It Was A Busy Weekend For Violent Home Invasions, And The Criminals Won In Each Of Them

Each morning, I search Google News for things like ‘concealed carry’, ‘armed robbery’ and ‘home invasion’. Most days are pretty routine, finding a few articles here and there. This morning, however, wasn’t nearly as routine as I had hoped. The first three results for ‘home invasion’ showed me three different incidents that happened over the weekend, and each one was violent.

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I post these, even when a person didn’t use a firearm to defend themselves, because it’s important to be reminded that these things do happen. If you let your guard down for a day, that could be the day you meet a violent criminal. Take this first home invasion as a perfect example. As you’ll read, the homeowner had numerous firearms in the house, but still wound up the victim.

Home Invasion #1: Man Shot During Home Invasion (story)

A man was shot in the leg about 1 p.m. Sunday during an armed home invasion near Oxford.

The man was trying to defend himself and his wife from the intruder when he was shot, according to Indiana State Police Sgt. Kim Riley. His wife was unharmed.

The man managed to dial 911, prompting sheriff’s deputies to respond to the scene in the 6700 block of Benton County Road 200 East. Deputies secured the scene and transported the injured victim to St. Elizabeth East in Lafayette for treatment before calling ISP to lead the investigation.

The armed robber escaped with cash and other valuables. Police scanner traffic indicates that officers believe a shotgun and several .22 rifles were stolen from the residence.

In this instance, we know from the story that firearms were indeed inside the home. Why none were used against the intruders is anyone’s guess. Or maybe he did, since the story reports that “The man was trying to defend himself…”. It doesn’t seem that way, so I will assume that the homeowner wasn’t able to get to his firearms in time, for whatever reason.

Home Invasion #2: Pistol Whipped (story)

Police said the victims told them that they were asleep on the couch when four black men kicked in their front door. The victims said the men were wearing masks and holding guns.

According to police, the victims were shoved into a closet while the men ransacked the apartment. One victim was hit with a pistol several times, according to police, and had a cut on her lip.

Police said the suspects stole the victims purses, wallets and a car.

In this invasion, a female victim was repeatedly pistol whipped by one of the intruders, seemingly for no reason. They were able to get away with valuables, as well as a vehicle.

Home Invasion #3: Teenager Shot And Killed (story)

Keiria Reynolds, an 18-year-old of Goodwater, was shot when two suspects entered a Sylacauga residence on South Church Avenue Saturday evening.

Police said the suspects, both black males wearing black hoodies, entered the back door and shot Reynolds before assaulting another victim. One suspect wore a white mask.

Responding police found Reynolds near the road and transported her to a nearby medical center, where she died from her injuries.

It’s a sad day when an innocent life is lost, and so senseless. The second homicide in the area in the last week, the community is picking up the pieces and thinking of ways to curb the violence. Police Chief Chris Carden had this to say:

“I am having a difficult time believing that there aren’t people out there who are as tired of this nonsense as I am,” Carden said. “This senseless violence has to stop, and we as a community have to work together to develop the leads it will take to close these murders and give these families some peace.”

I’ll go a step further and say this with sincere passion: If you are able, arm yourself. Protect yourself and your family. These bad people are not going to go away, and we need to be ready for the unthinkable. Each of these stories above are real-life events, and any house in the country can be the next target.