ATHENS, GEORGIA — A 74-year-old managed to send three burglars running after drawing his pistol out of his pocket. On the surface, it seems like a win for defensive gun use — however the devil truly is in the details.
Decatur Daily reported on an event involving an elderly man, two women, and a man. Initially, a good friend of his showed up on his doorstep with the aforementioned women and one of them asked for a loan of $25. He declined but when his friend asked him, he gave in. They left and he thought that was that.
Unfortunately for him, the two women returned. This time, they were accompanied by a stranger whom the homeowner did not recognize. They apparently invited themselves in and the man held the homeowner by the throat. According to the victim’s story, the two women went about ransacking the house looking for money and valuables — convinced there was a great deal of money lurking about in the house.
The man who held the homeowner by the throat threatened the homeowner with injury if he did not reveal the location of his purported wealth. The homeowner managed to get his pistol out of his pocket and point it point blank at the man’s head.
The homeowner pulled the trigger. The gun did not discharge.
But, thankfully, the man was frightened enough to hop tail and bolt out the door — followed in tow by the two women and a reported amount of $300 in cash and valuables.
All three have been identified by authorities and arrested.
So, on the surface, again, a win for defensive gun use. However, any amount of reading between the lines of this encounter shows that it was a comedy of errors that thankfully didn’t transform into a tragedy.
A couple rules to remember when dealing with folks you don’t know showing up on your doorstep.
- Rule #1: Don’t open the door.
- Rule #2: Don’t open the door.
- Rule #3: Make sure there is a round in the chamber and the safety is taken off. Your trigger finger is the only safety you’ll ever need.
If any of these rules seem a bit confusing or maybe a bit too harsh, consider what would have happened if the main intruder who had you by the throat was just a bit less inclined to retreat after you pulled the trigger and everyone heard an audible “click”.
Don’t take chances with your life or your property. Go with a round in the chamber and don’t open the door for strangers.