Category: Self Defense

Homeowner kills man during break-in

BASTROP — A Cedar Creek man was fatally shot after he reportedly broke into a Bastrop County home last week.

Edwin Garcia, 28, was killed in the early morning hours of Feb. 20 after a reported scuffle with a homeowner in KC Estates, just northeast of the Bastrop city limits. According to the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office, no charges will be filed against the homeowner, who is believed to have acted in self-defense.

Bastrop County deputies were first dispatched to Kelley Road around 4:18 a.m. for a wrecked vehicle.

About 10 minutes later, deputies responded to a burglary-in-progress call at a Kelley Road residence, according to Sheriff Maurice Cook.

Cook said deputies heard gunshots. When they arrived at the home where the burglary reportedly took place, they found a suspected intruder losing consciousness from his injuries.

Deputies attempted life-saving measures, but first responders could not revive Garcia. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Cook said.

Woman shoots man in self-defense,

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – A woman accused of shooting and killing a man in a neighborhood southwest of Gainesville was released on the grounds of self-defense.

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office officials say a man was shot in the Westchester Manor neighborhood near Southwest Fourth Place around 3 p.m. Sunday.

Deputies detained the suspected shooter, a woman who lived at the home. Investigators interviewed her and witnesses inside the home and in the neighborhood.

Detectives concluded the woman acted in self-defense. The assistant state attorney also agreed with their findings.

The woman was released from custody as detectives continue the investigation.

The Hard Part of Armed Defense

I wrote about this story earlier. Now we know a little more after the defender spoke to local reporters. A mom with two kids was attacked in her home at night. She announced to the robbers that she was there. She shouted that she was armed. The robbers shot at her about a half-dozen times and wounded her twice. She was wounded as she held her infant daughter on her hip. She shot back and retreated. She huddled in her bedroom as she was protecting her two small children. The wounded mom begged the robbers to leave. Eventually, they did, but not before they shot at her home 30 times.

One of the robbers was wounded. All three were arrested. This is what we can learn.

Bad guys avoid a fair fight. If they responded to fairness and justice, then they wouldn’t have broken into your home in the first place. Your priority is to be there so you can take care of your children when this is over. You want to avoid being shot, and even being shot at. You definitely want to avoid facing multiple attacker at the same time. The sooner your attackers can’t hurt you the less shot you’ll get.

You don’t have to announce that you are home. You don’t have to announce that you have a gun. You don’t have to say anything to three men who broke into your home in the middle of the night. This isn’t an old-time radio drama. This isn’t a movie where the good guys and bad guys give a monologue before the fight scene. You don’t have to shoot the bad guy from the front or from a position where they can see you at all.

For example, it is hard to get shot if you’re shooting from the back of a dark bedroom and the bad guys are standing in a lighted hallway. Consider that situation for a moment. Some people think that a gunfight is won by the person who draws and shoots the fastest. That tells me you have been watching too many late-night westerns. The person who wins is usually the person with a better plan.

The hard part of self-defense is being ready for a serious but unlikely event.

Notice that the bad guys had to break into this home because the doors and windows were locked. They made noise. That noise alerted the mom and gave her time to react. She called her partner on the phone and then grabbed their gun.

You want to know when you can legally use lethal force to defend yourself. Study that enough so that you recognize a situation rather than having to think it through as it unfolds. Learn if you can shoot a stranger who breaks down your bedroom door in the middle of the night. Knowing what you can and should do makes you faster.

Practice a safety plan with your family. There are good plans and bad plans. Avoid a plan that puts you in a gunfight where bullets are going both ways. Don’t stand in the middle of your hallway and talk to people who broke into your home. Your children will be less frightened if they have rehearsed the family safety plan with you several times.

Let us imagine a very different encounter than this news story. This defender would have a huge advantage if-

  • her children were under her bed,
  • she was crouched down behind the bed,
  • she had her gun pointed at her locked bedroom door,
  • and 911 was on the phone.

How would your safety plan make you and your family safer?

This mom did a lot of things right. She and her child are also lucky to be alive. She was shot twice while she had a child in her arms and either shot was a few inches from being a fatal wound. This was the first time she had held a firearm. Give yourself every advantage so you survive even if you don’t have luck on your side. Practice with your defensive tools before you need them.

As a final aside, the robbers broke into her home looking for drugs and money. Lose your roommates who have a drug problem.. and then change the locks.

Looking at the statistics, it’s reconfirmation that being around Police -Any Law Enforcement- is very dangerous for those who have decided to defend themselves as they’re likely to shoot anyone who’s armed, simply ‘because’. Being aware of that should be taken in consideration and plans made on how to deal with it.

UPDATED: A Deep Dive into Cases Where Civilians Stopped Active Shooters. Did they accidentally shoot bystanders, get in the way of police, get their gun taken away, or create other problems? How does it compare to police who stopped these attacks?

We have previously put out our study on the FBI’s active shooting reports. If you watch entertainment television police shows, you would think something always seems to go wrong when guns are used defensively (including shooting bystanders to getting in the way of police to failing to protect the permit holder to continually having the gun stolen and use in a crime to it being used in an accidental shooting).

During the ten years from 2014 to 2023, there were 180 active shooting cases (as defined by the FBI) where a concealed handgun permit holder stopped an active shooting attack.

We decided to do a deep dive to see how many cases there were out of those 180 cases where a concealed handgun permit holder accidentally shot a bystander (one case, 0.56%), got in the way of police (zero cases, 0.0%), had the handgun taken away (one case, 0.56%), and got themselves killed (two cases, 1.1%). What was more common were cases where the permit holder was injured in saving the lives of others (44 cases, 24%). Fifty-eight of those cases were instances where a mass public shooting was likely prevented. An Excel file with the data for civilians and police is available here.

Continue reading “”

Self Defense & A Long Life Is Yours, But Only If You Want It

“The stupid neither forgive, nor forget. The naive forgive, and forget. The wise forgive, but never forget!” ~ Thomas Szasz.

This response to my Quip of yesterday titled “Being A Warrior Is A Foreign Concept For Most Modern Jews” from a long-time Jewish friend and student:

“For one, I am in agreement with your comments of yesterday.
Yet, the majority in the Jewish Community (at least the part of it with which I am familiar) will blatantly ignore your advice.
Why?

Despite recent history being reason-aplenty for unilateral armed self-protection, the majority of Jews I know immediately ‘push-back’ when the subject of guns, and lethal-force inherent to them, comes up.

Even when I bring up the subject discretely in casual conversation, the response is usually, ‘Oh no! I would never have a gun in my house,’ or the boringly classic ‘Guns are dangerous!’

I conclude there is no point in continuing the discussion!
‘Ignorance is Bliss,’ but it is fatal bliss, as we’ve seen so often!

Yes, I’m frustrated.”

My reply:

My dear friend,
The absolute refusal to face facts that you describe is frustrating indeed, but it is hardly confined to the Jewish Community!

Naive, soft-headed liberals are everywhere, many among Christians, even atheists.

Enlightenment and subsequent delivery from dangerous stupidity require sincere repentance, and the smug of all flavors is just incapable of it.

They would rather die than admit they’re wrong, even when it’s obvious

Unhappily, many will get the martyrdom they think they want!

Of course, they’ll sheepishly ‘change their minds’ at the last minute when they’re staring death in the face, but by then, it will be too late!

History does not deal kindly with arrogant, self-deceiving fools, no matter their religion, as we’ve witnessed over and over!

“Taking the law into your own hands?’

The law IS in our hands!

‘Law enforcement’ is not something sovereign citizens seize from police officers. It is a societal function that citizens delegate to civil police. In doing so, we do not abdicate our own sovereignty nor our duties as citizens. The ultimate responsibility is still ours. When people we hire as police are either unwilling or unable to perform that function at the critical moment, there is no law or standard that says we cannot perform it for ourselves.

Indeed, when personally threatened, we have no choice!

/John

Child shoots, kills 2 home intruders in self-defense

MANCHESTER, Ky. (WKYT) – Two people are dead after a juvenile thwarted a home invasion attempt.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Scottie Pennington posted on Facebook on Saturday that Clay County 911 contacted KSP after two people were found shot in Manchester.

When troopers got there, they found that the two men shot had tried to break into a home and steal firearms from a safe.

Pennington says that after the two broke in, a juvenile living in the home saw them holding guns and shot them both with a handgun.

The two men were identified as Roger Smith, 44 and 51-year-old Jeffrey Allen.

Pennington says the investigation is ongoing.

This is a developing story.

Fatal shooting in rural Missouri believed to be self-defense

BENTON CO., Mo. (KCTV) – Self-defense is believed to play a role in the fatal shooting of a man assaulting multiple individuals with a dagger near a rural Missouri amphitheater.

[Really?] 

The Benton County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office says that around 3:50 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13, emergency crews were called to the 3100 block of Highway MM, near the Grand Stage Amphitheater, with reports of a disturbance that involved a knife and firearms.

As law enforcement officials responded, they said additional information was received that an individual had been shot. When they arrived, they found Mark S. Lomax, 59, with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was airlifted to the University of Kansas Medical Center where he later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

The Sheriff’s Office said video footage reviewed on Friday revealed Lomax had been armed with an edged dagger as he assaulted multiple individuals. He confronted a vehicle that attempted to leave and tried to assault the driver as he stabbed the vehicle multiple times.

As the altercation continued, law enforcement officials said a woman emerged from Lomax’s home and screamed for help as she ran to a neighbor’s house. The neighbors came out as the altercation escalated and Lomax was shot.

A knife was used to stab a vehicle by a man who was fatally shot on Feb. 13, 2025.
A knife was used to stab a vehicle by a man who was fatally shot on Feb. 13, 2025.(Benton County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office)

The investigation revealed two individuals fired shots during the incident, however, only one is believed to have fired the fatal shot. Four individuals were detained for questioning.

After interviews, law enforcement officials said three individuals were released while a fourth was held on an outstanding warrant not connected to the case. Based on preliminary findings, the shooting will be evaluated under the state’s self-defense statute.

The Sheriff’s Office indicated that the investigation remains ongoing and further details will be made available as soon as they are made clear. At the completion of the investigation, all findings will be forwarded to the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of charges.

No further information has been released.

A knife was used to stab a vehicle by a man who was fatally shot on Feb. 13, 2025.
A knife was used to stab a vehicle by a man who was fatally shot on Feb. 13, 2025.(Benton County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office)

Man who was being followed at gas station in NW Harris County shoots, kills other man

HOUSTON — A man was shot to death at a gas station in northwest Harris County Tuesday evening, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

It happened at an Exxon gas station off the Northwest Freeway and Spring Cypress Road.

Gonzalez said a man approached another man for unknown reasons. The initial man kept following the other around the parking lot.

The man being followed took a gun out and fired at the other, striking him, according to Gonzalez.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. The alleged shooter stayed at the scene.

Man dies after being shot trying to force way into ex’s home in north Harris County

The sheriff’s office said the ex-boyfriend had kicked down the front door of the apartment where the woman, her son and other family members lived.

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A 24-year-old man fatally shot his mother’s 49-year-old ex-boyfriend who was trying to force his way into their apartment early Thursday morning, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

This happened around 1 a.m. on West Village Drive, which is off Hamill Road near the Eastex Freeway in north Harris County.

The sheriff’s office said the ex-boyfriend had kicked down the front door of the apartment where the woman, her son and other family members lived. After kicking down the door, HCSO said the man attempted to assault the woman’s son, who responded by shooting the man twice. HCSO said the shooting was done in self-defense.

The man was taken to an area hospital where he died.

The case will be referred to a grand jury to determine whether any charges will be filed against the shooter.

Witnesses told HCSO the ex-boyfriend’s behavior had become aggressive and concerning leading up to the incident.

Boardman neighbor shot during alleged apartment invasion moves from hospital to jail

A Boardman man is out of the hospital and behind bars after police say he was shot while kicking down the door of his neighbor’s apartment.

Fifty-eight-year-old Lawrence Simon was booked into county jail Thursday after spending a couple of days in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound to the leg.

A man who lives on the 100 block of Shields Road tells police he shot Simon early Tuesday after Simon broke into his apartment.

Neighbors told officers they heard a “commotion” including doors slamming before hearing two gunshots.

Police found the gun used in the shooting in a laundry basket.

Simon is scheduled to answer a burglary charge in Boardman Court next week.

Barbershop owner shoots, kills armed robber in self-defense,

SAN ANTONIO – The owner of a North Side barbershop shot a man multiple times during an attempted robbery, according to authorities.

The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 2000 block of Basse Road.

San Antonio police said a man entered the barbershop while it was open and started demanding wallets and purses while flashing a gun.

One of the business owners, described as a 26-year-old man, did not comply quickly enough with the orders and was pistol-whipped by the other man, according to SAPD.

The suspect then focused his attention on the other business owner, a 51-year-old woman, and pulled out zip ties. At the same time, the male business owner pulled out a gun and shot the suspect multiple times in the chest, SAPD told KSAT.

The man who attempted to rob the business was initially hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, police said. However, the Bexar County Medical Examiner later confirmed that he died.

Police said the male business owner had the right to use lethal force and is not expected to face charges.

Attempted carjacking goes awry: Car owner opens fire hitting 2 of 4 teen suspects

After having a gun pulled on him, a Southwest Philadelphia resident shot at four teenagers – hitting two 13-year-olds – who were allegedly trying to steal his car from behind his house Tuesday evening, police said.

The incident unfolded in the alleyway between the 5900 blocks of Bellmar Terrace and Windsor Avenue just after 6 p.m., Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

According to Small, a neighbor called the man to tell him they saw what looked like four teenagers trying to steal his Honda that was parked in the alleyway behind his house in the Kingsessing section of Southwest Philadelphia.

The man went into the alleyway and confronted the teens, Small said.

There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.

One of the teens pulled out a gun and the car’s owner responded by firing at least seven shots at the group, according to Small. All four teens ran away.

When officers responded to the scene they found two 13-year-olds suffering from gunshot wounds just one block away, Small explained. One teenager had a gunshot wound to his lower back and the other had one gunshot to his leg.

Both of the teens were taken to a nearby hospital by police where they were listed in stable condition, officials said. They are each being questioned by police.

The two other teens in the group were found by police just two blocks away and the car’s owner was able to identify them as the suspects.

Small told NBC10 that the car’s owner does have a legal permit to carry and is cooperating with police.

The entire incident was captured on private surveillance cameras, Small explained.

Homeowner shoots intruder during break-in in North Carolina

GOLDSBORO, N.C. (WNCN) – A Goldsboro homeowner shot a man who police said attempted to break into a home on Sunday evening.

According to the Goldsboro Police Department, officers responded at around 5:48 p.m. to a ShotSpotter alert on the 600 block of W. Oak Street. While investigating the alert, police said a man arrived at the hospital with apparent gunshot wounds.

“During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the subject at UNC Health Wayne was shot during an incident in the 600 Block of West Oak Street,” Goldsboro police said in a news release on Monday.

Investigators determined the shooting victim was suspected of breaking and entering to terrorize at a home at that address, resulting in a resident shooting him in self-defense, police said.

The suspect, later identified as 30-year-old Deshaun Jamarion James, was subsequently transported to another hospital for treatment. As of Monday morning, he’s listed to be in critical condition, according to Goldsboro police.

Nobody living inside the home was harmed during the incident. Police said at least one of the victims and the suspect were “acquaintances.”

“The investigation is ongoing,” the news release stated.

Hattiesburg man shot, killed by security guard during incident at chicken-processing plant

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) — A security guard may have saved the lives of others Wednesday afternoon after shooting and killing an armed man in the parking lot of a Jones County chicken-processing plant.

Jones County Coroner Burl Hall said Wednesday night that 21-year-old Lorenzo Hawthorne, of Hattiesburg, died outside the facility at Southern Hens., Inc,, on Moselle-Seminary Road after an exchange of gunfire with a company security guard.

Hall said the body will be sent to the state Crime Lab for autopsy.

The security guard had not been identified Wednesday.

In a statement issued early Wednesday evening, Southern Hens., Inc., said the incident started about 2 p.m. that afternoon as a workplace dispute.

“On January 29, 2025, at about 2:00 pm, at its plant in Moselle, Mississippi, an employee of Southern Hens had a dispute with another worker at the plant and left the secured area of the plant and retrieved a gun from the parking lot,” the statement read. “ He fired at least five shots in the parking lot area and when he turned the gun on the plant security guard, he was shot and killed by the guard.”

The release said Jones County Sheriff’s Department personnel were on-site. The company said all nonessential employees at the plant were released for the remaining work day as soon as it was cleared by JCSD.

The company said all employees who may have witnessed the encounter will be offered counseling.

“Thoughts and prayer go out to the families affected by this shooting,” the statement concluded.

JCSD Investigator Stephen Graeser confirmed that the shooter was a Southern Hens’ employee.

Graeser said the shooter fired multiple rounds with an AR-15-style rifle outside into vehicles where workers were.

Workers fled the scene, and no one was hurt at that time, Graeser said.

Graeser said the shooter than tried to make his way into the plant, where he was confronted by security.

Multiple rounds were exchanged between the shooter and a security guard, with the shooter dying from gunshot wounds, Graeser said.

Some Southern Hens employees were calling the security guard a hero.

“The guy got fired from his job,” Southern Hens employee Kelvin Snyder said. “He got mad, went out to his truck, got a gun … he shot off three shots, he missed.

“The security guard jumped up and ran behind the guard shack. He shot off three more shots, he missed. The security guard jumped up and hit him in the chest and the top … He was planning to come inside the plant. Like I seen him. He was walking, fixin’ to come in the plant, and they stopped him.

“They stopped him with two shots.”

The shooting remains under investigation.

Plan Ahead: A firearm is only one part of an integrated defensive plan.

Bob and Sarah (not their real names) owned a small grocery on the edge of town, not far from the interstate highway. On the evening in question, Bob was behind the counter manning the cash register, while Sarah was in their little office. Bob looked up to see a masked man enter the store and point a gun at him. Bob put his hands up and took a step backwards. Just then Sarah fired a shot from inside the office delivering a load of buckshot from her 20 gauge to the armed robber’s neck and head.

That sounds like a lucky save, but there was a lot of planning done ahead of time to insure a successful outcome. When Bob and Sarah first bought the store, they had a carpenter come in and frame up a small office against the wall opposite of the front door, situated so that someone in the office could see the front door and the checkout counter. Next, they had a small button installed on the floor beneath the cash register that would buzz in the office when it was stepped on. Finally, they installed security cameras inside and outside the store.

In this particular case, Sarah saw the crook while he was still outside, putting his mask on. By the time that Bob saw the crook and stepped on the buzzer at his feet, Sarah had already dialed 9-1-1 and was reaching for the office shotgun. Knowing what was about to happen, Bob put his hands up and stepped back to make sure that his wife had a clear line of fire.

My point in all of this is that the firearm in question was just one integral part of the security system. This couple had discussed the dangers of running a store on the edge of town and took steps to make themselves a harder target.

I happen to think that a firearm, and the ability to use it well and wisely, is just one part of what guarantees our personal safety. Merely locking the doors in our vehicle and our house doesn’t keep the crook out, but it buys us time to react, arm ourselves, and notify authorities. Being a lifelong shooter, my hearing is not what it once was, so I also rely on my little dog to tell me when someone is around. And, after hearing Bob and Sarah’s story, I am in the process of looking at inexpensive security cameras.

My situation may not be exactly like yours or Bob and Sarah’s. We each have to ask ourselves … How do I spend my days?  What criminal acts am I likely to be confronted with, and how can I prepare for them? Yes, a defensive firearm, and the ability to use it safely and effectively, is important. But it is only part of the whole situation. You’d be wise to study your particular situation and plan ahead.

Argentinian TCOB

A 78-year-old retiree shot and killed a 15-year-old boy who tried to rob him outside of his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The teenager quickly leaps out of the car before it can even come to a full stop next to the white car, with the boy seen aiming what appeared to be a handgun at the Toyota driver. As the teen goes to open the driver’s seat door, the 78-year-old man pulls out a .357 Magnum pistol and fires at the boy, killing him, police said.

The teenager, who was described by a friend online as a “great person,” was holding a fake gun meant to resemble a grey 22-caliber mini Bersa Thunder, Page 12 reported.

Investigators said they are still on the hunt for the two people who were in the van at the time of the attempted robbery. The Departmental Investigations Directorate is treating the case as an aggravated robbery conducted by suspected gang members, officials added.

Local Prosecutor Diego Rulli, who is in charge of the case, will not seek charges against the 78-year-old man, who he said acted in clear self-defense with a weapon that he has a license to carry and use.

APD: Teen killed during robbery attempt, 7 teens charged in connection

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) [January 29]– The Albuquerque Police Department said 14-year-old Alfonso Sanderson was killed overnight after they said he and a friend tried to rob a woman and shot her at an apartment complex on Tramway Blvd. According to APD, the woman’s husband shot back killing Sanderson. The shooting is being investigated as a justifiable homicide.

According to police, Sanderson was with a group of teens who were in a white vehicle approaching the couple in a blue Jeep. The victims said Sanderson approached them on the passenger side window with two guns. Another teen, identified as Jeriah Salas, opened the rear passenger door with a gun. That’s when they heard gunshots and the husband shot back multiple times at the teens.

A female teen entered the Jeep and began to fight with the husband. He then put the Jeep in reverse and hit the white vehicle. The couple later arrived at the hospital after realizing the woman had been shot.

The teens put Sanderson into their vehicle and drove to a nearby residence for gas money. APD said Janiyah Pino went to the hospital after being grazed by a bullet. She was taken into custody for charges in connection to the robbery. She also had a felony warrant.

Salas was charged with attempt to commit an armed robbery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery, and assault with a deadly weapon among other charges.

Jocelyn Pino, 16, 14-year-old Elijah Gutierrez, 12-year-old Jathan Gutierrez, 17-year-old Vicente Pino, 15-year-old Janiyah Pino, and 13-year-old Levi Salas were charged in connection to the robbery as well. Salas was arrested on Thursday.

Store manager shoots man charging at him with knife in downtown Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A store manager shot a man who allegedly charged at him with a knife at a store in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday.

Just before 6 p.m. Sunday, police responded to a shooting at the convenience store located at E. 11th Street and Grand Boulevard.

When officers arrived, they located the suspect, Marcus Webb, on the ground suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital.

Webb was charged in the incident.

Officers spoke with the manager, who told them he shot Webb in self-defense after Webb jumped over the counter and charged at him with what was later identified as a brisket knife, according to court documents.

The owner of the store showed officers surveillance video that confirmed the manager’s account of the incident.

A customer who was inside the store with his 8-year-old son also spoke with police and said he saw the commotion unfold, including Webb jumping over the counter.

He told police that the store manager, “saved his life and his son’s life, and he would be willing to testify to it being self-defense.”

In an interview with detectives, the manager said Webb had entered the store earlier in the day and was escorted out after going behind the counter.

When Webb returned, he was armed with a knife and jumped onto the counter.

The manager said he managed to get from behind the counter and Webb began chasing him.

He told police he managed to get some distance between Webb and that’s when he shot him.

A witness told police he heard Webb say, “You shot me, I’m dying.” The cashier responded, “I didn’t want to shoot you, you were trying to stab me,” to which Webb replied, “I didn’t want to stab you, I wanted to kill you.”

Armed homeowner kills suspect who kicked in door

✕
RIO RANCHO, N.M. —
An attempted home invasion around midnight Saturday was thwarted when the owner shot and killed a man who broke down the front door, a Rio Rancho Police Department social media post said.

Two adults and three children were sleeping in a house on the 1500 block of 12th Street Southeast when the sound of the man entering the house woke up the owner, who had a gun and shot the intruder. The intruder was taken to a hospital, where he died, police said.

The Rio Rancho Police Department responded to the incident. The results of its investigation will be sent to the district attorney. The owner of the house has not been charged.