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

Hk Cc9 GOTW 1
Hk Cc9 GOTW 1

Gun of the Week: Heckler & Koch CC9

The Heckler & Koch CC9 isn't merely just another micro-compact. It's the result of a significant amount of work on the part of the company's US subsidiary to create the first truly American-made HK.

The Armed Citizen® May 22, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Political Report | Braced Pistols’ Status Unresolved

The U.S. Supreme Court has characterized handguns as the “quintessential” Second Amendment arm. Pistol braces increase accuracy and ease of operation for large-format handguns, especially for users suffering from physical disabilities.

The PROOF Research PXT: A New Approach to Barrel Rifling

PROOF Research has introduced PROOF eXponential Twist (PXT)—an advancement in rifling that improves durability, accuracy and shootability—to the commercial market.

Review: Springfield Armory Model 2020 Heatseeker

Back when American Rifleman reviewed Springfield's Model 2020 Waypoint, we noted that we ...couldn’t help but wonder if a tactical-version Model 2020 rifle might be a logical future offshoot of the Waypoint hunting rifle." With the Model 2020 Heatseeker, that version is finally here.

Marlin Goes Mad: The Marlin Mad Pig Customs Model 1894

Marlin’s latest Model 1894 lever-action rifle, a collaboration with Mad Pig Customs that is a far cry from traditional, delivers “modern, factory‑installed features previously found only on custom builds.”

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.