he have to go and find her? He was wasting precious burglary time.

98

Since you seemed to have missed this upthread.

99

He’s not? Well that’s even scarier.

100

Grand bull-moose winner of the username/post content competition.