This is one it the main reasons that gun control is absolutely ridiculous. Every human has a God given right to protect himself. And the police are not capable of protecting everyone, nor are they obligated to do so by law. Only a firearm allows an average citizen to exercise this right. Crime happens everywhere; even rural families living in an idyllic setting are vulnerable. No one is completely safe. Therefore, firearms ownership in this country is not only a right but an obligation. Criminal activity may be less in rural areas; but police help often requires more time.
This crime happened in a very rural Iowa farming area of Taylor County ( pop. 6000) where most would say It is extremely safe and self defense is highly unlikely. Fortunately Iowans are independent and believers in the Second Amendment.. This may be off the subject but does help make a point. Taylor County adjoins another idyllic Iowa county, Montgomery. The town of Villisca was the scene of one of the most gruesome murders in U. S. history at a time that is considered one of Victorian innocence (1912). An entire family and two neighbor children were the victims of a never solved axe murder. The total dead included 2 adults and 6 young children. I have friends who question my need to have a carry permit in a safe rural area of NE Iowa. Carrying a fire arm is a right and a need, appropriate everywhere.
Sorry, if have a tendency to make long posts.