As reported, a homeowner used his gun to defend himself and his family against 4 intruders who broke in during the night.
Police say that four intruders, aged 16, 17, 18, and 19, pulled a window air conditioner out of a window and used the opening to break in to a home on the 400 block of West Baylor in San Antonio, TX. The intruders were reportedly armed with weapons that included a gun and a knife. The homeowner is said to have fired his gun in self defense, fatally wounding the 19 year old intruder and lightly injuring another, according to news reports. The three suspects were reportedly taken into custody, and neither the homeowner nor his wife and children were harmed.
Those who are unarmed, or who are armed with an inferior weapon, will often end up overpowered by the criminal, with dire consequences. Nor can a citizen rely upon the police for protection, as they are minutes away while it takes a criminal who is breaking in just seconds to get to their victim. It is also important to note that the police will sometimes fail to help even when asked repeatedly, and they are not legally liable for that failure. Adding to the problem, police are 5.5 times more likely than an armed citizen to shoot the wrong person, meaning that there is a certain degree of danger anytime there are armed police coming to the aid of a citizen.
Indeed, criminals often work in groups, using superior numbers to overwhelm their victims. When that happens, even the strongest unarmed victims can be overpowered by the numerically superior criminals. When the crime victim is an older individual, and the criminals are younger, those multiple criminal have an even greater advantage.
However, when that crime victim is armed, things can be quite different. One of the best things about firearms is that they allow a single crime victim to defend themselves against multiple attackers. As another example, this man used his handgun to defend himself against 3 violent men who broke into his apartment. This business owner used his shotgun to stop 4 armed robbers who where pistol whipping an employee and threatening the lives of everyone present. This mother used her handgun to defend herself and her young children from a pair of home invading prison escapees. This woman used her gun to fend off 4 home invaders. This man used his gun to save himself and his wife from 4 armed robbers. This 91 year old man used his gun to save himself and his wheelchair bound wife from a pair of armed criminals who broke in to their home. Armed self defense works, and is often a crime victim’s best chance at avoiding harm.