Homeowner Shoots At Intruder With Shotgun

January 20, 2010

A homeowner shot at an intruder Tuesday night in Cantonment, and deputies are still searching for the suspect.

About 6:30, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department responded to the home in the 1800 block of Wareham Way. That’s where a homeowner says he shot at a man trying to get into his house. Deputies don’t believe the homeowner’s shotgun blast hit the intruder, but they were not completely certain.

The intruder was not found.

Warem Way is a small cul-de-sac located off Louis Street, just south of International Paper.

Comments

20 Responses to “Homeowner Shoots At Intruder With Shotgun”

  1. Jessica on June 28th, 2010 2:00 am

    The way I see it, anyone entering my home uninvited in the middle of the night has bad intentions. They are not going to take my stuff and politely walk out the door. They are going to try to incapacitate me, so I can’t call the cops until they are long gone. Or worse, they are going to kill me. Therefore, I have the right to shoot them. And I will.

  2. candycane on January 24th, 2010 8:43 am

    Janice– You have made an assumption that the burgler just wanted stuff. Your stuff may not be worth taking someones life for, in your opinion, but he also may have killed anyone in the house just for being there. If you think you are just going to be nice to him and let him take what he wants you may come up one family member short. If they break in to my house when I am home, they have just given up their right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

  3. Lulu on January 23rd, 2010 7:37 am

    In a recent magazine, I read that Switzerland has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. The article explained that every able-bodied person is required to have gun safety classes. Students have age-appropriate classes as part of their school curriculum. Parents are responsible for teaching gun safety at home. Every homeowner has the right to bear arms. Most homes have multiple weapons. Therefore, every potential thief knows the risk they take when they attempt to enter a home and rob someone.

    This article reminded me of how America used to be years ago when you took your life in your hands when you attempted to harm someone or their family. We have foolishly gotten away from that self-preservation mode and allowed criminals the opportunity to harm and kill us.

    I believe that responsible gun ownership will absolutely reduce crime. I am glad the homeowner prevented harm to him and his family. Good for him.

  4. UNBIASED on January 22nd, 2010 7:08 pm

    Home owner’s right to protect his property and family….i would hope I could do the same.

  5. none of your business on January 21st, 2010 12:21 pm

    well said LStevens,
    Glad to know your around north escambia…..

  6. LStevens on January 21st, 2010 10:04 am

    too bad he missed…somebody needs to spend more time at the range. I disagree with Janice and the “all God’s creatures” crowd. My (and my family’s) peace of mind and sense of security in our home IS worth killing some servant of the Devil for. If someone tries to break into my home, any one of us living here are quite capable and properly trained to shoot them dead BEFORE they ever set one foot inside our home. I won’t feel the least bit sorry for sending them to meet the Lord. If more homeowners would take that approach we’d see a drastic drop in this type of crime. NEVER try to shoot in a leg or anything other than the center of the torso and IF you feel compelled to warn an intruder (I personally feel his conscience should serve that purpose) remember that they may be armed as well, and could shoot you through a closed door just as easily as you could shoot them through that same closed door. Not everyone is capable of using deadly force, even on a criminal, and that’s their right…but those of us who ARE should be well trained with our firearms.
    Fed up with criminals.

  7. whitepunknotondope on January 21st, 2010 9:38 am

    “To whitepunknot on dope, I agree that you sound like you want to kill someone.”

    Yes I would want to kill someone who breaks into my house and no, you don’t know me. Stop playing armchair psychiatrist people, I’m a normal human who has NO TOLERANCE for people who would violate my right to live without fear of being harmed!

    Why is that so hard for you yokels to comprehend?

  8. none of your business on January 21st, 2010 7:05 am

    you know I don’t think anyone here REALLY WANTS TO KILL SOMEBODY!
    Especially somebodies kids.

    I think a lot of ppl are just angry and FED UP!

  9. N on January 20th, 2010 8:35 pm

    EMD is right on target (no pup intended). Shoot for center mass—forget leg and hand shots to wound—that only works in the movies and on TV. Go to a range and get use to the feel of the weapon you are using and know how to hit what you are shooting at. I remember a Mr Moulton who had a drug store in Warrington who was robbed at gun point. As the bad guy was leaving Moulton shot at him and missed. The bad guy shot Moulton and killed him. There was an old saying that went along the line—-GUN CONTROL IS BEING ABLE TO HIT WHAT YOU ARE SHOOTING AT.

  10. EMD on January 20th, 2010 5:04 pm

    Years ago, I took a firearms class downtown at the Pensacola Police Station. They taught the class to not even pick up a gun unless you are willing to pull the trigger. They also said not to shoot to wound, for that might not stop the offender. They said to shoot for the middle of the torso, the part easiest to hit and not miss. A missed criminal may become quite irate.

    To whitepunknot on dope, I agree that you sound like you want to kill someone. You sound very angry, in general, most of the time. I think we may even know one another. If we do, I know you really have a heart. You have just been hurt pretty bad a few times. Don’t let the enemy steal your joy the rest of your life. You’ve already lost too many years that could have been spent in joy. I wasted some too. Never again.

  11. David on January 20th, 2010 3:45 pm

    Sorry folks. No warning, shoot for center mass and keep on firing until he/she is no longer a threat. If they are dead – so sad.

  12. Cane on January 20th, 2010 2:34 pm

    Any person that attempts to enter a property that is not theirs,,,enters at their own risk. Does anyone disagree? Maybe there would be less home invasions if the criminals were more affraid of entering a home,,,than being slapped on the rist by our justice system. Shoot him in the leg? Let me explain something to those who feel sorry for the sweet soles invaiding your privacy. They are criminals who have bad intentions. They do not respect you, or your family. I choose to not greet an intruder “in my familys home” with an ” I feel sorry for this misguided child of the lord”. He’s bad folks.

  13. AL on January 20th, 2010 11:43 am

    “nothing is worth taking a life it’s just stuff”

    – true, as long as you have psychic abilities and know the intruder is going to politely ask if they can have your cash, computer, etc because otherwise I doubt a criminal is going to be quite so accomodating.
    home invasions = robbery, rape, murder, assault

    I disagree with don’t give warnings, but beyond that shoot ‘em in the leg if you can but you won’t get any strife from me if you aim low and hit high.

  14. bill on January 20th, 2010 11:37 am

    You do have the right to defend yourself, but white punk you sound like you want to kill someone, that you have an open door policy while you lurk in the dark behind the couch 24-7 just waiting for that chance to make your day. Join the army and ask to be placed in harms way, you make get that chance. Have a great day.

  15. Larry on January 20th, 2010 11:26 am

    Sorry punk you will have to clean up your own mess!! You will also have to live with your killing. Why would you want to kill! Don’t put yourself in danger but you should try to take the thug down without killing him or her. You are a sorry example of a human!

  16. Janice Parker on January 20th, 2010 9:56 am

    Every living thing is a miracle from God. Nothing we own is worth taking a life. It’s just stuff.

  17. whitepunknotondope on January 20th, 2010 9:49 am

    776.013 Home protection; use of deadly force; presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm.–

    (1) A person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another when using defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another if:

    (a) The person against whom the defensive force was used was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or if that person had removed or was attempting to remove another against that person’s will from the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle; and

    (b) The person who uses defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred.

    Seems pretty clear to me. You can shoot an intruder dead and be justified by law. So City Employee, go back to surfing the web on taxpayer dollars.

  18. whitepunknotondope on January 20th, 2010 9:40 am

    Screw the Castle Doctrine.

  19. City employee on January 20th, 2010 8:51 am

    Thats VERY bad advice. Look up the Castle Doctrine in the Florida statutes, read for yourselves what is considered to be legal defense of your property.

  20. whitepunknotondope on January 20th, 2010 7:41 am

    Way to go homeowner! Don’t pull the trigger until the perp is completely inside your house. Best course of action if you know someone is breaking in:

    Get your gun ready to fire and take up a position where you can draw a bead on the intruder as soon as he rounds a corner or comes in view from another room. Let the scum get all the way in! The moment you see him pull the trigger.

    Do not call out, do not yell “Stop!”, do not say “Hey!” or do anything to let him know he is about to lose half his head to a shotgun blast. Just pull the trigger and then call the cops and tell them to send someone to clean up the mess.