NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT — An intruder was neutralized by a single gunshot to the shoulder after he forcibly gained entry into a man’s home at 3:30 a.m., according to New Haven police. Investigators say the occupant of the home heard someone breaking down his front door and readied a registered handgun to defend himself. When the door crashed open and the intruder entered the home, the occupant knew he needed to defend himself.
According to FOX 61 News, the intruder was identified as twenty-six-year-old Jorge Ortiz. Police took him into custody and then to the hospital, where he is listed in stable condition. He will be charged with breaking into the man’s home.
Even in Connecticut, law-abiding citizens know that a gun may be the only tool at their disposal to defend their home when bad guys attack.
Police haven’t charged the occupant with any wrongdoing but are still investigating the scene. The occupant was unharmed during the home invasion but will probably be getting a much sturdier door to replace the old one.
In home invasion scenarios, I generally recommend getting on the phone with police the moment you detect something. That starts the clock ticking down until police show up. Even in states like Connecticut where Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine laws may not be as clear, there’s still always room to defend yourself with a gun.
If it’s your home, your life, you have a duty to protect it. No matter how stringent the gun restrictions are in your state, there’s always at least some process to legally purchase one.
Another piece of the puzzle I generally recommend is a surveillance camera for any entryway into the home. These cameras can record valuable evidence you may need to help seal the case that your actions were done in self-defense.
It’s little tools along the way — a gun, a surveillance system, a call to the police — that add up to a successful defensive gun use scenario. This guy managed to do it with just one or two of those pieces in place. He made it out okay and the bad guy got carted off to the hospital. Good enough.
Stay safe. Keep your gun close even while you’re at home.