A 13-year-old South Carolina boy used deadly force to defend himself and his family’s home during a daylight burglary attempt. The teen saw a vehicle with two people inside pull up behind the house. One man got out of the car and started trying to break into the house. The boy became scared and retrieved his mother’s handgun and shot at the intruder. The teen told media later that his mother has taught him about gun safety and said he could use the gun to protect himself. An exchange of gunfire followed the initial shot, but the boy was not hit. The suspect, though, was shot three times. He died at the hospital after his accomplice dropped him off for treatment and then fled. Police found a handgun that did not belong to the homeowners in the backyard, and officers later arrested the second suspect. (Post & Courier, Charleston, SC, 11/11/15)
The Armed Citizen® Extra
An Albuquerque, N.M., homeowner used his gun to prevent several car burglars from breaking into his vehicle. Catching numerous men wearing ski masks in the act, the resident opened fire when one of the creeps pointed a gun at him. All of the suspects fled the scene, but 15 minutes later they dropped one of their number off outside a local hospital with a gunshot wound before speeding away. The injured suspect is in stable condition, and the police are searching for his accomplices. (Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, NM, 12/7/15)
From the Armed Citizen® Archives:
November 1960
Maintaining a vigil in his Austin, Texas, grocery store after a series of recent break-ins, Hale Hornsby surprised a burglar and shot him in the arm with a .45-cal. pistol. The wounded man, a four-time penitentiary inmate, was later taken into custody by the police. (Austin Statesman, Austin, TX)
