# This is what "Defending your Home" with guns looks like **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 6, 2020, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872 "2020-11-06T00:49:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/21 "2020-11-06T13:17:44Z")
Wow, that’s crazy! Did the guy skedaddle, or did your Dad have to fire a warning shot? And yes, I’m in the camp of “probably not an accident”. Sad for the kids involved. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/22 "2020-11-06T13:33:15Z")
The guy did take off and the cops came and looked around for awhile before leaving. But the guy came back, probably looking for his clothes. We were all screaming and he took off again. But what he didn’t know was that my dad had also called a cousin of his down the street. The cousin didn’t come to the house. Instead he went looking for a vehicle and then he waited when he found a truck pulled off the road. A bit of a car chase ensued and the would be rapist got his truck stuck in some mud. They didn’t catch him that night, but they identified him later with the truck registration . A memorable birthday night! ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/23 "2020-11-06T13:38:58Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > No way it was an accident. Why did he aim for her head? AGREED!!! If it was light enough for him to clearly see her head, then it was light enough for him to see that it was her and not an intruder. His story is the biggest load of crap since Paul Bunyan’s ox took his last dump. 😡 ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/24 "2020-11-06T13:41:18Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Situational Awareness. > > I try to remember where everyone in my house is. > > However, I was surprised once when a former four year old came out of a different room. And if you’re a cat owner, you’ve likely experienced them teleporting on at least one occasion. The darned things, cute and fluffy as they are, never stay where you last saw them! ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/25 "2020-11-06T13:42:01Z")
I wouldn’t be so sure – he was probably just woken up. In the confusion, half-awake, I can believe he’d fail to recognize his wife. Which is EXACTLY why claiming you want a gun for home defense is such BS. When you’re blinking away the sleep and waving a gun around at every sound, the odds you kill your wife or kid are much better than the odds you kill an intruder. ---
**Author:** ![Keith1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Keith1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith1)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/26 "2020-11-06T14:02:14Z")
Nothing new. Happens near daily. And will continue, until archaic gun laws and attitude towards them changes. Sure it’s sad. Unfortunately, bound to happen, whether purposely or accidentally. It’s what guns are for. To kill people. ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/27 "2020-11-06T14:14:25Z")
That is great, thanks for the story! I’ll quit hijacking now. Back on track I look forward to hearing more on this story and see how this plays out. It seems awfully similar to the Oscar Pistorius story. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/28 "2020-11-06T15:54:57Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > a former four year old So … a five-year-old? A twenty-year-old? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/29 "2020-11-06T16:02:40Z")
He was 4 when he went into the room, 5 when he came out a different one ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/30 "2020-11-06T16:04:47Z")
Must be nice having one of those in-home stargate setups. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/31 "2020-11-06T17:11:39Z")
> [@Keith1](#): > > Nothing new. Happens near daily. And will continue, until archaic gun laws and attitude towards them changes. Sure it’s sad. Unfortunately, bound to happen, whether purposely or accidentally. It’s what guns are for. To kill people. At some point I’m going to stop feeling sad for people who keep guns at home as well as people who choose to marry someone who keeps guns at home. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/32 "2020-11-06T17:25:41Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > No way it was an accident. Why did he aim for her head? Aim? What is aim? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/33 "2020-11-06T17:47:32Z")
Maybe I lack imagination, but I can not imagine a situation where I would wake up hearing a noise and carefully avoid awakening my sleeping wife while grabbing my gun to stalk the intruder. You wouldn’t wake your pregnant wife to have her call 911 while you go out to hunt the burglar? Especially with a two year old in the house. I hear a noise in the night and the first thought in my mind would be that the two year old is out of bed and wandering around. Grabbing a weapon would be the last thing on my mind. There’s a lot not to like about this whole negligent shooting. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/34 "2020-11-06T20:02:01Z")
According to the article “He was asleep, thought there was an intruder in the house, heard noises, reached over to feel for his wife, and unfortunately he felt (what) turned out to be his dog,”. So he apparently thought his wife was still in bed. This doesn’t exonerate him of course as now there is the dog possibly wandering about making noise as well as the two year old. IMO he either had a hair trigger paranoia which means he should not have had the gun or he is a lying liar who did know exactly what he was doing. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/35 "2020-11-06T20:06:48Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > “He was asleep, thought there was an intruder in the house, heard noises, reached over to feel for his wife, and unfortunately he felt (what) turned out to be his dog,”. - The wet nose didn’t tip him off? ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/36 "2020-11-06T20:08:02Z")
Not much of a guard dog. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/37 "2020-11-06T20:20:52Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Maybe I lack imagination, but I can not imagine a situation where I would wake up hearing a noise and carefully avoid awakening my sleeping wife while grabbing my gun to stalk the intruder. You wouldn’t wake your pregnant wife to have her call 911 while you go out to hunt the burglar? > > Especially with a two year old in the house. I hear a noise in the night and the first thought in my mind would be that the two year old is out of bed and wandering around. Grabbing a weapon would be the last thing on my mind. There’s a lot not to like about this whole negligent shooting. > [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > According to the article > > “He was asleep, thought there was an intruder in the house, heard noises, reached over to feel for his wife, and unfortunately he felt (what) turned out to be his dog,”. > > So he apparently thought his wife was still in bed. This doesn’t exonerate him of course as now there is the dog possibly wandering about making noise as well as the two year old. IMO he either had a hair trigger paranoia which means he should not have had the gun or he is a lying liar who did know exactly what he was doing. Or he was a fucking moron who polished his pistol while fantasizing of the day he would get to use it on some (non-white, probably) thug while _defending his family_ and be a big fat fucking hero. That’s what the majority of people who claim to own firearms for protection are. And his joyful homicidal fantasy overcame the atrophied part of his rational brain. I could believe that as easily as pre-meditated murder. “Family” has become an excuse for all kinds of hateful stupidity in America. ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/38 "2020-11-06T20:58:22Z")
Two things come to mind: First point: if he had a dog, he should have realized that the mutt wasn’t barking because it wasn’t an intruder. And why did our hero not call for the dog to tackle the intruder? Second point: why no verbal challenge? I get the impression that it is monumental stupidity rather than deliberate murder, but who knows what may come out. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/39 "2020-11-06T21:08:29Z")
Why so many questions? Florida Man. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872/40 "2020-11-06T21:29:59Z")
> [@Brayne\_Ded](#): > > I get the impression that it is monumental stupidity rather than deliberate murder, Can’t it be both? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-defending-your-home-with-guns-looks-like/924872.md?page=3)