RIGBY, IDAHO — The son of a homeowner is being credited with delivering a close range shotgun blast to an intruder who broke in and opened fire on the occupants. The homeowner initially challenged the intruder and was met with gunfire. His son was able to get his hands on a home defense shotgun and shoot the intruder in the lower abdomen.
According to East Idaho News, the suspect was found sprawled out on the front lawn. Police discovered he had been very seriously hit in the lower abdomen and evacuated him to a nearby hospital. He is expected to survive his injuries and police also expect to charge him with crimes related to the home invasion and discharge of his handgun.
This is why home defense is a family affair. It’s great to be a law-abiding gun owner and be able to take charge of your family’s safety — but you’re only one man (or woman). Having a child or spouse that’s able to think clearly and act decisively can make all the difference when violent men burst in through the front door.
It comes down to educating your family on the proper use and handling of firearms. That’s an important first step. We’ve written an extensive collection of articles on the topic.
- [VIDEO] Home Defense Firearm Drills To Practice At The Range
- Guns in the Home: Balancing Security and Accessibility
- Teaching Family Members About Concealed Carry Firearms
The main point: your family can’t help you if they don’t know how.
Home defense is in everyone’s best interests.
We’ve mirrored a lot of what is often taught in Rob Pincus‘ classes on reality-based training.
- Evade
- Barricade
- Arm
- Communicate
- Respond
In this particular story, the son did all the aforementioned. He evaded the threat and put himself in a good defensive position, got the shotgun, and then responded to the threat. Once the threat was neutralized, they stayed in a secure location until police arrived.
That’s everything you can hope for in a situation like this.
Who the heck knows why a guy decides to burst in through the door and open fire on a family? That’s not a question we’re going to address. What we will address is how precisely we react when that situation occurs.
Carry every single day, especially in the home, and educate your family members on the proper use of firearms. Come up with a plan, practice that plan, and we all hope to goodness you’ll never need it. If you do, you’ll be thankful it’s there.