I avoided a shooting this morning


Mosbyranger

New member
At 2 am this morning I could have, legally, shot 4 people. Like most of us, I was sound asleep. My wife wakes me up and says that someone just came in the house. I didn't think too much of it as my son was due in at or about that time from his job at Walmart. Then I hear a couple of female voices saying "nice doggie", and talking between themselves. Now I'm totally awake. I told my wife to grab the phone and get ready to dial 911. I had it in my mind that this could have been my son with some friends. Or not because I did not hear his voice. I grab my SP101, throw on a pair of shorts, tuck the gun into the front pocket, and head downstairs. I got to the landing and see, standing around, 2 college aged guys and 2 girls. All were carrying beers. I asked them just what they were doing. They asked if this was Jim's house (Jim is a college student living next door). No, this is not Jim's house. 4 people immediately started apologizing and headed out the front door in what could only be described as a shambling hurry. Whew, situation defused. Firearm not brandished. Adreneline level skyrocketed, but managed. 4 drunk college students live to see another day. Police,paramedics, ambulances not dispatched. A positive outcome. I still shudder to the core when thinking about the possible consequences of this mornings situation. I am glad that I had a firearm, but gladder still that I was not forced to use it. This was a real dicey situation, it had the potential to go either way, but it ended up well. I hope I do not have to go through anything like this again. OTOH, it also goes to show just how suddenly a normal situation can take a sudden turn towards the worse when you least expect it.
MR
 

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Always call the police after someone has illegally entered your home. You might have scared them off but the next victim could be elderly or otherwise easily a victim.
 
I agree w/ BCI, I would have called the police as well. I'm not sure I'd have gone looking for who ever was in the house but if I did it would have been gun in hand (which is not "brandishing") and I have to ask, how did they get in?
 
wow glad you asked before shoot and jim really was a college student living next door cuz if he wasn't i'd be a bit concerned
glad all went well for all
how did they get in ??
 
I fail to understand why, in this day and age, people do not lock their door when going to bed. I live in the middle of nowhere rural Iowa and I lock my doors at night when I go to bed where I have zero awareness of what is occurring on my property. The truth is you are as lucky to be alive as the four drunks who walked in the wrong house. And no locks don't keep criminals out of your house, but hopefully noise is made defeating them and there is no doubt about whether to shoot or not.
 
wow glad you asked before shoot and jim really was a college student living next door cuz if he wasn't i'd be a bit concerned glad all went well for all

how did they get in ??

Yes......We all want to know.......
How in the hell did they get inside??
Was the door left unlocked??
If so, then shame on the homeowner i.m.h.o.
 
I fail to understand why, in this day and age, people do not lock their door when going to bed.

I don't get that either, I will grant that our front door has an automatic lock so you can't forget to lock it but even so in our house the habit it to lock every door as you go in or out regardless of what time it is.

Was the door left unlocked??
If so, then shame on the homeowner i.m.h.o.

Oddly enough there is a thread here about a similar incident in Boulder Co. in which the majority of respondants who not only hold the person that wandered into the wrong house 100% responsible but are pissed off that the home owner didn't kill her.
 
At 2 am this morning I could have, legally, shot 4 people. Like most of us, I was sound asleep. My wife wakes me up and says that someone just came in the house. I didn't think too much of it as my son was due in at or about that time from his job at Walmart. Then I hear a couple of female voices saying "nice doggie", and talking between themselves. Now I'm totally awake. I told my wife to grab the phone and get ready to dial 911. I had it in my mind that this could have been my son with some friends. Or not because I did not hear his voice. I grab my SP101, throw on a pair of shorts, tuck the gun into the front pocket, and head downstairs. I got to the landing and see, standing around, 2 college aged guys and 2 girls. All were carrying beers. I asked them just what they were doing. They asked if this was Jim's house (Jim is a college student living next door). No, this is not Jim's house. 4 people immediately started apologizing and headed out the front door in what could only be described as a shambling hurry. Whew, situation defused. Firearm not brandished. Adreneline level skyrocketed, but managed. 4 drunk college students live to see another day. Police,paramedics, ambulances not dispatched. A positive outcome. I still shudder to the core when thinking about the possible consequences of this mornings situation. I am glad that I had a firearm, but gladder still that I was not forced to use it. This was a real dicey situation, it had the potential to go either way, but it ended up well. I hope I do not have to go through anything like this again. OTOH, it also goes to show just how suddenly a normal situation can take a sudden turn towards the worse when you least expect it.
MR

Ummmmmmmm.....How exactly did they get inside of your house at that hour??
 
Glad it all turned out okay but I think you need to start locking your doors at night:victory:
 
i used to leave my bedroom door open when i sleep at night as i'm very claustrophobic and like the fresh night air on a cool night coming in but being crime rate is up almost 80 percent in my area and it being summertime i opt now to lock the door
i leave my truck unlocked most of the time because if they really want it they going to get it and i'd rather if they was just trying to steal whatever was in it they didn't break a window to get in as they expensive to replace more so than anything i have in it
i used to sleep on my screened porch alot too but i don't do that anymore either shame we can't enjoy open air and feel safe sleeping in a tent or porch or with windows open anymore
 
IN SOME CASES, for insurance purposes, it is NOT considered "breaking and entering" if the door to your house or vehicle is not locked. The "breaking" part will mean a lot to you and your recovery efforts if it ever happens. Even the theft of one firearm is many times more expensive than having to replace a window glass or door. Not to mention part of your defense if you ever have to shoot someone. Rather be safe than sorry.
 
i used to leave my bedroom door open when i sleep at night as i'm very claustrophobic and like the fresh night air on a cool night coming in but being crime rate is up almost 80 percent in my area and it being summertime i opt now to lock the door
i leave my truck unlocked most of the time because if they really want it they going to get it and i'd rather if they was just trying to steal whatever was in it they didn't break a window to get in as they expensive to replace more so than anything i have in it
i used to sleep on my screened porch alot too but i don't do that anymore either shame we can't enjoy open air and feel safe sleeping in a tent or porch or with windows open anymore

Yes, it is an absolute shame. It also used to be work hard, strive to succeed, and if you did the best you possibly could then you can be proud. Now it's you're entitled, at least you tried, and everyone gets a first place ribbon just for showing up. Hmmm, I wonder if there is a correlation here??
 
OK, answers to some questions. Yes, the front door was unlocked. My bad, I went to bed and did not even think about it. I failed in that responsibility, mea culpa. Jim does indeed live next door, he is a college student and a friend of mine. The people in the house were obviously college age, had been drinking and knew my neighbor. I could have been bamboozled by a mixed gender pair of home invaders, but since they started apologizing, heading towards the door and were pretty well drunk I did not judge them as a threat. I mean, when they found out they were in the wrong house, they retreated hastily. My assessment of the situation was that they had come into my home by mistake and were no threat to me and mine. My CCW instructor pretty well hammered home the concept of situational awareness in the class, and I'm glad he did.

Now, hours later, I'm thankful for not. 5 families are not devastated. I am not in jail. The DA is not asking me a series of very hard questions. I am not seeking a bail bondsman and a lawyer. I am not deaf from gunshots in close quarters. I am not in the media. The list of not probably could go on and on, but that's about all for now.
MR
 
good job mosbyranger, sounds like a like of things went 'right' and your brain was awake when needed. I'd still have walked down with the gun in front of me just in case they said "sorry, you weren't supposed to be home" and tried something.
 
tuck the gun into the front pocket Firearm not brandished.

I am curious as to why you did not keep the gun in your hand? It takes less than one second for someone with a gun in hand to aim and fire. If you had met an actual armed criminal, with gun in their hand, you would have been at a disadvantage having the gun in your pocket. I don't see a disadvantage to keeping the gun in hand in this case.
 
I disagree with the calling the cops on them option. From your story they sounds like it was an obvious mistake. There was no harm done and they apologized. They wont have a next "elderly victim" because there was no "victim" in this situation. Good job in not to shoot-first-ask-questions-later.
 
The gun was not in my hand because it was not in my hand. I cannot give any other answer. It was 2 am, I had just been woken up and my thought processes may not have been functioning too well. The shorts I was wearing have large pockets so I could have gotten to it if needed. Yep. I surely did not do everything perfectly.
MR
 
The gun was not in my hand because it was not in my hand. I cannot give any other answer. It was 2 am, I had just been woken up and my thought processes may not have been functioning too well. The shorts I was wearing have large pockets so I could have gotten to it if needed. Yep. I surely did not do everything perfectly.
MR

I feel no more urge to criticize your actions than I do to scold the shooter in the other referenced thread for not shooting to kill a drunk college student. You owe nobody here any explanations beyond what you wish to offer, and your only obligation is to answer the questions you have to your own satisfaction.

I'm glad for you that everything turned out fine. Hopefully, lessons learned on both sides. The four kids might think twice before getting that blasted again. You've already identified lessons that you learned. No harm, no foul. Hope you don't lose any more sleep tonight because of what happened that everybody walked away from healthy last night.

Good luck, and may God continue to bless your home with peaceful outcomes.

Blues
 

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