CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — A 16-year-old teen was shot and an 11-year-old suffered lacerations to the back of his head after a homeowner with a concealed carry permit opened fire on them after they broke into his home.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the home was being remodeled and the property owner arrived to inspect the work at 8:25 a.m. He saw the door was open and entered with his concealed carry handgun. He was confronted by a 16-year-old teenager and an 11-year-old boy. The concealed carrier engaged both, striking one of the burglars and possibly grazing the other. Both kids fled the scene but were picked up by police.
The 16-year-old was taken to the hospital where he remains in stable condition. The 11-year-old is being treated at a children’s hospital. Both are expected to recover and both will be facing charges.
An 11-year-old… How the heck does anyone prepare themselves for that?
The truth, I suspect, is it’s becoming just another hard fact of life for residents of Chicago and other crime-riddled locations.
Surely, violent crime and home burglaries are nothing new anywhere in the United States but they seem to be heavily concentrated as of late in places like Chicago and Milwaukee. Those areas are getting rough and the gangs are bringing up kids into their ranks younger and younger. An 11-year-old is likely still in junior high — not even into his first steps through high school. Yet, here he is entering into some sort of criminal enterprise with a teenager who was likely no good to begin with.
The police haven’t charged the property owner with any crimes as it was pretty clear he was in his home, he had a permit to carry a concealed handgun, and he was confronted by intruders.
And the truth is we really need to consider doing the same. If you’re not carrying a handgun everywhere you legally are able, you’re exposing yourself, your loved ones, and your property to needless danger. If any of us are under the impression that an 11-year-old won’t use a brick, rock, or a stolen gun to drive his point home, we may be sadly mistaken. This property owner didn’t have to wait to find out.
Carry everyday, everywhere you can and especially at home. A concealed carrier’s guard doesn’t come down at the front door.