HOWARD COUNTY, TEXAS — A property owner shot two men that police say were trying to steal vehicle parts from his property. When the 73-year-old went out to confront them, he says they began charging at him.
When the deputies arrived at the scene they spoke with a 73-year-old man who had shot two suspects identified as Rocky Zarraga and Julian Rodriguez Jr.
The man told deputies that he heard a noise coming from the back of his property.
When he went to check it out he found two men, identified as Zarraga and Rodriguez, removing parts from a vehicle he owned.
The man confronted the suspects at gunpoint and told them to show their hands. The suspects then reportedly rushed the man who shot them both.
via cbs7.com
One suspect was treated at the hospital and charged, while the other was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition.
The universal law of a self-defensive gun use is this: If a life isn’t in immediate danger, or you don’t have an immediate danger of serious bodily harm, the best practice is not to use your firearm. What if they were armed? Since this incident happened just after dark, it creates even more unknowns. What if other people were with them? Is it truly worth the risk?
None of us want to see the bad guys get away, but this incident could have gone much worse if any number of things went wrong. Gun jam. Armed bad guys. Missed shots. Hidden accomplices. A better bet would be to call police.
I’m not going to go so far as to label this an Irresponsible Gun Owner story, but it’s still an important thing to discuss. While he may have been within his rights from a legal standpoint, not everything requires this level of force. The property owner entered himself into a situation, while directly by choice, that could have easily turned deadly for himself. Sure the bad guys placed him in that situation, but he had the choice whether or not to confront them.
Be smart out there, and realize that things can go terribly wrong. Is potentially losing your life, or getting seriously injured, worth a few car parts?
