Unwelcome House Calls

by
posted on December 1, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
gsagi2015_fs-1.jpg

Rather than echo the sound advice to keep your carry gun on you and doors locked—even when you’re home and it’s broad daylight—I’ll let the criminals do the talking in this short list of home invasions in the last month. 

Indiana’s incident is sickening. The pastor left for the gym, but when he returned at 8:30 a.m. his 28-year-old bride—12 weeks pregnant—was unconscious on the floor. She had three bullet wounds, including one to the back of her head, execution style. To quote the ABC News headline, “Suspect stood over pastor’s pregnant wife after shooting her and watched her bleed, court documents say.”  The couple’s infant son, upstairs in a crib, was unharmed.  Despite the best efforts of doctors, she remained unresponsive and later died. Authorities arrested two who now face murder charges. A third allegedly violated parole in driving the getaway car.  An unlocked front door provided the criminals access for what began as a burglary.

I have to admit the pastor is a much bigger man than I could ever be. After the arrests, he’s still choosing “love over hate.”  

The 81-year-old California woman beaten during this broad daylight home invasion should make a full recovery. In Illinois, one criminal ended his lunch break (if they take one) and started shooting as he broke in. Here’s another post-brunch incident in Wisconsin.

It was 5:38 p.m. in Pennsylvania, about the time you expect Dominos to deliver, but it was four or five men making a house call. And, you just never know. An Ohio neighbor killed a couple and their 7-year-old son at sometime around 5 p.m.

Obviously, criminals usually prefer the work under cover of darkness, but some of the reports emphasize the fact they don’t care who they target. Duct tape was used to tie up a 91 year old in New York while the house was ransacked. The house was torched after an elderly man was killed in Michigan and the perpetrator(s) remains at large.  

With holiday school vacations quickly approaching, here’s another ominous safety reminder from Delaware. And if you want to read something really creepy, a baby monitor’s camera photographed a New York burglar crawling around the house while the family slept through most of the incident.  

There are a lot of criminals who view this time of year as one of opportunity, and precisely why lawful citizens should get training and own/carry a gun. The unthinkable can—and does—happen anytime, anywhere and to anyone. 

Latest

Taurus TX 9 9 mm pistol
Taurus TX 9 9 mm pistol

New For 2026: Taurus TX9 Pistol

Taurus launches the TX9 family of striker-fired, polymer-frame pistols, adding to its popular TX series of handguns.

Heavy Browning At War: Combat Tales Of The Browning M1917 Machine Gun

For the first half of the 20th century, one of the most important firearms in the U.S. military arsenal was the water-cooled Browning M1917, known to gunners and infantrymen alike as the "Heavy Browning."

Rifleman Review: Smith & Wesson Model 1854 Stealth Hunter

Smith & Wesson's Model 1854 Stealth Hunter is one of the latest additions to the company's line of modernized lever-action rifles.

VKTR Goes 2011: The Vanguard VKP Pro

Primarily known for its premium AR-15 rifles, VKTR Industries jumped into the 2011 handgun world in 2026 with its VKP Pro and Vanguard designs.

Rifleman Q&A: Cracking Marlin’s Code

Q: I have a Marlin Model 782 repeater, Serial No. 27392733, with a Micro-Groove barrel. I would like to understand how to narrow down its time of manufacture.

Review: Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber

Ruger recently released a variant of its popular 10/22 made with modern materials and incorporating performance-minded engineering: the 10/22 Carbon Fiber.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.