Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Interesting.
http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/loc ... lty/19066/

Great article. Sad story. Can only hope I'm never faced with just seconds to decide and act like this man was. Based on what was presented in the article it appears he acted to defend himself and not malice or anger.

The title should read "Very Lucky"..

Its not advisable to shoot a man for breaking and entering or robbery. This guy was lucky he didn't get sent to prison.

GS78 wrote:The title should read "Very Lucky"..

Its not advisable to shoot a man for breaking and entering or robbery. This guy was lucky he didn't get sent to prison.

Depends on the situation. When someone uses violent force to enter your home you have no idea what their intentions are. I've taught Young that if someone violently enters our home (like kicking in the door or smashing a window) - most especially if I'm not home - she's not to try and determine if they have a weapon but shoot to defend herself. With a pistol in her hand I demonstrated how easy it was to take it away from her in about 3 seconds with me coming through the front door (she was about 12 feet away) while she tries to figure out what to do...

She is very small and has been accosted twice before - once in broad daylight with people watching. I think she would have no trouble in court given a situation like the one I posed above...

Now, I have made sure she understands that if by chance any intruder starts to go back the other way - leaving the house - before she fires she is to stand down and immediately call the police and me...while watching the entry point.

This description from the court testimony points out a much different scenario than the one you point out for your wife. In your post the man smashes through the door with your wife 12 feet from him standing with a gun in her hand. In the story we are not told where the intruder was in relation to the occupant except that he was shot in the back. So in essence you are comparing oranges to apples. I still say the guy was "lucky" to not be in prison right now.

“The evidence does not indicate that Mr. White was under any imminent danger,” Newman said. “While he may have been upset, angry, mad, fearful, all that’s relevant for heat of passion. But not justifiable in shooting someone in the back as they’re trying to flee.”

Well I tried to figure out if the guy was shot in the back or not from the article's quotes. It seems a little ambiguous. I'd still like more facts before passing judgment against the guy though.

What I've gathered from the accounts is that the intruder ran out and was followed by the "home owner".The intruder turned and the home owner saw the flash of white and assumed he had a gun and fired.The intruder had white socks on his hands.I know the building they live in and I'm surprised this was the first break in this guy had.

Some back story with video.

http://www.wset.com/news/stories/0909/6 ... =newsstory

GS78 wrote:Its not advisable to shoot a man for breaking and entering or robbery. This guy was lucky he didn't get sent to prison.

I have to agree with the other response to this.

At what point do you decide you are in mortal danger? Do you wait until the criminal has leveled a muzzle at you? If the sight of a firearm does not diffuse the burglar's intentions, then your next option is to pull the trigger.

Well, my next option would be anyhow.

What concerned me most was his comment that "I didn't know it was Alex. If I'd known it was Alex I wouldn't have shot him."

Really? Because you know the guy from around the neighborhood you automatically assume that he's not strung out on Meth or just subconsciously a really bad person? He broke into your house. I'd shoot my own brother if I felt my life or that of my family's was in danger. I don't care who's on the receiving end.

sasquatch wrote:What I've gathered from the accounts is that the intruder ran out and was followed by the "home owner".The intruder turned and the home owner saw the flash of white and assumed he had a gun and fired.The intruder had white socks on his hands.I know the building they live in and I'm surprised this was the first break in this guy had.

If that is a factual account of what happened then the shooter was dead wrong to follow him out of his house...and even more wrong to shoot...