Well I had two guys show up at a gas station I was working at one night and try an armed robbery. I did not freeze, I did not panic. I did pick up a claw hammer, and an 18" cressent wrench. I told them to leave or I would kill both of them. (they had a switchblade). While they were thinking this over, I was planning which weapon I would in which order. In case you are wondering the plan was claws of the hammer into the top of the shoulder of #1 to keep him from leaving, then take the top of his head off with the cressent wrench. Lather rinse repeat with second bad guy.
They decided that they wanted no part of this crazy mutha and they left. 
This in context: there had been a hold-up at a See’s candy store, and the middle-aged lady behind the counter had refused to hand over the money. The bad guy had just put his gun away, turned around and left.
I was discussing this with someone I knew who had done five years in a California state prison (for armed robbery). He said that it is hard to actually pull the trigger, and not that common even among the hard cases he knew.
/hijack, this doesn’t address the point in the OP that you know 100% that he intends to kill you.
I don’t like to think I’d freeze up and let myself be killed.
My daddy would never get over it. I owe it to him and my mom to shoot…
and remember the face of my father.
The information in my prior post came from a prior time, say 30 years ago.
It may be that the desensitization via the entertainment media, talk radio, Net discussions, and so on, has led to a culture where more individuals feel freer to actually kill someone. And that would be potential criminals, as well as potential cases of self-defense.
Funny. As to the OP, I could move faster to kill in defense in a case of defending someone else than of myself, I believe.
Knew there was a reason why I liked the band Queen:
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey, I’m gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust
To the OP, um-yeah.
Yes, and without a millisecond’s remorse. Even without knowing for certain of his intent to kill me. Anyone inside my house, uninvited, and presenting an immediate threat will die (I won’t miss the vitals at any distance encompassed by the confines of my house), so long as I can reach a firearm and have the opportunity to fire first.
Self defense? No problem. Defense of a loved one? Lemme at 'em! I cannot imagine hating a person enough to commit murder, even if I were certain to get away with it. But the OP describes self defense. In that case, all bets are off. I don’t think I’d freeze up, because I don’t tend to do that in emergencies.
Absolutely and I have been trained to do so.
I have tried to kill twice. I presume that somewhere in Panama is a (retired?) burglar who still talks about the bad night he once had. I broke his shoulder (of all things) pretty darn well.
By the time the police and ambulance left, I was pretty shaken up. I called in sick and tried to get a nap, but in truth I had trouble sleeping for the next week or so.
As for the other time, it never gave me any trouble.
Y’know, this is a case where the OP’s hypothetical might be too limiting, and that loosening it up a bit might, just MIGHT introduce different responses.
Those who’ve responded: would you be equally certain if you were NOT in your home, but:
a) alone in your disabled car on an empty street?
b) in the stereotypical dark alley?
c) well-lit, but empty, parking garage?
d) your workplace?
Same situation? Approaching menacing attacker with a drawn knife?
a) yep
b) in a second
c) at once
d) at my workplace, I would be seriously in the shit if I produced a weapon. But to defend my students, Security being elsewhere…sure.
I have absolutely zero moral qualms with terminating anybody who is posing a clear and present lethal danger to myself, my family, or those with whose well-being I have been charged.
Either and both, lots of bullet holes. Might even stick his own knive us his ass-canal.
Yah but how much of that was the fact that you almost died (and subsequently full of adrenaline).
I agree that I don’t know how I would feel afterwards but I’ll go so far as to say I would shoot with less than 100% certainty. If someone shows up in my room with a knife the presumption is that they mean to harm me. It doesn’t matter if they’re trying to kill me or just cut off Mr. Happy. If I thought I had the luxury of time I might fire a warning shot about a nano-second before I squeezed off 2 rounds.
I guess I’ll be the second to say no, I don’t think so. I think I would probably freeze up but as others have pointed out, I can’t know for sure, since I have never been in the situation (and hopefully never will be).
Wow, a lot of people here seem to be shooting intruders without any hesitation. The hypothetical situation presented certainly makes it seem like I would at least seriously entertain the thought of killing the intruder, but only because I know that he will kill me. I may still freeze up though. I am very anti-gun ownership, and would never have one in my house. I wish that in this hypothetical situation I wouldn’t have to kill the intruder, but could instead use my gun to incapacitate him.
I think a lot about whether I am willing to kill people, and in what situations. I spent a year in the military service in Sweden, and am trained to shoot missiles at airplanes (as in I actually press the fire button and guide the missile). I don’t know if I would actually be able to do it in a real life situation though (if I was sitting there of course I would do it, the question is would I actually obey when told I had to take part in some war or would I refuse). I saw my time in the military as taking the place of someone else who would willingly take part in military action, and thereby wasting unnecessary military dollars (or kronor in this case).
As for the OP, I have no idea whether I’d actually do it. If I did decide to kill someone, I would certainly feel justified in my decision, though. It would never be a light hearted decision made without any thought or hesitation.
I’d shoot, in the given scenario or in a less clear-cut one.
My ethics are in fact such that it would be wrong for me not to, all the more so if there were dependents in the house.
I’m sure I would not feel ‘good’ about it, but especially in the given scenario, I certainly would not feel remorse; after all, the alternative would be me being dead.
I used to wonder about this myself.
I came home one day from an afternoon movie to find a burglar in my house. I chased him into the backyard until he jumped my fence. I then went next door and grabbed my cop neighbor who also started looking for the guy. (Cop neighbor’s police cruiser was parked in his front yard. Freaking burglar must’ve been dumber than a bowl of mice. :rolleyes: ) We have a lot of privacy fences in my neighborhood, so the little miscreant managed to get away.
Not only could I have shot the guy in self-defense, but I was so angry and frightened that I would’ve happily shot him in the back as he was running. There is no doubt in my mind. It was sort of unpleasant to learn that about myself.
I have nothing against gun ownership, but I’m glad I didn’t have one that day. According to my neighbor the local authorities don’t look too kindly upon the shooting of fleeing burglars.
I would shoot to kill in a fraction of a second. I practice and I am fairly good. It would be fatal. Regret? Hell yes. That was a brand new carpet in that room!
I think if you were to ask anyone who knows me what my responce would be, I think they’d get a pretty good laugh from it.
To those with “empty the clip” thoughts. Don’t. As stated before, there may be more than one. Like they said, two shots and scan. Also, in the review of the case, sometimes one or two shots= self defense. Six or eight shots is manslaughter. Also,
"Yes Officer, I was in fear for my life. He was going to kill me. I’d like to speak to my lawyer."
"Yes Officer, I was in fear for my life. He was going to kill me. I’d like to speak to my lawyer."
"Yes Officer, I was in fear for my life. He was going to kill me. I’d like to speak to my lawyer."
Front sight.
BOOM!
Front sight.
BOOM!
Front sight.
BOOM!
Does that answer your question?