Even Criminals Are Getting Wise To Home Invasions — Apartment Dweller Defends Himself Against Two Armed Assailants

MUNCIE, INDIANA — A man accused of dealing in marijuana successfully defended his home from two armed assailants. The apartment occupant had a video surveillance system set up to watch his front door and saw two armed men approach his door and begin kicking it. He took aim and fired through the door, striking one of the assailants.

Muncie police did not charge the occupant in the shooting death of one of the assailants but did charge him with possession of nearly a pound of marijuana. He was charged with criminal possession as well as intent to distribute.

According to the Star Press, Scott Allen Gilliam, 26, was found dead a few yards away from where the attempted break-in occurred. He is believed to have been one of the suspects in the attempted break-in and his criminal record suggests he likely shouldn’t have been able to possess a firearm legally. As for the apartment occupant, he, too, shouldn’t have been able to possess a firearm legally but will not be charged with using one to defend his own life.

From the looks of this case, it appears the two armed assailants knew this was a drug dealer’s home and targeted it specifically with the intent of armed robbery. The drug dealer had at least enough common sense to invest in a home surveillance system so he could tell who was outside his own door.

Because both parties in this case were convicted felons, neither of them should have had access to firearms. Our guess is that they were stolen or purchased through less-than-legal means.

As for the apartment occupant, he’s currently hanging out in the Delaware County jail with a bond of $11,000. His charges include dealing in marijuana, possession of marijuana and maintaining a common nuisance. Maintaining a common nuisance is a nice way for saying he operates a drug den out of his home. His defense team may have a crack at reducing charges down but this ultimately means his business is defunct for the time being.

Considering he was facing two armed assailants who seemed intent on violence at 3 a.m., we’ll think of it as a minor price to pay.

At Concealed Nation, we advocate responsible, legal concealed carry of firearms. We also defend the right of the individual to self-defense. It is absolutely clear neither party should have had possession of firearms but they did. If anything, this informs us that criminals aren’t too concerned about getting caught with a gun. We should be.

You don’t have to have thousands of dollars in illegal drugs in your home to entice armed, violent visitors at three in the morning. Having a home that is suspected to contain anything of value can be quite enough. That’s why we definitely recommend getting video surveillance to help identify bad guys before they come in through the door.

Don’t, however, shoot through the darn door. That’s a horrible mistake. Rounds exiting with no intended target in mind is a recipe for disaster. In an apartment complex or a detached dwelling, there are neighbors and other people about who would probably rather not have to worry about rounds flying above or below them.

Judicious shot placement and confirmation of targets before pulling the trigger, those are just two things any law-abiding, responsible gun owner would do before engaging. Learn from criminals, practice for reality.