I'll pass on the advice given to me on my first tour overseas. The nice MP told us to wait until the intruder entered the home before shooting. If you happen to fire while the perpetrator is entering the home, drag him the rest of the way in and clean off your doorstep before the police arrive.

If the home owner has a gun, it should be required to know how (and when) to use it. Don't throw the book at him but give him a slap on the wrist by requiring a firearms safety course for homeowners and make him pay for it.

On the other hand, B&E/attempted burglary with a deadly weapon should be a one way ticket with no return option, either prison or execution and I prefer the latter.

"Detectives were still investigating the case, Sangberg said, including whether the homeowner would face any charges in the shooting."

WHAT!?!?

The homeownder might face CHARGES?

I think the police ought to allow the homeowner one more shot at the guy while they hold him down.

samhill 2:47 pm: "WHAT!?!? The homeownder might face CHARGES?"

Absolutely.

Endangering every innocent person in a neighborhood by spraying lead indiscirminately needs to be reined in.

Remember the news reports about babies killed in their strollers; about grade schoolers cut down while walking to school; about old guys on their porch taking a stray?

He committed assault on everyone within range (about a mile radius for a .22; dunno about a 9 mm).

Sure, cut him some slack, he was justifiably provoked; but don't give him a totally free pass unless you enjoy putting your baby to sleep at night in a cast-iron bathtub.

The story was unclear as to how and where the homeowner fired to or from.

As much as it is justifiable for a homeowner to defend his castle (after all, your home IS your castle), if the burglar is retreating AND is outside the home or off the property, he can't just start taking shots at the guy. A previous post is absolutely right. You cannot start putting everyone in the vicinity at risk by trying to plug a bad guy.

That said, I hope the police exercise some good judgment for once. Let's not throw the book at this guy. Throw the book at the bad guy and IF the homeowner did anything wrong -- then give him something that actually fits his poor judgment. If a bullet damaged someone's property, then he should pay for it, along with appropriate fines.

But they always go for the jugular in everything, which means we'll probably hear in a few days that he's being charged with seventeen felonies, including telling bad jokes, making fun of old peop;le, and egregiously farting in your general direction.

That's how these things usually go.

Sounds like the homeowner needs some more practice time at the range.

In general, shooting at a fleeing burglar is not legal self defense as the threat is not longer present. However, if the burglar(s) are shooting at you, then it is clearly self defense, and until certain that their hostile intent has changed, he has a good case for self defense.

Anone else think it may be a good idea to have a gun handy in your home even during the day? (With due regard for any children at home, of course.)

Note that the perp was casing other places earlier. What if some mom was home and he walked in and decided to add rape to his rap sheet?

When seconds count, the police are only minutes away. Be prepared to defend yourself, if you want to. If you prefer to be an unarmed victim, that is your right as well.

As has been mentioned, training is the key here. One of the most difficult things to master in a situation like this is emotion. If the homeowner keeps a level head, he can assess when and where to shoot. With your family in the house and the perpetrator firing in your direction, you'd certainly be justified in using deadly force to prevent him from killing/injuring you or your family. But before firing, you need to determine what/who may be in your line of fire and have the discipline to not fire unless you're sure to not endanger anyone else. That's pretty tough in a residential neighborhood unless you're on a rooftop looking down. Even then a ricochet could hit a house or a car.

Hitting a moving target with a pistol is always difficult, but when you add emotion/adrenaline into the equation, it would be pure luck to hit the criminal without quite a bit of training. Dicey situation.

When the burglary victim turns the tables, shouldn't the headline read "Burglary goes WELL when homeowner shoots at would-be thief". Even better, if the homeowner kills the criminal, the headline should read "Burglary goes EXCELLENTLY".