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Subscribe to RSSA 92-year-old World War II veteran describes how he shot and killed an intruder with single shot while defending his home in Verona, Ke. WLWT's Brian Hamrick reports.
A 92-year-old World War II veteran says he wasn’t scared and was only protecting himself and his property when he shot to death an intruder who broke into his home.
Earl Jones, of Verona, Ky., had already been the target of three separate break-ins in August, deputies said, according to WLWT-TV. So when the Boone County farmer heard a bang in his basement early Monday morning, Jones was ready, quickly grabbing his loaded .22-caliber rifle from his bedroom.
When the intruder kicked open the door leading up from the basement, Jones fired a single shot.
“He kicked the door and as soon as he got inside, it was all over,” Jones told WLWT-TV.
“I was hoping another one would come up – I aimed right for his heart,” Jones, who served in the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1941 through 1946, told The Cincinnati Enquirer.
“Was I scared? Was I mad? Hell no,” Jones told the Enquirer. “It was simple. That man was going to take my life. He was hunting me. I was protecting myself.”
Jones then called 911. When Boone County deputies arrived, they found the basement door ajar but the intruder’s body was gone.
A short time later Kenton County Police responded to a call of a man who had been shot and found a deceased man and two others in a 2001 Chevrolet Impala.
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The dead man was identified by the sheriff’s office as Lloyd “Adam” Maxwell, 24 of Richmond, Ky.
The two people with him were brought back to Boone County and later admitted they were involved in the burglary, authorities said. Ryan Dalton, 22 and Donnie Inabnit, 20, both of Dry Ridge, Ky., were arrested and charged with second-degree burglary and tampering with physical evidence. Authorities said they removed Maxwell’s body from Jones’ home and drove away.
Jones was not injured and faces no charges at this point, WLWT reported.
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Sad but you got to protect yourself. If that idiot gets in another four years we will have to carry a sling-shot.
geez you are an ignorant idiot! stop listening to the drivel on foxnews and get the true facts.
He obviously did.
Kudos to the oldster. He should give lessons to the NYPD.
Outstanding ...
You break into someones house and you DESERVE to get shot .... PERIOD
Glad someone had the balls to stand up to those punks. To bad today's liberals would try to hang you for this.
Well curtis I am one of "today's liberals" as you call us and I am also armed to the teeth. For the most part Democrats are not out to disarm Americans. We tend to do that ourselves everytime something like the Aurora Co. shooting comes up. We get all uppity and demand something be done and voila some politician comes up with banning it. Look what happend with alcohol and now with drugs. Banning doesn't work and only creates even bigger problems.
I definitely agree that it was good to see this elderly gentleman refuse to be a victim and anyone with a lick of sense feels the same regardless of their political leanings. That is the beauty of what America used to be. We all had the right to chose our path in life. Now too many people are trying to legislate their own ideology and make it mandatory for everyone else. America is gone. It left with our jobs.
The only way the thefts are going to stop is if people start doing what this man did. Sad but true. If he did not have his gun they would have beat him to death. Then the trash win. I'd rather an honest man win.
As membesr of the Greatest Generation always say when asked about shooting etc. it seems the answer is always
"I was just doing my job" and he still is. When will life give back to this American?
When will life give back to this American?
How do you know it hasn’t already? What choice did anyone have once the Japs
bombed Pearl Harbor? After 12 years of the great depression? Off to work in a
factory or to the front, fallowed by 20 straight years of economic growth and unprecedented
prosperity, 30 years of Cold War, historical environmental havoc, and the hiccup
of Vietnam, JFK and Marilyn Monroe, J Edger Hoover, Watergate, the McCarthy
hearings, it was also the beginning of the larger political corporatism that
now exist in our nation today that is now the norm, so yes they were just doing
their jobs but shame on you for not recognizing the accomplishments of other
generations that fallowed!
Right on! The 2nd amendment allowed this war hero to defend himself!
Typical NBC attempt to alter the facts: WLWT News plainly stated Mr. Jones "WOULD NOT be charged", not that he faced "no charges AT THIS TIME" (implying of course that perhaps his version of the shooting may not have been true, or that he could have broken the law). Kentucky law is very clear about the right to use deadly force if your home is invaded - YOU CAN! Most popular gun for protecting the home around here is the trusty 12 GA - forget those wimpy pistols!
Where are all the liberals expressing outrage that the criminals didn't win?
Why would we do that?? I am QUITE liberal, but that doesn't mean I would excuse a break in, what are you an idiot??
OK Denis, one more time - this mostly liberal independent will blow your azz up with a sawed off 12 gauge loaded with 00 buckshot - OK? Got it? get your head out of your azz and foxnews b.s.
And why would they do that, Denis? Oh, that's right...you're a troll! Never mind.
My late father was confronted by a similar situation a few years ago. Two young men showed up at his door and tried to convince him to buy their driveway paving service. That is a common scam around here with elderly people. When he refused they pushed their way into the house and began shouting at him and my aged mother. At the time he was 93 and my mom was 82. He simply reached behind his chair and brought out his 12 ga. shotgun and once again politely asked them to leave which they did post haste. We will never know what would have happened had he not had that weapon at the ready but I am certainly glad that he did.
Now I am in my late 60s and no longer have the physical strength I used to have so I am less certain about my ability to fend off an intruder. However I can still hit center mass at 50 feet with my two 38 spcl. revolvers which I keep loaded and easily available. They are out of the reach of children though. I also have my father's old shotgun and my late wife's rifle. She had become a really good shot before Parkinson's Disease ravaged her body.
Nice shot Earl. Just like you were taught. Get up over that front sight, acquire your target and squeeze gently, without disturbing your sight pattern.
COYOTEHUNTER has it right: More people have been killed with a .22 caliber throughout history, than with any two other calibers combined, including any military weapon ever produced. Even the famed Kalashnikov.
Shot placement rules all.
Good shot Mr. Jones. He knew what he was doing. More people are killed with small caliber bullets than any other type of handgun round. It's the small caliber rounds that do the most serious damage by bouncing around inside the wound.
It's funny. When the shoe is on the other foot people scream that liberals rush to judgement (which is often true). We don't know all of the facts here. People do love the idea of killing someone and rush to sell that case. Anything to have more guns. The point should be that it's a shame that something like this had to happen.
Is that the way People in NYC think ?...no wonder your all victims there in the big City, hear you cant even own a gun in the city limits (Unless your a criminal)...what happened to the 2nd amendment , only good is some places and not others...
I'd never live there..
Yup. We know all of the facts here. A creep broke in and a super great guy killed his ass! Nuff said. the point being that @!$%# like this wouldn't happen if more of us killed the intruding little thieves.
Good for the old Bird! Bet the dead guys 2 buddy’s will be thinking about a career
change.. What do want to bet?
Charged them with moving evidence
"Huh?" that’s a good one!.. Dumbsh!ts....
JB I'm sure the old man was to blame. He was 92 and shot them in his house! That's all I need to know. Good riddance.
Obviously the dead one is white or there'd be more hate for Mr Jones on here.
If anyone deserves condemnation, it is conservatives like you who insist about complaining about liberals, even when they don't say anything..Figures though..It's just hate for us without reason just as I always suspected..
Good job Earl, I would have done the same as I am a vet also. The military did teach us something positive in defending ourselves.
WTF?? Why did they take his gun? What if some of the burglars buddies come around for payback?
Did I miss something? Where does it say "they" (cops?) took his gun?
The local edition.
It says no charges will be filed at this time..meaning it is still under investigation..a weopon involved in a shooting even though it is a righteous shooting is usualy held until the case is fully investigated and clossed. The article doesn't say the gun was confiscated but I think it probably was. hopefuly a friend or neighbor will loan him a spare untill he gets it back.
Sorry, but the local TV report didn't mention anything about the shooting still being under investigation; it specifically stated that the case was closed ("no charges will be filed"). NBC on its own accord implied in the above article that the investigation was ongoing. Speculation is for people down at the local bar; news should be facts.
glad the old man is all right..nice shooting..bigger calliber would be better but too big and you risk going through the intruder, the rest of your house and wounding or killing your neighbor. the way I feel about thieves the cops should have taken his two accomplices out of the get away car back to the old man so he could shoot them also..A thief is just a murderer who hasn't graduated yet..I don't know why society babies the bastards with light sentences or in some cases even allows law suits by the wounded intruder or if killed by their family against the home owner...time to clean up the country..
Too bad he didn't get the oppotunity to kill the other 2. Good riddence of bad rubbish. You go old man.
Wow, Killed him with a .22 huh ?...and i was worried my 7.62 x 54 was not big enough !
Good shot earl...we love stories like this !
If a perp dies in the commission of a crime, the other people involved in the crime are charged with Capital Murder. Why no charges?
They were obviously in the 92 year old man's house, with the guy that was shot... They were obviously involved... Maybe if they were charged with the right crime, it would send a message to other young meth head idiots...
If you drive the get-away car, you will still be charged with 1st degree murder!
My bad, I guess that would only bee if the old man died!
Every criminal in that area will now have second thoughts about acting like the scum bags that they are.
Glad you are safe Earl. God Bless you and thank you for serving our Country back in the day.
Woulda been kinda cool if he had a crossbow and caught him in the neck
You mean a crossbow aimed at his nether regions.
Kudos for the 2nd Amendment
Kudos to you Earl
Too Bad you did not shoot all three
They learned their lesson
This 92 year old guy reminds me of Clint Eastwood in Grand Torino!
This is a great example of why I believe in the right to bare arms!
No, no bare arms.
Yes! LOVE bare arms!