Police investigate after man fires gun at suspects during home break-in
BY ELIZABETH TOWNSEND/etownsend@thesunnews.com
The victim told police he was in his home when he heard a noise in the garage and went to go investigate and grabbed his .22 revolver gun as he walked out. He said he found one man inside his garage talking to another man located outside the garage, authorities said.
The victim said he opened his garage door and fired one shot at the suspect inside, who ran under the garage door and took off with the other suspect, running southbound through the victim’s yard, police said.
In just the span of just seconds, this victim became the victor. He took back his own home from the two intruders with the use of a gun. Without it, who really knows what could have happened? The underlying reason this man still breathes is this: situational awareness.
Lets break his actions down and see how he effectively implemented this defensive gun use tactic in this week’s Bullet Breakdown.
- Grabbing His Gun at the First Sign of Danger.
This response should come as second nature to every gun owner. When you hear something out of the ordinary, reach for your firearm and prepare for anything. A quick response time is crucial in times like these.
- Becoming Aware of His Surroundings
Once he grabbed his ol’ reliable, this 45-year-old man carefully investigated the suspicious noises. He located the danger, and recognized the threat at hand.
- He Made the Decision to Act
The last step was to react to the two intruders. These situations require a mix of logic and instinctual behavior. The question becomes this: ‘Is my life in mortal danger?’ This man answered with a resounding ‘yes’, and eliminated the threat.
Now here’s where the story gets interesting. The two criminals bolted from the homeowner’s garage once he opened fire-but he didn’t stop there. Instead, the Myrtle Beach resident chose to pursue the intruders across his front lawn.
My question to you, the reader, is this: Would you keep shooting at a pair of intruders, even after they fled from your home?
You could make the argument that the homeowner was safe enough to stay put once the intruders fled. He had an option to stand down and call the local authorities to handle it. What’s more, a stray bullet could have harmed a neighbor when the homeowner fired shots after the fleeing suspects. Looking beyond your target is key.
But there’s a flipside to this argument. The two lowlifes were still technically on his property, so he had the right to keep unloading lead in their direction. He may have wanted to make sure these guys had no plans to infiltrate his domain in the future.
So let’s hear what you think, Defend and Carriers. What would you do in this situation? How would you react? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below.
