Homeowner Tries Firing A Warning Shot — Discovers Warning Shots Mean Nothing To Bad Apples

CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA — A homeowner awoke at 12:30 p.m. to the sounds of two intruders rummaging around his home. With his handgun, he fired a warning shot into the floor to let them know he meant business. Unfortunately, that only spurred one of the intruders to charge the man with a knife in his hand. For his efforts, that bad guy was shot once in the leg.

Capt. Anita Amaro of the Chester Police Department told Daily Times News that the intruder was a juvenile. His accomplice, also believed to be a teenager, fled the scene after his buddy got shot. The injured suspect was taken to a nearby hospital where he is receiving treatment for his wound and will be charged for his actions. The homeowner is cooperating with the investigation and preliminary details indicate this was purely an act of self-defense.

There’s not a single law-abiding, conscientious gun owner in this country who relishes in the idea of shooting a teenager. As a gun owner and someone who refuses to be a victim, it may come down to that. Teenagers can do surprisingly stupid adult things without realizing the consequences for their actions. One of those things is breaking into a man’s home and charging at him with a knife. Getting shot in the leg is hopefully a life lesson that this teen will take with him throughout the rest of his life as a solemn reminder he got exceptionally lucky.

As for the homeowner, he didn’t do either of these teens any favors by blowing a hole in his own floor. While he might have imagined he was giving both a heads-up that this was not a house to be tampered with, he likely didn’t calculate for the pure stupidity of at least one of those teenagers.

Defend yourself through whatever means you have at your disposal. Don’t, however, damage your own property needlessly to potentially save the lives of those who have zero opinion on yours. If bad guys (or kids) can’t figure out that the gun in your hand is loaded and you intend to use it, that’s their problem — not yours.

Defend yourself like your life depended upon it. It could have quite easily if that kid had managed to stick a knife in this homeowner. It’s not worth it.