Fear & Loading: Nothing Funny About a Nail Gun Attack

A Cary, N.C., man suffered facial and head injuries when he squared off with nail gun-wielding home invader on July 2. Thankfully, the victim escaped to his front yard where first responders treated him.

Fortunately, law enforcement detected the stud-launching culprit in a bedroom and fastened the handcuffs before he hammered anyone else. The perpetrator has been charged with attempted murder, bond was set at 300 million penny nails and, if convicted, faces up to 30 years of boredom in jail.

The puns are tacky, but not nearly as painful as how the crime probably unfolded. The odds are good the accused didn’t bring a nail gun to the crime. The homeowner, in the middle of a huge and exhausting project, may have left it out for the night and it was grabbed for a weapon once the invader knew he was detected. Even smaller and innocent-looking versions are deadly enough that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a downloadable brochure on their safety. Someone armed with a tool capable of launching 2" nails at velocities some claim rival those produced by .22 rimfires is no laughing matter. A blank-digesting Ramset is more terrifying.

Criminals will use anything they find in or around your house to their advantage—ladders, bricks and yard tools, among other things. Galvanize your routine by cleaning up after those chores to minimize the chances of your gear being stolen or used against you.

It’s easier said than done, though. I’d love to tell you I’m not guilty of leaving stuff laying around after a tough day of work, but once upon a time a home invader I intercepted at the door decided to swing my heaviest rake at my head, multiple times. Despite my gun and threats to let their air out, the criminal didn’t leaf, either.