NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — Many details about this story are still not completely known, but from what we do know, we can learn a thing or two about being a responsible gun owner in a self defense situation. Here is the story from the news report:
“From what we’ve gathered, the guy that got shot got into some kind of argument. Then a short time after that, he went over to the house where the person he had argued with lives and forced his way in. That’s when someone inside grabbed a shotgun and fired at him, hitting him in the upper right leg.
Via Murray Ledger and Times
“From what it looks like, everyone (involved) knows each other. In fact, after the one guy got shot, others in the house tried to help him.”
Steger said the residents attempted to use a trousers belt as a tourniquet to stem blood flow. He said the shot resulted in what he described as profuse bleeding from the leg.
Let’s summarize: Two people who know each other get into an argument. The argument is left unresolved, and in anger one of the people goes to the others house and gains entry. The homeowner shoots his friend in the leg. Immediately everyone in the house scrambles to help the person that was just shot.
There are a couple things we can surmise from the facts we know, and let’s look at them from a gun safety and self defense standpoint. First, in a self defense situation you are never supposed to shoot to wound. You are only ever supposed to pull the trigger if you feel your life is in danger, and you are firing to stop the threat. Shooting to wound does not translate well to your life being in danger, nor completely stopping the threat.
Secondly, rule #2 of gun safety says never point a gun at anything you’re not willing to destroy. The fact that the shooter and other people in the home immediately came to administer aid to their friend that was just shot, suggest the intent to destroy was not truly there.
Sadly, this all stems from an argument that was left unresolved where cooler heads did not prevail. Guns are a powerful tool for self defense, and they should not be used lightly. When faced with a self defense situation, your emotions need to be tempered to differentiate the NEED to shoot someone, and the WANT to shoot someone simply because they ticked you off.
At the time of writing, no decision has been reached as to whether or not criminal charges will be filed.