It's a rare parent who admits it was the kid's fault and doesn't blame the homeowner.

Quoting the article: "Gordley's parents have said they do not blame the homeowner."

"I want you to know, sir, I forgive you," said Jennea Gordley, Caleb's mother, on Tuesday. "I understand this was an accident. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. My son, he's an angel.”

Wow. There are no words.

I saw on a news broadcast that the kid was grounded for not cleaning his room, he then snuck out to go to this party. He got drunk at the party and when he got back to what he thought was his home, he tried to sneak back into his room, and seeing as though he was drunk, it was the wrong house. His house was two doors down.

This is how the parents knew this was a tragic accident, bcause the child should have been home. But still we know some other type of person could have blamed the homeowner. They didn't.

Really sad! I have no words, in that the parents of this teen do not blame the homeowner for their son's death and even forgive what happened; that takes a big heart to do that. IMO, I cannot say what I'd do (I do not own firearms) if I were in that situation. But if the homeowner did as he stated, he did everything in his power not to take a life until he felt it necessary. There's a big lesson to learn from this aside from teenaged drinking (or if there were drugs involved), the homeowner did all of the right things to protect lives, even the victim's.

He was on the most pointless, lethal, mind altering drug there is JobSeeker. Alcohol. But, booze has great commercials and lobbyists. No parents piss tests for alcohol either.

Very well put. There are multiple victims in this situation. Prayers to all that were affected.

shouldn't the child have recognized the owner , and decided NOT to continue up the stairs to , what should have been obvious at this point, what was NOT HIS BEDROOM.... This drunk kid notices " hey , theres a strange man in my house with a gun" and he still wants to go upstairs to bed?...... We've got to set harder punushment for people who supply alcohol to minors

psasjc-(If the kid lived two houses down, shouldn't the neighbor have recognized him?...Maybe it was too dark, but you could still be a "hero" and defend your family and home if you shoot the kids legs)

I can tell you from my law enforcement background, most people who are woken up at 02:30 in the morning suddenly by an alarm, will think about protecting their loved ones first. Not, oh, I wonder if my neighbors have the wrong house? If they hear someone moving, and if they have a weapon, will attempt to get it, so it is available if needed.Most won't turn on the lights. It makes them an easier target for intruder and reveals where they are in the home.People are frightened, so they aren't trying to identify who the intruder is.Most will try calling 911.The rush of adrenalin and confusion isn't something most people are prepared for.Trying to "shoot for someone's legs" is ridiculous. You don't know if they have a weapon and even in the best well lite circumstances, trying to hit a target moving isn't easy, let alone something skinny like limbs.This isn't like video games. You also don't know why someone isn't reacting to your warnings. Do you really think an intruder is going to listen to you?Will you really risk your family's life for an intruder's in the end trying to be a "hero?"

This owner did everything he should have done to prevent having to shoot an initially intruder.This teenager is fully to blame.Had he not been drunk, but a real criminal with a weapon who was simply not answering and decided to shoot the owner after hearing his gun go off, the owner could have well been killed, and this would be a different story.

The bottom line is, children need to be taught all throughout childhood, to be responsible for their choices, and depending on them,the different consequences that will follow that they cannot control.So it is important to choose wisely.Parents can use others choices as examples to help them understand how consequences work in life, to encourage positive, and avoid negative ones.Like this case for example.

ursofakingfunny, you're absolutely right...we need harsher punishment for those who supply alcohol to minors or provide an environment (house) for minors to drink. In this case, the minor was at least 3 times the legal limit for driving and was probably a drink away from having acute alcohol poisoning.

When you're that drunk, your only focus is either making it to the toilet to vomit or making it to your bed to pass out. I've experienced both several times, but have never been that oblivious to my surroundings, but people respond differently to alcohol than others. Kids are going to drink no matter what, but if they choose that path, hopefully they'll be aware of the possible dangers of alcohol. Because it's inevitable that your child will be confronted with an offer to drink too much or try some sort of drug, it's important for them to be taught to say something like, "No thanks. I'm good." I've been saying it for nearly 20 years, and nobody has ever thought less of me.

@psasjc:

Leg shots aren't lethal? Tell that to the femoral artery when a .40-caliber slug blows through it, shattering the bone along the way. This isn't Hollywood, dude. People don't just hold their leg and lay there and and moan a little as their girlfriend coos over them when they're shot in the leg. They bleed out and go into shock within 60 seconds and just... well... die, right where they're not standing.

Oh, and what was the home owner supposed to do, exactly? Turn on the lights, ask him politely for his ID, ask him to please not enter his loved one's bedrooms, and hope that the reason that he didn't respond to a warning shot isn't because he's on PCP and hell-bent on murdering someone in the family? The kid got drunk, the kid entered his home in the dark, the kid didn't respond to verbal warnings or a warning shot, and the kid proceeded to move toward the man's family. How was the home owner supposed to know that the kid didn't have a big knife or a gun of his own under his clothes? Oh yeah, you said that he should've waited to find out-- but by then it might have been the home owner or one of his loved ones who was dead instead, if the kid was armed. So yeah, whatever...

Liberals... *sigh*

Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Nothing matters but the homeowner's reasonable belief that his family was about to be decimated. Not responding to the unnecessary warning shot is what puts the kid way over the top. WTF did he think? Momsie was mad at her little angel?

My heart goes out to this family and the teen who died.

This story reminds me of the one where the teen dressed in dark clothing and tried to scare his neighbor or friends with a knife and his own father shot and killed him mistakenly thinking he was a burglar or something.

So sad. He must have been really wasted to not respond to the guys warnings though.

I just could not imagine......

Mornin' Chris, Windy... Good post guys....

Chris, correct your are...

Windy, Your posts are always intriguingto me. They seem to always give a different perspective looking at situations from a different angle. It helps us to think outside the box here and there. It cracks me up when some people fire back at you trying to put you down for being so down to earth. That's their problem though... ;-)

Have a great weekend guys....

Huh? The presence of an intruder absolutely gives me the right to kill him/her. Highly suggest you don't test your little theory there, pal. Putting your family in danger like that isn't honor, it's foolish pride. Good luck with that, you holier-than-thou fool.

Phil, you live in your sheltered world and we will live in the real world.

As a retired cop of 26 years I can tell you your ideas are totally unrealistic and ignorant to say the least.

Windancersong, you laid it out perfectly, thanks. Kids need to be taught and constantly reminded, "You can choose your actions, but you can never choose your consequences".

psasjc - If you are not ready, willing and able to shoot to kill, then you should not own a firearm because someone is going to kill you with it. A dark house, how do you know the intruder is not armed?

Sorry, I don't feel bad for this kid at all. Don't break into other people's houses. Lesson learned.

It's time to stop feeling sorry for people that do the wrong thing. Yeah yeah, it was a mistake....yep, a permenant one.

What kind of drugs was this kid on if he ignored alarms, warnings, and a warning shot? Sounds like he was completely deranged and could have done anything to those people.

Discretion is always required. I recognize the owner was within his rights. I recognize he was startled and trying to protect his family. What I don't see is it he was threatened. Why didn't he see it was a drunk teenager? I understand being nervous, concerned, frightened, and careful. He fired a warning shot - that was discretion. He wounded the person - that was discretion. And all the while he didn't see it was a drunk teenager and there was no threat to his person, home, and family? The teen was clearly at fault. But I don't see any reason here that he should have had to die.

I would not argue the homeowner should be prosecuted. But I believe he will think about this for a long time and wish he had used more discretion.

Windancersong, I understand that if my alarm in my house went off and I saw a man in the dark walking towards one of my children's bedrooms I would do all I could to protect my family. I do not own a gun because I have children and, statistically, children are more likely to be harmed by their parent's gun than being harmed by a home intruder. I do not live in fear, but am not ignorant to the remote possibility of being invaded.

With your law enforcement background, what is your experience with people who break into a home, trigger an audible alarm, and don't go running out of the house? I would automatically think they're tweaking (high on drugs). It's doubtful somebody that high has a weapon, but it's possible. You'd figure that the homeowner would have been shot at or killed if the intruder/kid was armed with a gun...especially after the homeowner's warning shot. Is it possible not to kill the unresponsive intruder and protect your family knowing that if the intruder had a gun, he would have used it already?

The kid is to blame and those who provided him with the alcohol, but it's hard for me to grasp how some people almost take pleasure whenever an intruder is killed by a homeowner...even if it's a robber or an extremely inebriated and confused teenager. I'm not saying you do, but I'm sure you know a lot who do, as do I.

Imagine an America where only certain citizens (i.e. farmers who need to protect their livestock from predators, law enforcement officers, certain security providers, hunters, those with a legitimate threat from another and of course military personnel) were the only people authorized to own a gun. If that's the way it was stipulated over 200 years ago, we'd be a much safer and civilized nation. Instead there's about one gun per person in this country and we all live in fear knowing that if a criminal wants a firearm, they could easily obtain one. Yay.

Break into my home - esp. at 2 a.m. - and you will get shot.

For the apologists calling the teen intruder an "uninvited guest", the young man was drunk/drugged out wasted and came to a home that looked nothing like that of his parents. Yet, he managed to find the ONE unlocked window? The young man did not flee when he heard the security alarm blaring; he did not identify himself to the homeowner when confronted; he did not stop when the homeowner fired a warning shot. Sad that the young man made all those bad decisions, but this homeowner had every right to protect himself, his wife and teen daughter upstairs. Anyone who has lived in metro DC knows the chances are high you will be a crime victim or know someone who is. Loudoun isn't the bucolic respite of serene safety and normalcy it once was, not anymore than most parts of metro Atlanta and other similar locales. The sad fact, and the subtext to all crime in America, is that the average homeowner in every city needs an alarm system and a gun to protect themselves and their family. And they better not count on police showing up in time.

@Paws93

Don't break into other people's houses. Lesson learned.

The kid obviously didn't realize he was in someone else's house. And as far as "lesson learned," he didn't learn a damn thing. He's dead!

What kind of drugs was this kid on ...?

It's stated repeatedly in the article what drug he was on: Alcohol!

I haven't led a pristine life as you apparently have. I drank and did most every drug imaginable when I was younger. But the only drug that I ever did that made me that stupid, made me totally blackout to where I had no recollection of my activities was alcohol.

I grieve for this boy, his family and the homeowner. It's a terrible situation for all. Homeowner did what he felt he needed to do and was very restrained in his initial response. He's not proud and thumping his chest. He's going to be haunted by this for the rest of his life. The boy's family is devastated. And the kid himself? Well he's not learning a "lesson." He's dead.

And all of this because of alcohol.

But some fools are going to stand on their soapboxes and swear they have never done "the wrong thing" and that the kid got what he deserved. Bull$hit! Just pray you never get what some others may believe you deserve.

"No, I live in a world where civilized people still behave like civilized people...'

Tell it to the Georgia lady whose baby was shot in a stroller by two cute little teens.

First of all, an intruder is not necessarily dangerous. It could be my wife, home early unexpectedly from a business trip.

Which is the argument some people use when they bump off their wife.

Cheetah, I like the way you chopped off the end of my sentence in your quote to make me seem like I was saying something that I wasn't. Nice tactic. Go into politics.

I am aware that barbarians exist and they do bad things. That doesn't mean I have to act like one when they show up at my place.

"I truly believe everything happens for a reason. My son, he's an angel.”

Your son was no angel, lady. He was so drunk he couldn't find his own house. Even when the owner of the house he sneaked into warned him verbally and with a gunshot, he couldn't figure out where he was.

Yes, things do happen for a reason. Unfortunately, that mother doesn't have a clue what the reason was.

Her attitude of denying responsibility was probably instilled in her son too.

First of all, an intruder is not necessarily dangerous. It could be my wife, home early unexpectedly from a business trip..

Does your wife normally sneak in a window when she comes home unexpectedly?

Get real.

This was a tragedy, but it's no ones fault.This kid broke into the wrong house and Paid the ultimate price.

I feel for his family, but I also feel for the shooter.

........... guess he won't be doing THAT anymore........

First of all, an intruder is not necessarily dangerous. It could be my wife, home early unexpectedly from a business trip.

Guess Oscar Pistorius had a different view..........

@Kaybeetoys

Ever consider that when she says her son is an angel (not was an angel) that perhaps she's referring to the fact that he's dead and she believes he's now an angel in heaven?

Philosopher-sorry an uninvited "guest" who breaks into my home where my wife turns a house into a home and my children play gives me every right to kill his ass. I think you must not have that saddle on your Unicorn cinched tight enough, you obviously have fallen and hit your head one too many times. GMUS

"Aspired to be a rapper'. Enough said.

D. Beaner

@Kaybeetoys

Ever consider that when she says her son is an angel (not was an angel) that perhaps she's referring to the fact that he's dead and she believes he's now an angel in heaven?

Yes. I'm sure that's what she meant.

Her kid is dead... and she's dealing with it by pretending he's up in the clouds with wings and a harp. That says something about how seriously she took her responsibilities as a parent.

for a "philosopher" your pretty dumb. you dont have any valid points. i bet if someone in the family of the homeowner wasnt home he may have done something diffrent but if everybody was home and accounted for he did the right thing. the kid is totally to blame. when i was young i have been drunk to the point i could barely walk but still got in the right house, plain stupidity on his part. but go ahead let someone come in your house they may kill you rape your wife and daughter then steal your stuff, sounds like your a real stand up guy.

It's always good if you can remember what your house looks like.

@ kaybeetoys,

The kid was on punishment and he snuck out of the house at night. Her parenting skills are fine. Haven't you, as a teen, ever done one thing and got away with it without your parents knowing? That's what he did, that makes it his tragic mistake.

I'm sure the remark she made was her way of coping with her loss. Another thing, she could have blown this up and into something explosive, but she didn't because she, too, realizes that her son made a teenage mistake and it caused him his life. So, if thinking her son is in the arms of a benevolent being helps her cope with the loss of her son, I don't intend to criticize her

gallahad123

@ kaybeetoys,

The kid was on punishment and he snuck out of the house at night. Her parenting skills are fine.

Her son was drunk out of his mind. Was that the first time? What was he being punished for? Was he in counselling for alcohol abuse? Granted, we don't know enough to judge their parenting skills. But it's just as wrong to say they're 'fine'. The kid is dead.

First rule of parenting: keep your child alive.

Haven't you, as a teen, ever done one thing and got away with it without your parents knowing? That's what he did, that makes it his tragic mistake.

Actually, no. I didn't drink when I was in high school. I'm still alive. Too bad more teens aren't figuring that out...and too bad their parents are OK with them drinking. Some even buy alcohol for their kids.

I'm sure the remark she made was her way of coping with her loss. Another thing, she could have blown this up and into smething explosive, but she didn't because she, too, realizes that her on made a teenage mistake and it caused him his life. So, if thinking her son is in the arms of a benevolent being, I'm not going to make fun of how she chooses to deal with the loss of a child.

I'm not making fun of her. She's correct in not blaming the neighbor who shot her son in self defense. If she wants to turn this tragedy into something positive, she has a perfect opportunity to speak out against our cultural acceptance of teenage drinking to the point of blackout drunkenness.

"Cheetah, I like the way you chopped off the end of my sentence in your quote to make me seem like I was saying something that I wasn't. Nice tactic. Go into politics."

The three dots include the entire sentence, sport. It's amazing just how offensive and personal you get in a simple conversation. See how long your non-confrontational gig lasts

GM cheetah-I say old chap, take what you want, insurance will buy me a new one, but please don't bang my daughter. Thanks.

@ kaybeetoys,

On the news report,it was stated that he was being punished for not cleaning his room. How crazy is that, huh? As her parent she'll probably blame herself for the punishment. I agree this can be turned into a teachable moment on teen drinking. I just don't think she lacked on the parenting skills, he disobeyed and paid a hefty price. No winners here in this whole mess.

I never drank when or smoked or did drugs when I was in high school or college either, but I did sneak out to go to a party or a dance when I was grounded until I got caught. Even in college I didn't drink or do drugs, and I went to college in Berkeley, California during the 60's, but I focused on my studies. lol

But some fools are going to stand on their soapboxes and swear they have never done "the wrong thing" and that the kid got what he deserved. Bull$hit! Just pray you never get what some others may believe you deserve.

You'll have to forgive me, D. Beaner...I grew up with an alcoholic father and I have ZERO tolerance for anyone drinking to excess.

I might be 'liberal' by some of your standards, but I believe in personal responsibility. Period.

This kid is dead. He'd still be alive if he hadn't gotten blotto drunk. His choice, his consequences. It was not an accident.

I work in Loudon County. Good people out here who respect each other. It's the wealthiest county in the United States. It's also fairly conservative and most people are armed. I'm glad they didn't shoot some son of a liberal who would have sued that poor homeowner for all he owned.

RIP to the kid. His mistake of getting drunk underage really did cost him his life. It shows as a lesson.

God bless his family in this time of trials and the family that killed him because they are certainly feeling guilt.

gm sp2. The honor is only among thieves - I don't think it extends to the victims; at least not under current work rules.

gallahad123

@ kaybeetoys,

On the news report,it was stated that he was being punished for not cleaning his room. How crazy is that, huh? As her parent she'll probably blame herself for the punishment.

This is where we totally disagree. You think she'll blame herself for punishing her son? I'd blame her for not keeping closer tabs on him. He sneaked out of the house and could have done so whether he was being punished or not. He was sneaking back in, presumably because he was drunk... unless his parents were OK with him coming home drunk?

Your attitudes about teenage behavior are probably a whole lot more permissive than mine.

I agree this can be turned into a teachable moment on teen drinking. I just don't think she lacked on the parenting skills, he disobeyed and paid a hefty price. No winners here in this whole mess.

Disobeying by sneaking out of the house wasn't what killed him. It was the alcohol. He was too sh!t-faced to find his own house. What if he had been driving? Someone else could have died.

@kaybee

Please help me understand your logic. You did no wrong because you had a parent who was an alcoholic. (I, too, grew up in an alcoholic household, so I relate ... to a degree.) However, his parents -- in your opinion -- are at fault because they appear to be loving parents who held their child accountable for something as simple as cleaning his room?

And if his parents were "OK with him coming home drunk," why did he feel it necessary to sneak in through a window?

My head hurts so I'm going to move on. But I hope your children grow up to be as pure as you.

@ kaybeetoys,

If you ask my kids they will tell you that I was not a permissive parent at all. Once I was divorced, it was hard, so I divised a plan when My kids became teens and had curfews. I worked with the police department and worked nights and changed shifts every three months, so here is what I did.

I gave their pictures to the cops who worked in the area where we lived, if either my son or daughter were caught passed curfew, they were to bring them to me. My son got caught and I had anthree hours left on shift. He had to sit there and wait until I got off at two a.m. Then get up for school, and as he had football practice that evening, he was exhausted at the end of his day. Never happened again.

If my daughter had a boyfriend, I ran him through the police and deepartment of justice criminal database. If he was there, it was goodbye to him. I did not coddle my kids, when my daughter or my son wanted something like a phone for their room, they got jobs and paid for it or anything else they wanted. I took care of necessities and they paid for the extras they wanted. So no, I was never a "I'm your friend kind of parent. They joke about it now as adults, but they hated it so much as kids. Plus, My kids feared me. My kid once got up enough nerve to tell me if I punished him, he would call and report me for child abuse. After I told him by the time they got here I would be guilty as charged, we never had that discussion again.

But saying all that, I still remember doing things like sneaking out and breaking rules as akid. It doesn't mean my kids were going to get away with it. Frankly, I think because I was so sneaky as a kid is why my kids could never get over on me. lol

something about this story doe sent add up no matter how drunk I've been I've never been totally unaware of my surroundings much less to ignore a gun shot he was more than just drunk

D. Beaner

@kaybee

Please help me understand your logic. You did no wrong because you had a parent who was an alcoholic. (I, too, grew up in an alcoholic household, so I relate ... to a degree.) However, his parents -- in your opinion -- are at fault because they appear to be loving parents who held their child accountable for something as simple as cleaning his room?

Logically, a teenager doesn't sneak out once and get so drunk he can't find his way home. It fits a pattern. We don't know enough here, so perhaps it's wrong for me to judge. The mother's comments about her son being in heaven seemed cavalier to me. "Everything happens for a reason"?? WTF!

It's not just this incident. Recently, two football players in Ohio who raped a 16-year-old girl who was blacked out drunk. Teenage drunkenness is becoming more 'normal' and 'accepted' and that is not a good thing.

This incident is more about teen drinking than it is about guns.

Frankly, I think because I was so sneaky as a kid is why my kids could never get over on me. lol

Galahad, it sounds like you were a responsible parent who made your kids toe the line. Too bad there aren't more out there who do.

Job seeker and everyone else, have you never been to a newer housing sub-division? Just to clarify (not excusing the drunk kid nor accusing the homer, the houses look the same row after row if not exactly then very similar, all painted brown or beige. The same thing - the shooting of a drunk trying to go home- happened in Colorado Springs Colorado a few months back. Just like the old folk song "Little Boxes" by Pete Segar ...."little boxes and they all look just the same" amend that to big boxes.

There are several steps that a confrontation should take before anybody resorts to lethal force. And if this delay gets me killed, oh well. I behaved honorably. My honor is worth more than my life.

Well, not everyone shares the same masochist mindset as you. If someone is breaking in my house at 2 AM and it's between him and me, HE'S going down, NO ifs, ands or buts. I have a great wife and son and home to live for, so "honor" be damned. If that makes ME the "coward", so be it. I'd rather be a live "dishonorable coward" than a dead, honorable hero.

It is a tragedy that both families will have to live with for the rest of their lives.

Philosopher, if an "uninvited guest" is in your house at night and you are in fear of your life or your families lives then it is legal to take their life at least in most states. Your wife, kid or grandma would have responded. As for the mentally ill person, they are the ones that commit mass murders. Not law abiding citizens. With the young man not responding his intentions were not known and his actions highly suspect. Do the research and see what happened in Australia when they introduced their gun ban. If we lived in a perfect world and everyone was a law abiding citizen then things would be different. We don't and it never will be!

Psasjac, no one takes pleasure when someone dies. If it's an innocent person then it's a tragedy. If it is a criminal then justice was served without a chance of them being released by our judicial system to repeat their crime over. I don't feel pleasure from it though.

gallahad123

Frankly, I think because I was so sneaky as a kid is why my kids could never get over on me. lol

That you know of

GM Windy, well said.

We have had similar events in KY in developments with cookie cutter houses. Someone drunk or under drugs enters the wrong home at night and either wakes the homeowner or wanders into the master bedroom and encounters the home owner there.

Whacked One:

Part of the fault lies with the homeowner -- for leaving that window UNLOCKED.

Right. I guess it should be illegal to leave a window unlocked or open to get some fresh air in? Just like it's a vehicle owners fault if his car is stolen when he leaves it unlocked?

I would not have fired a warning shot had their been an intruder in my home. And as for shooting the person in the legs you obviously don't have much experience with firearms and self defense. In the CCW (concealed weapons) course I took we were instructed that at close range (10 yards and less) you fire 3 rounds to the body and 2 to the head (in case they are wearing body armor). But in my home my defensive weapon of choice is a shotgun since it is easier to hit a target under low light conditions with it. I just hope I never have to deal with a situation like this but am prepared if the need arises.

The evidence indicates that many gun owners are a bit too quick to start firing - even in their own homes. Some even kill their own family member, or, accidentally, themselves. The current tragedy could have been avoided by a cool head and a little courage. Many unarmed teen-agers are being shot by careless and angry gun owners.

Unarmed teens and adults shot recently in Georgia:

www.cbsatlanta.com/story/19247989/man-shot-killed-in-driveway-of...

www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/20757122/man-killed-after-pulling-into

www.cbsatlanta.com/story/17655452/man-shot-killed-in-kennesaw-driveway

www.blackyouthproject.com/2012/03/unarmed-atlanta-teen-shot-to...

www.myfoxdfw.com/story/20037120/teen-shot-behind-store-in-sw-atlanta

www.examiner.com/article/man-found-shot-to-death-driveway-of-home...

I'd love to see the statistics (which probably don't exist), but I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that if an intruder is in one's home the person is more likely than not to be inebriated to the point that they don't know where they are and is most likely harmless. I live near a downtown area that has a lot of popular nightspots and have had drunks wander into my yard, onto my porch, and once or twice into my home. I send them on their way and that's that.

The report says the homeowner shot him in the shoulder? Did he shoot a second time or is the report inaccurate?

"I want you to know, sir, I forgive you

What's there to forgive? Forgiveness is for someone who has done something wrong. The dead son needs her forgiveness not the homeowner protecting himself/family/property.

aspired to be a rapper

he's an angel

If he was so angelic why had he been grounded (from other news sites) when he snuck out of his own home? He may be "singing with the angels" but I'm not so sure they have a chorus of rapping drunk angels.

The sheriff's office said Gordley did not enter the home with any criminal intent.

How do they know? The kid is dead and can't say what his motive was. The assumption was that he crawled into the wrong house.

@ antistupidity.

LOL. Yeah, that too! But we did survive.

Obviously this guy was not at immediate risk of harm. Did he grab the phone and call the police before exiting his bedroom with a gun? There is something wrong when the first thing people in this country want to do is grab their gun and shoot someone. How old are this man's children? What if his own kid had snuck out to that party? I would think an intruder's first goal would have been to get the guy who was awake and a threat to him. The article clearly states he shot the kid when he passed him in the hallway. Why didn't he just try to stop him? Take him to the floor. He passed the home owner without threatening him. The kid didn't grab him on the way by or take a shot at him. A coward with a gun is a threat to all of us. This guy could just as easily shoot you or I if we got out of our car a bit angry after an accident and he was afraid for his life.

Many unarmed teen-agers are being shot by careless and angry gun owners.

Careless and angry gun owners? How about how about cautious and careful home owners.

fired a warning shot.

In the CCW courses that I have attended they told us to never fire warning shots. Most likely the criminal is armed and will return fire.

overzealous gun owner.....hes probably happy he shot the kid....

The kid didn't even know which home was his. If someone is THAT drunk it's pretty obvious what's going on. The kid could probably barely walk. According to the report the kid was unarmed and made no aggressive move. How does any reasonable person see that as justification for taking a life?

Call 911 and keep the gun pointed at him. No need to kill.

"Call 911 and keep the gun pointed at him. No need to kill."

He was heading for the family upstairs and the police were only minutes away.

The presence of an uninvited guest within your home does not give you the right to kill them

Wrong!! It gives me EVERY right!! Deal with it.

overzealous gun owner.....hes probably happy he shot the kid.

And you're a special kind of stupid aren't you? Maybe when you have an "uninvited guest", there to possibly/probably rape and kill, you'll just invite him for crumpets and tea and sit down and have a nice little chat to figure out why he's there?

Junicon....as I agree with you... the crazy side of the gun owners love this.. .they will hold the shooter in high regaurd...saying 'what a great protector of the community' he is.

I am a gun owner.....I believe in gun ownership.... I also believe in common sense. making sure of what you are shooting at... were the lights one? was the kids threatening in anyway? or was the kids just stumbling(very drunk) upstairs?

the home owner was justified in the shooting...

but i'm guessing he was overcome by his emotion....and couldn't assess the situation properly.

some gun owners.....are just wanting someone to come in to use their gun..... there is a saying among gun owners.... 'never shoot anyone on your doorstep.... make sure they are in your home, that way you can claim self defense'.... I've heard it too many times from coworkers who are those type that go to a pit and unload 10,000 rounds of ammo...just for fun.

I am a gun owner....i believe in protecting my home.

I would not shoot a drunk kid... i'd watch him tell the cops arrived...

This is truly sad, kudos to those that held their tongues on the gun debate, very tragic, both family's will be traumatized bye this. On the reality note, you are screwed if you come into my house uninvited at any hour of the day. My Shutzund trained Shepard will hold you before you make it to the door, and if you somehow make it past him without me knowing, my female waits for you right inside, and then there's me, trained to put one where it counts. My advice is to get some well trained dogs for your home, its worth the money. Think about why the police use them, they work VERY efficiently, they will lay down their lives automatically for you. Its worth the money people.

Come on, people. How so many people can believe the homeowner should have made sure to identify the kid, or to hold him at gunpoint and wait for the police or just injure him, that's just nuts. We won't even touch upon the fact that if it's a hardened criminal and you send him to jail, he will so remember you when he gets out.

If you know for a fact that your family is all in for the night and suddenly there's an intruder, 99.999 percent of the time, said intruder is there with bad intentions in mind that no good can come of. You've got about a .001 percent chance that it's the neighbor's drunken teen sneaking in. A homeowner has got do do what he's got to do. He even did way more than he had to with the verbal warning and warning shot.

This happened to me in college! I woke up at 3 am and went down the hall to the bathroom. On the way back I stopped in the common room to talk to 2 guys watching TV. About 10 minutes later I finally go back to my room, just to find some girl I've never seen before fast asleep in my bed!

My roommate had seen me walk out, rolled over, then heard "me" come back in a few minutes later and climb back into bed.

After getting the guys from the rec room (we had no idea how dangerous she might be!), we woke up this poor drunk girl, who ordered us out of her room. lol

Her ride had dropped her off at the wrong dorm. She lived in Rm 236, just like me, her bed was the one on the right, just like mine, she stumbles into "her" room and "her" bed is empty, so she honestly believed she was home. The guys escorted her to the right dorm and all was well.

It happens. I'm just glad our situation ended with, "OMG, I'm so sorry" instead of gunshots. It makes for a funnier story.

It's an awful shame that his buddies didn't see to it that he got home okay. I think girls are better at looking after each other than guys are (except maybe in jmg's case).

jmg, funny story...but that girl is lucky she wasn't raped.

Recently, a very good-looking young male college student in our area (I mention his looks because he undoubtedly could have attracted legitimate female attention) drugged a female student's drink and raped her while she was unconscious.

My child now attending college tells me that several students are taken to the ER every weekend for alcohol poisoning.

It's terrible what alcohol is doing to young Americans. The boy in this story lost his life to it.

@ The Thinker.......

What's there to forgive? Forgiveness is for someone who has done something wrong. The dead son needs her forgiveness not the homeowner protecting himself/family/property.

How can you not appreciate and value a heart so big that she could forget the individual ,that killed her son....... him without any treats or weapons on him ,it was probably his first experience with alcohol ,you could tell if a person has bad intentions or not ,bad judgement on the owner part .And you obviously have no children .

If he was so angelic why had he been grounded (from other news sites) when he snuck out of his own home? He may be "singing with the angels" but I'm not so sure they have a chorus of rapping drunk angels.

Very rude comments to the grieving family .......

To the parents I say ,may God be your consolation and feel your emptiness with his peace.

bambi, your compassion is laudable but compassion won't bring the dead boy back. You assume it was his first time drinking, but nowhere in the article does it say that.

If you have children you're responsible for teaching them how to behave properly at home and in public. Many teenagers have poor judgment and impulse control. It's the parent's job to restrict them to protect them from their own stupidity, within reason of course. The boy is dead now because he behaved like a drunken idiot. Maybe what he needed was a little less compassion and more tough love, as in a swift kick in the pants. Too little too late for him.

A word to the wise: it's Saturday night tonight...will you know where your children are, what they are doing, and with whom? It might save a life to keep your eyes and ears open.

I recently saw an interview with the South African prosecutor in the Pistorius case. He said that even if the defendant's story was true and he really thought the person in the bathroom was an intruder, he could be charged with murder under SA law, since he was not in immediate danger from a person behind a locked door. I guess the definition of self-defense is a lot stricter there.

When I was a kid my mother told us a story about a man she worked with. One night ( this was many, many years ago) he came home stinking drunk and mistook his neighbors house for his own. To prove how many years ago...at the time most of these people in this neighborhood didn't even lock their front doors. He simply walked in, walked upstairs, went into "his" bedroom and stripped down to his underwear and started to get into bed with "his" wife. Of course the bed was already occupied by the man and wife that were his neighbors. Surprise, fear, humiliation and then laughter ensued. Back then most people didn't own guns and if they did they were not too quick to use them. The guy got dressed and his neighbor guided him back to his own house. His wife had a good laugh after she was done being pissed and it remained a neighborhood joke for many years.

Ah...a different time for sure...

Whoa y'all what's with all the attacks on kaybee? I usually 100% do NOT agree with anything kaybee says but this time she's been spot on (don't tell anyone I said that kaybee ;) lol) Teen drinking seems to be getting a lot of people into a lot of trouble lately (raped or murdered) Obviously this kid was beyond just "drinking" he had to be stupid drunk to not realize he was in the wrong house.

Kaybeetoys,

Yes, compassion won't bring the boy back. Neither will lack of compassion.

1SGFitzsWife4ID

Whoa y'all what's with all the attacks on kaybee? I usually 100% do NOT agree with anything kaybee says but this time she's been spot on (don't tell anyone I said that kaybee ;) lol)

Thanks for coming to my defense (not that my opinions need defending... I say what I think whether it's popular or not).

And it's good to know you're coming around to my way of thinking! LOL

At least it goes to show that we can never agree (or disagree!) with everything anyone else believes.

Spokane, our goal here is not to raise the dead but to raise awareness.

Bluelake - Back then, you didn't have murderers, rapists, and druggies coming in your house.

Kaybee - Wow, you agreed with me in a way..unusual. Your comments have been spot on.

Dbeaners - Never said I was perfect, but wasn't dumb enough to get in that condition. And, I take ownership and the penalty for the stupid things I did. However, I was more careful than to break into someone's house in the middle of the night. This kid paid a major price for his stupidity. Hopefully, other kids will learn to drink responsibly.

Nice job, Responsible Gun Owner! You shot an unarmed, drunk kid. smdh

The sheriff's office said Gordley did not enter the home with any criminal intent.

Considering the events as they are described, I find it astounding the Sheriff's office could arrive at such a conclusion.

Again, considering the events as they are described, I especially don't buy for one moment the assertion that he probably mistook the house for his own.

If this happened in Japan...a few good karate chops, then mother spanked him in the morning.

Another 'Good Guy' has won for the NRA........

Now everyone in the neighborhood is heading to their local gun shop to stock up for those drunk kids.....

I applaud the home owner for his more than cool behavior to provide a chance for the intruder to stop, plus, firing a warning shot is one step more I would have done.

The whole thing is a sad story but not all stories are ending nicely! I do not think we know all about this incident yet. Look out for more info what was really going on.

@lynsey,

Nice job, Responsible Gun Owner! You shot an unarmed, drunk kid. smdh

Soooo, thats all you were able to comprehend from the article? Nothing about the kid entering the house, refusing to comply with any verbal commands, being seemingly non-affected by a 'warning shot' and still continuously making his way to an occupied bedroom. And oh ya....failing to comply AFTER being shot the first time. And after all those lil tidbits, you grace us with your overwhelmingly assinine comment of ' You shot an unarmed, drunk kid.' Yeah....that's some good picking and choosing.

Kaybee - you are making an awful lot of assumptions based on your perspective as the child of an alcoholic. It may have been the first time he ever did any of these things. You don't know - you're just assuming it was not. His parents could have been very strict regarding his upbringing - you don't know but you are making assumptions that somehow they were permissive. You responsibly raised your children and you are fortunate that they survived all the risks that exist for children as they grow to be adults. Sometimes bad things just happen. The children of irresponsible parents even survive most of the time. It may not be your intention but you continue to disparage this boy's parents and somehow make them at fault. Stop.

He was an underage drinker and out when he should have been home in bed sleeping.The blame lies solely on his parents shoulders.

Philosopher8

The presence of an uninvited guest within your home does not give you the right to kill them.

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that is an absolute lie and you don't know the law...... in 37 states, if a person simply enters your home against your wishes, there's a legal presumption of felonious intent and the resident is legally allowed to use lethal force. The legal assumption is that someone who breaks into your home while you are there is targeting you and not your belongings. In most if not all of the other states, his ignoring the warning is grounds to use force also.

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psasjc

If the kid lived two houses down, shouldn't the neighbor have recognized him? Obviously the kid was too inebriated to even respond to the warning shot and verbal warnings, but do you need to shoot to kill when the kid didn't react to it? ....

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you don't understand the risks:

first, it's 230am and dark and a guy is in your house after breaking in through a window and is walking towards the room where your family is, ignoring warnings and a warning shot (a .40 gun going off in a room is incredibly loud and this guy ignored it)

In that situation, you shoot to kill period: rule of thumb is that a guy with a knife can cover 15 feet and strike a fatal blow in 1.5 seconds, so you don't try a leg shot, because, esp in the dark, with a ton of adrenalin going on, you are likely to miss and the guy get to you or your loved ones.

If an athlete comes in my house and is so high or crazy he ignores warnings and a shot... my welll founded and legal assumption is that he is there to do us harm. There's no way I am allowing that risk to myself or family.

it sucks this kid died from being so high / drunk / imbalanced / or criminal, but this homeowner absolutely did the right thing. For every story like this, there are thousands where people got assaulted, raped or killed in their homes because they had no ability to defend themselves

a lot of people think they can just second guess and shake n bake a perfect non violent answer to these things, and you can't.... you can't take a chance with your family's lives

Nobody did anything particularly wrong here. Just one mistake compounded by a second mistake. Tragic.

I'd say that kaybeetoys is holding her own with clear-headed logic and wit against some persistently dingbatty comments.

Yes, compassion won't bring the boy back. Neither will lack of compassion.

Spokane, that's just plain stupid. Nothing is going to bring this kid back, so there is no point in debating it. What a vacuous thing to say.

Wonder if the homeowner could forgive himself as easy as the neighbor forgave him if it had been his own son he killed. Would he feel that there could have been something different that he could have done to prevent the killing? Surely his drunk son would have acted the same way since it would have been his own home. Or maybe if he had a son that age he would have made sure it was not him before firing a shot. In which case if in that circumstance it had been an arm robber he would have been shot. A catch 22.

I find it hard to believe this kid was really trying to sneak back into his house!!! How could you be so drunk that you didn't know there was a man with a gun in your house that you didn't realize something or say something. He had a clear enough mind to search for an open window to go through. He doesn't have a key? If he was going around trying to open a window he had to have encountered things that would have made him realize this wasn't his house like a fence, gate, lock on the gate, patio furniture or lack of, other things in the yard. How could you go through so many possible obsticles and not realize this was not your house. How about when a man has a gun in your face and is yelling at you and fires a warning shot. I think there is more to this story than is being told!

Larry - my answer would be no! His neighbor realizes this man thought he was defending his family, if this kid had been going into this mans house to harm or rob and harm someone that would be hard to forgive! Duhh!

I think some people just can't wait to use their guns.

Congrats MSNBC on the breaking news...that was reported over 5-6 days ago..and even on FARK.

Talk about being way behind on this.

"gallahad123

This a tragic situation all around for everyone involved. The kid, the homeowner who shot him and the grieving parents.

The kid trying to sneak back into his house after getting drunk at a party should serve as a lesson to his friends of what can happen to you when you get drunk. The homeowner did nothing wrong, but still being human, he may suffer from guilt, even though he shouldn't. The kids parents will be grieving for the rest of their lives, so like I said, Tragic all around.

My condoleces to the child's family and friends. My prayers go out to you as well as the homeowner."

Thank you for writing such a decent, intelligent first response. You communicate what ALL decent human beings would conclude from this story. All others who want to take their pop shots to make the story about ANYTHING else are just being the hateful, stupid losers they are for any other story. You know who you are.

The kid wasn't armed, wasn't threatening anyone, or conducting himself in a threating manor.....so why didn't the home owner just keep his weapon trained on the kid while awaiting the police??????.

How do people not recognize their own home when drunk? Do we not remember the story of Robert Downey Jr. who was found sleeping in a neighbor's bedroom passed out drunk? This happens more often than you think. How about guys coming home drunk, thinking they are in the bathroom and peeing all over the kitchen floor? We've all heard of that in our neighborhoods. It happens and it isn't rare.

This being said, I don't understand why the kid had to be shot when the homeowner had a burglar alarm. From what I have seen, the alarm company (like ADT for example) calls when the alarm is triggered and asks if there is a problem and calls 911 for you. All you need to do is stay put and wait for the police. On the other hand, if someone I don't know does not respond to all the warnings and is heading to one of my children's bedrooms, he will be stopped.

7.62x39mm-

...wasn't threatening anyone, or conducting himself in a threating manor...

How do you know?

Wasn't stated in the article, however; if he was then the shooting is justified.

Hence the reason they train you if you are going to shoot, SHOOT TO KILL.

Dead man tell no tales.

Those of you who get it, thanks for the support.

Those who don't get it appear to be utterly confused by any goal in life other than survival. Welcome to the jungle. You think how an animal thinks. Personally, I cannot imagine that living and thinking as you do would lead to anything worthwhile. My life may be shorter than yours, but quality is always better than quantity.

It is a shame that you folks don't have the courage to be civilized. Shooting at any unknown person you see in your home who might be dangerous is cowardly until you are sure exactly what is going on. Try to remember that we have courts. And not every convicted criminal gets the death penalty. And not every intruder is a criminal. But you folks are too scared to let a civilized process run its course, and with a callous disregard for life you just shoot and 'solve' the problem. Sure. You solved it. And you guys wonder why we have a violence problem in this country. Look in the mirror. The criminals are simply following your pattern.

Ok done here. See you next time.

I can't imagine how drunk this kid must have been not only to ignore the alarms, the man shouting at him and then being shot in the shoulder and walk on by. I have been intoxicated in my life but never even close to that oblivious.

My heart goes out to his family and the man who shot him. He was doing what most of us would do. He was trying to protect his family. You don't turn on the light when you hear someone creeping around so I doubt he would have recognized the kid. It's truly a sad situation as the kid had so much going for him.

We have to talk to our children and teach them about consequences from a young age. I'm talking about 2 not 22. There needs to be appropriate consequences as they grow and we need to talk to our kids about what their hopes and dreams are, how they are going to accomplish them and how they could kill them in a moment. One of the kids I went to school with had been accepted to a prestigious college. He was an A+ student. Shortly after his high school graduation he was driving too fast down a dirt road. He hadn't been drinking but he came around a corner too fast and hit a young child on a bicycle. The child died and his life was never the same. All the choices we make have consequences. We are not being fair to our children when we don't establish rules and follow through with consequences when they break them.

Phil-pfffffft.

Just a cleaning lady- He was already grounded and snuck out of the house what more did you want the parents to do? Make him sleep in their room?

@Philosopher8-

Shooting at any unknown person you see in your home who might be dangerous is cowardly until you are sure exactly what is going on.

The alarm is going off, you know they don't belong in your house, it's late at night, and YOU DON'T KNOW IF HE IS ARMED.

I am NOT going to wait until he kills me. I am NOT going to fire a warning shot and I am NOT going to shoot him in the shoulder. I am going to aim center of mass and I am going to continue squeezing that trigger until I either expend all rounds in my magazine or he drops to floor. While he is laying on the floor, I am going to be reloading.

There is nothing cowardly of that. See what happens when these people waited? Look at what happened:

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/02/13/miami-dad-killed-protecting-daughter-during-home-invasion/

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/nyregion/24slay.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Don't be so naive and foolish. It's a @!$%#ty world we live in, not in your version of Utopia.

@Philo,

And not every intruder is a criminal.

I disagree. If someone enters your house uninvited (regardless if its 2AM) then, by law, they are in fact involved in the act of trespassing as well as breaking/entering. That in itself is a criminal act which is clearly defined under law. You are certainly entitled to express your opinion that you feel somehow more 'advanced' than some of us other Neanderthals in society but your smug assertions could, ironically, very well lead to you or your family being put into a position you may not find comfortable....one in which Idealism holds no weight against a natural, firm, decisive action to survive. I pray you never encounter such situations that you have to put that to the test.

@tiny,

This being said, I don't understand why the kid had to be shot when the homeowner had a burglar alarm.

On the other hand, if someone I don't know does not respond to all the warnings and is heading to one of my children's bedrooms, he will be stopped

I believe you just answered your own question.

7.62x39mm

The kid wasn't armed, wasn't threatening anyone, or conducting himself in a threating manor.....so why didn't the home owner just keep his weapon trained on the kid while awaiting the police??????.

Because the kid didn't stop moving toward him and rooms where other people slept when told to? The act of continuing to move could be considered threatening. The homeowner wouldn't have known if the guy had a knife, what his intentions were, etc. Just that someone who didn't belong in his house was there and was refusing to stop walking toward him.

What if it HAD been someone intending harm? What if he'd let him continue walking past him, into the room of a family member and as a result one of his family members got hurt? For all he knew, that's what was going to happen if he didn't act to protect himself and his family.

In this case, the minor was at least 3 times the legal limit for driving and was probably a drink away from having acute alcohol poisoning.

When you're that drunk, your only focus is either making it to the toilet to vomit or making it to your bed to pass out. I've experienced both several times, but have never been that oblivious to my surroundings, but people respond differently to alcohol than others. Kids are going to drink no matter what, but if they choose that path, hopefully they'll be aware of the possible dangers of alcohol. Because it's inevitable that your child will be confronted with an offer to drink too much or try some sort of drug, it's important for them to be taught to say something like, "No thanks. I'm good." I've been saying it for nearly 20 years, and nobody has ever thought less of me.

How do you come to the conclusion of how drunk he was? Was it somewhere in the story? Are you a medical doctor who examined the body? What? You aren't? Then shut the hell up and stop making
ASSumptions.

Well, I guess I'm the first one to tell it to you. I think less of you for opening your mouth and showing everyone what an idiot you are.

Ralph-43

The evidence indicates that many gun owners are a bit too quick to start firing - even in their own homes. Some even kill their own family member, or, accidentally, themselves. The current tragedy could have been avoided by a cool head and a little courage. Many unarmed teen-agers are being shot by careless and angry gun owners.

Unarmed teens and adults shot recently in Georgia:

www.cbsatlanta.com/story/19247989/man-shot-killed-in-driveway-of...

www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/20757122/man-killed-after-pulling-into

www.cbsatlanta.com/story/17655452/man-shot-killed-in-kennesaw-driveway

www.blackyouthproject.com/2012/03/unarmed-atlanta-teen-shot-to...

www.myfoxdfw.com/story/20037120/teen-shot-behind-store-in-sw-atlanta

www.examiner.com/article/man-found-shot-to-death-driveway-of-home...

Ralph Ralph Ralph... Where to begin? I can only follow 2 of the links you provided. Neither give ANY information about the victim being armed or not. One of the 2 that work is about a drug deal gone bad. How does that even relate???? The other one offers so little information, it could quite possibly be a robbery attempt where the robber was a little over-zealous.

Here's a summary:

1 piece of trash shot in botched drug deal

1 piece of trash shoots elderly man whilte burglarizing his home

Stop trying to push your failed anti-gun agenda. Your lies only fool the weak-minded. Stop fooling yourself. If you want to have an intelligent debate, let us know when your IQ surpasses that of a bowl of Jell-o.

Treyvon's parents should take a lesson from this and the way Caleb Gordley's parents responded.

he got what he deserved and im glad he is dead! he was probably black right? and a rapper so he deserves to die!

oh wait, i thought i was a gun drooling tea bagger for a second, my bad!

just sad all the way around period. Ive red all these comments about how didnt the home owner see that this was a teenager, but sometimes you dont know. who is really at fault here is the person who gave this young man the alcohol. they are the ones that should be charged in this. Lots of prayers for the homeowner and the parents of this teen as well.

Yes, it is at least partly the shooter's fault -- for leaving that damn window UNLOCKED.

I'd kill a drunk who broke into my house too. And I don't own a gun.

Ban handguns.

Kay

You are all talk. That is just my impression.

Grandpa

It's kind of difficult to do anything more than talk on a forum.

But take it from me: you don't want to mess with me. You will lose.

Oh I am so scared.

Wow, a Drunk Kid Breaking into your House! That couldn't have been Quiet!

kaybee grandpa is right your full of self righteous hot air

Grandpa, the only thing you should ever fear is fear itself. ;)

night maniac... at least I know how to write proper English.

"The Quacked One

Yes, it is at least partly the shooter's fault -- for leaving that damn window UNLOCKED"

Leaving a window unlocked doesn't give anyone an invitation to climb through it!

My neighbors had a party, clearly there was drugs involved. My daughter left for work and left the front door unlocked. I heard someone enter the house and go into the kitchen. I went to investigate, found an adult male strung out on drugs standing next to my butcher knives.

I was lucky and talked him down enough to get him out of my house and lock the door, then call for my help from my boyfriend sleeping in the other room.

you should have grabbed the phone ran into where your boyfriend is baracading the door after you , for sure alearting your boyfriend. your lucky you was not overpowered and you and your boyfriend was killed. your boyfriend is asleep, there is an intruder in the house and you dont alert him? you risked his life good job.

#2.13 joeyfree - You should have grabbed the phone, run into where your boyfriend is, barricading the door after you, for sure alerting your boyfriend. You're lucky you were not overpowered and you and your boyfriend were killed. Your boyfriend is asleep, there is an intruder in the house and you don't alert him? You risked his life. Good job.

She handled the situation calmly and carefully and it worked out fine with no bloodshed. How can you do better than that? Didn't need a gun, much as gun enthusiasts would disagree. I would have done the same thing.

BTW: I just HAD to correct your grammar and spelling in your post. It was so bad, I couldn't help myself.

Thanks, Enneagram1. I'd like to think we could make the Internet a better place one sentence at a time. However, I feel our mission for good grammar and spelling is a lost cause. It's clear that people stopped paying attention in English class past the fourth grade.

Grammar Freak: Don't give up. Our beloved language deserves respect; and the more annoying we can be, the more attention it gets. Just maybe, someone will learn something in the process. :)

Grammar freak

I'd like to think we could make the Internet a better place one sentence at a time. However, I feel our mission for good grammar and spelling is a lost cause.

I think you're right, I blame texting "you was not" rates right up there with "I seen it" it makes me cringe! I don't understand the concept of typing things like C or U, how many letters are in the word see and you? It drives me crazy!

#2.17 1SGF: They are doing themselves a terrible disservice by texting phonetic words and phrases. I see big problem ahead for these semi-literate kids as they try to function in the grown-up business world.

This is not about texting for goodness sake. It is about a kid who is dead because his idiot paranoid neighbor thought a gun was necessary for "self defense." No gun, no death. But, of course, guns do not kill people...yada yada yada. Chalk up another random victim of our stupid gun fetish!

@Wants,

It is about a kid who is dead because his idiot paranoid neighbor thought a gun was necessary for "self defense."

Actually, the underlying premise (or reason for this event) stems from alcohol consumption by an minor. Let's just say, for arguments sake, that the kid wasn't so obliterated that he couldn't realize that he was trying to enter the wrong home. If that was the scenario, there would not have been any loss of life. But since the minor made HIS own decision to drink beyond his ability to function, the brunt of responsibility lies squarely on him. I'm not saying that he deserved to be shot for being drunk but clearly his actions inside the home would give ANY reasonable person pause for concern. He wouldn't be classified as a 'random victim' if he hadn't been inebriated beyond the point of sensibility. Unless you feel that people should not react in any situation and just stand by in the 'hopes' of a favorable outcome. P.S. In this case, I guess you'd be better suited to say " No booze, no death', right?

Yes, grammer is way more important than this stupid subject! We need to make sure people know that grammer means more to some people than the death of a kid! Who cares??? Uh oh, I should have only used one question mark! Go hang out and waste posts on someone who cares!

It is about a kid who is dead because his idiot paranoid neighbor thought a gun was necessary for "self defense."

How is it paranoia when you have someone who breaks into your house and does not respond to your warnings, including a warning shot for crying out loud, and proceeds to one of your family members rooms? I'm failing to see the paranoia in that.

#2.21 Niece - Yes, grammer is way more important than this stupid subject! We need to make sure people know that grammer means more to some people than the death of a kid!

Really? It's painfully obvious that grammAr and spelling are not important to you. (In case you missed the subtle hint, it's grammAr, and not grammEr, dearie.)

When you notice the intruder is an unarmed kid obviously drunk...imposing your own death penalty is not a proportionate response. Personally, I would have been out of the house and on my cell to 911 since I do not choose to participate in our nation's gun worship.

We already gave our opinions up there ^^ in #1, so if we want to talk about grammAr now, that's our first Amendment right. So pfffft!

Conversations do evolve, even in 'the real world'. That's what makes talking with each other interesting.

@Wants,

Personally, I would have been out of the house and on my cell to 911 since I do not choose to participate in our nation's gun worship.

Apparently, you choose not to participate in the instinctive desire to defend oneself either....which has absolutely nothing to do with firearms whatsoever. I can respect that although I cannot understand it.

Personally, I have lived for 62+ years without having to do more than call 911, like once. AND many times in my life I lived in not particularly good neighborhoods. Not being a paranoid gun freak DOES have the advantage of being able to live peaceably amongst my neighbors.

Uh...just a guess, but...no?

"He won't forget it until the day he dies."

first of all this kid isnt stupid. just used poor judgement in drinking. to say i hope it was worth it, shame on you, it should of been you that got shot for calling someone stupid that you dont even know.

Poor judgement= stupid.

It's too bad his judgment wasn't adequate for keeping him alive. That's the way it goes sometimes.

Teenagers these days are drinking to the point of blotto, and this is the end result. The worst part is that our society seems to be accepting this as standard teenage behavior.

We did much drinking when I was a youngster. Society isn't any different now than it was. Still lots of people thinking there judgement is so much better than anyone Else's

Young people not used to drinking alcohol can have a very low tolerance and can drink enough to black out very quickly without realizing they are even getting that drunk, especially drinking some of those drinks with high caffeine mixed with alcohol. That is the scary thing about alcohol. When you are in a blackout, you may be doing any number of things, like driving a car, but you don't remember it in the morning. I don't blame the kid--he probably had no idea that alcohol could have such an effect. I don't blame the homeowner either. Maybe the only blessing is that the kid was already sedated and anesthetized when shot, and didn't suffer too much.

Grandpa, I wonder if you're really aware of the current epidemic of teen drunkenness in this country, including binge drinking to black out as the goal, and soaking tampons in vodka and inserting them into the vagina or rectum. Are you aware of how many teenagers are alcoholics before they graduate from high school? The residential alcohol rehabs are doing a booming business.

I overdid it a few times when I was younger too, but never to the extent that goes on today. I remember only one girl in my college dorm who had alcohol poisoning, but it is now an epidemic. Girls get drunk and get raped...boys walk in front of cars or fall down the stairs. Kids are dying from alcohol poisoning.

Another stupid teen got drunk then was raped. Makes me wonder if it was a girl and she was trying to find the bathroom to pee. Would he have helped her "pee"?

The bars in the college town very near to me only serve drinks in plastic party cups because the "educated" students were sometimes getting killed by broken glasses. One boy tried to sneak two glasses of draft out in his pants pockets, fell down in the street and cut an artery in his leg when one of the glasses broke and bled to death. Another girl was killed in a bar when someone threw a beer pitcher that shattered when it hit the wall and a shard of glass cut her jugular vein. NOT urban legends, true events. Drunk student fell down the elevator shaft in a dorm building after prying the doors open when they stayed closed when he pushed the button. These are all kids who passed college entrance exams.

By the way this is not anti gun/ pro gun control. This is anti trying to hunt down the noise you heard with a firearm in the dead of night with the lights out. Just get your family to safety and use the gun if needed. I don't see why people need to investigate these things themselves. Fear+Firearm often ends in a mistake.

That is why my home defense gun has a sure fire light attached to the rail. Another advantage of the AR platform, easy to attach lights and other accessories for identification and safety.

I used to agree with you Applejack. But I realized after 9/11 that I would have been one of the people on the airplane discouraging my co-passengers from interfering with the terrorist. I am certain I would have said something like "they just want money or political gain, why would anyone fly themselves into a building?" I fear I might even have worked to people from attacking the terrorists using the same "let's not escalate this" logic.

The mistake is assuming that people who are currently doing the worng thing are somehow motivated like the rest of us. History teachs that this is not the case.

The pigs issue with people like applejacks is they have no clue what they are saying! Even the poor lefties such as myself have the right to defend our homes and families. If more liberals would stop cowering under their beds and peeing their pants over guns, America would be a better place. Dear leader cannot protect everyone, just his family and elected officials. Forward, oink!

Really Apple? This is a perfect example of a person right to defend! Nothing done wrong on the homeowners part. A breakin, an intruder, a dead intruder. Regardless of anything else this precisely what our 2nd amendment is for.

Pigitry

I'm fairly sure you are an imposter!

I'm not saying the homeowner did anything wrong, but if his alarm was set off and the police were notified why confront the person in the house.

There is a difference between a homeowner searching out and confronting an intruder and a parent placing himself between an intruder and other family members. Even after calling 911, few people would not try to prevent an intruder from reaching other family members.

Hmm... why wait for police? Go and take care of the issue.

The homeowner couldn't know what he is dealing with. How often do you get to experience people in altered states such as PCP or meth? He gave enough warning and made a decision. Had it been PCP in this kid the homeowners his family could have been endangered. Woulda coulda shoulda. Those are the games we play on the forums.

you know what applejacks, I am one of those people who want better control of gun purchases and ownership and I think this is an example of the homeowner's reasonable use of a gun for self-defense. He didn't just shoot the intruder, he gave a verbal warning, fired warning shots and the intruder kept advancing. I think it's reasonable to think that anyone who comes in to your secured home in the middle of the night, ignores an activated alarm sounding off and continues to advance when you fire warning shots plans on doing some serious harm to the family come hell or high water.

There is a time and place for firearms. Sometimes they aren't necessary, sometimes they are. You are your own best judge of that situation. Make the best decision you can at the time and be prepared to accept the consequences of your decision, it's the only thing you can do.

A couple years back someone tried to break into my house. My hubby, kids and I were eating dinner when there was a thump at the front door. Looked out through the blackout curtains and saw this guy just throwing himself at the front door. I could tell immediately something was wrong with him; he was moving jerkily, disjointed, was really uncoordinated. And he broke the knob off the front door.

My Dad was a Vietnam and Korean War vet, and he taught me to always use the absolute minimom amount of force necessary to accomplish a goal. When I saw how uncoordinated this guy was, I knew I could handle him; I sent the kids upstairs, my husband called 911 and took the gun I own (my Dad's Smith & Wesson model 39, left from his service in Vietnam) and went with the kids (he's disabled.)

I went out the back door with my swords (I practice Kuumooyeh, Korean sword disciplines) and came around the side of the house, surprised the would-be housebreaker at the front porch, and 'encouraged' him (at swordpoint) to wait for the cops-- they were familiar with me after having been called several times by our neighborhood watch about a 'crazy kid waving a sword' when we first moved into the neighborhood.

(They never followed me, never confronted me to ask what I was doing even though I was carrying my swords in plain sight and it is extremely obvious what they are--you really can't conceal-carry two swords. They waited for cops to get there and talk to me first.)

Now, that being said, if I'd been taken by surprise as this homeowner was, issued verbal warnings and been ignored, this kid would have been pinned to the wall with twelve inches of Damascus steel straight through him (twin swords). I am sorry for his parents' loss, I applaud their forgiveness and their understanding that their child wasn't perfect, and I'm sure the homeowner is going to feel a lot of guilt over this incident, but the kid broke into a house and being drunk isn't an excuse. The kid made a lot of poor choices that night, and unfortunately it ended with his death. I would hope that when he comes back in is next life he'd make better decisions, but in the meantime I see no criminality in anything that this article describes happened.

For everyone saying 'I would have done this' or 'I would have done that' no, you don't. You have no idea how you're going to react to any given situation until you're actually in it. Don't judge.

When seconds count the police are just minutes away. That's why.

@Philosopher8

What a total a$$ you are. I hope if and when your home is invaded by someone that YOU are the only one that is assaulted,raped or hurt not you wife or children. You say you have a moral standard that the rest of us do not have but my sense of honor makes protecting my home and family my # 1 priority not making sure that someone breaking into my home is safe from me. If you go into a persons home in the middle of the night you are committing a crime and will be punished for this either way. This was an extreme case but of the thousands of home's broken into the intruders were there to do harm. You know what? I am so disgusted with your comments I need to stop even typing this at this point.

People always "Monday Morning Quarterback" self-defense shootings with a lot of "they could have done this, they could have done that" speculation, but the reality is if you're involved in situation where you perceive you or your family will be harmed, your adrenalin goes off the Richter scale and you basically enter an altered state of consciousness in which primitive survival INSTINCTS, not calm contemplation take over. Reality is seldom like the cool reactions of movie heroes who calmly employ some fancy technique to overcome an opponent, but if you are just the average citizen who's not a martial arts master, you'll use whatever is available as a weapon to stop a perceived threat, and a firearm is still the most reliable option. It seems this homeowner showed a remarkable amount of control in this situation considering he just woke up, was half-asleep, sees an unknown intruder already well inside his home who ignores his verbal warning and warning shot and heads for his family only a few feet away. In my state, someone breaks into or tries to break into your home, lethal force is allowed without warning shots or verbal warnings, which experience has shown, often give the intruder a chance to overcome the homeowner.

Applelacks

"but if his alarm was set off and the police were notified why confront the person in the house. I know people will call me all types of names for saying this, but honestly in high stress situations guns often just serve to escalate the situation to a point of no return"

because the police were notified,a homeowner should just sit there and wait for them?

Where I live-a half hour is a good response time for police-sorry-I'm not waiting for them-my wife and daughters could be killed-or raped in that amount of time-so could I-NO ONE has any business in MY home in the middle of the night-break in-you pay the price-if more people practiced this-break-ins would stop.

a gun is not going to escalate anything in this type of situation-other than the stopping of the intruder-

I don't want to take anyone's life-but break into my home in the middle of the night-and you have 9 rounds of 12 gauge waiting for you-8 in the tube-1 in the chamber- (Mossberg 590)-the shotgun means no danger of hitting others in the home-or neighbors, as shot from shotshells does not go through multiple walls and keep going-like rounds from an A-R, A-K, or many handguns. I didn't change home defense weapons when we moved away from the city and suburbs because I'm used to the Mossberg, know exactly where it hits with what shell loaded, plus it has a small rail for attachments-like the laser and light I have on it ,along with a reflex sight with illuminated reticle.

You need to understand that then right to self defense is a basic human right-even when U.S. forces occupied Iraq-every family was allowed to have one fully-automatic rifle for self-defense-not even U.S. citizens can have that in our own country.

People who break into homes in the middle of the night have no rights-their rights end when they enter MY home-they should know that there is a very good chance that they will be shot.

Not all of us live where waiting on the police is not an option-it's also not an option if an intruder is IN your home! No matter where you live.

This kid got so drunk that he didn't even know where his own home was-maybe-or maybe he had bad intentions-like the guys daughter-who was sleeping.

The teen ignored multiple warnings-a warning shot,and kept advancing-I would have shot him too.

Larry, some good input, but one thing: U.S. citizens in most states CAN legally own fully-automatic firearms. They're expensive and require a lot of paperwork and a $200 Fed tax stamp + the Feds have a right to inspect your storage facilities - but approx. 200,000 full-autos are out there (google "knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot" to see 'em in action). People who believe that fast-firing guns with high-capacity mags are a problem themselves, might want to consider that since 1934, there have only been TWO (2) homicides committed by owners of legal full-auto firearms, and one of them was by a veteran police officer.

I can blast a home intruder off the face of the earth with any gun I own, but the one that really strikes fear in their hearts is the one I came equipped with from the factory, if you know what I mean! The size of hole they will be left with after that one discharges into them is bigger than what any gun a person can own will leave. All I got to do is show 'em what I got and that scares them all away. Might not work for women, but then I wouldn't necessarily want to scare a female intruder away. Might want her to stick around for awhile, ha, ha, ha!

Gee, I wonder what sort of loser would try to hijack my screen name? This is almost as pathetic as when you made a fake Facebook profile trying to find me on the net. Dude, get help, or just a life.

The homeowner didn't panic at all -- he did everything exactly by the book. It's the middle of the night and an intruder has made it to the second floor of your house and is moving toward your children. You've called 911, you've given them verbal warnings, you've fired a warning shot and they still don't stop. Maybe you're willing to let a stranger walk into your children's room in the middle of the night, but I think most people would not allow it.

Hard to say why a 40 cal. bullet didn't stop the kid? In Korea I had to shoot a gooke with my 45 ACP, hit him in the chest, he stopped. Didn't find a clip for the M1 in time. The gooke was running up hill, not too steep but up hill, war sucks and sometimes life it self sucks. But what can you do? You just have to except life and death as it happens or you will go nuts.

I think the SO only said that to save the family some face. Their is no way to know the true intent of the teen.

The police said on a newsbroadcast that the kid was grounded, bur he went to a party and got drunk, his house was two doors down and the houses are similar, being as though he was drunk, he confused the two house. Therefore, it was concluded that the incident was a terrible mistake that the kid made and ended up dead.

Violent crimes are often commited while people are intoxicated. In point of fact, intoxication plays a role in MOST violent crimes. The logic, therefore, that his drunkedness precludes criminal intent is flimsy as best.

Point taken Doc and often true, but because the kid is well known in this area, I guess that factored into it also. But I guess as you have stated, we here can never know for sure. Either way, I'm just sad for every one.

agreed

I was in Baltimore at a Navy buddies house, went for a walk. I could not find his place again, should have been more careful. Every house in that part of town had houses that looked exactly alike, red brick with white stone stairs, ended up going back to Norfolk and the ship. Street after street block after block same damn houses. That in 1951.

Really? They do?

"Kynetick

Really? They do?"

Apparently,he got the alcohol somewhere!

No, you misunderstand. There are really "some [who] wonder why kids shouldn't drink?"

Who are they, why do they wonder this, and how do you know they wonder?

Kenneth - were you drinking at the same party? Sober up and write something coherent

Kenneth ,Tell your freshly raped wife or daughter that you did the right thing by not shooting. Tell them that if you are still able after being stabbed and tied up. Just another scenario that may have taken place for you to think over.

Ken: Are you truly serious? Some random stranger has busted into the house and is making their way towards the sleeping family....that is a TEXTBOOK case of the castle law in effect. Unless you KNOW the intentions of the person are not foul, the homeowner was WELL within his rights. The warning and the 911 call were both above and beyond the required notice. That dumb kid had no right or business being there and the homeowner did not know his intentions. If it comes down to some dumb drunk kid and my family, I can tell you what choice I would make...and if you would not do the same, I'm glad I'm not your child. I'd be lucky to get out of childhood.

lived two doors down probably not a stranger

lived two doors down probably not a stranger

Considering the fact that many people are murdered by people they know the point of whether the homeowner recognized the boy or not is irrelevant.

The homeowner did everything he could do short of further risk to his own life and that of his families to give this intruder the chance to stand down and retreat back out of the home.

One other thing, The comments that the parents of the young man who was shot forgive the homeowner who shot him, There is nothing to forgive, He did nothing wrong.

Yo, lost - what's news with you? Where have you been?

When someone has broken into your home you don't wait for them to pull out a gun before you do everything you can to end the situation. If you wait, you will be the one shot. This homeowner did a lot more than I would have. He didn't shoot until after the intruder had been warned and was walking toward bedrooms occupied by other residents of the home. What should he have done, waited until the intruder actually started assaulting someone before shooting? If the homeowner had waited, then the intruder would be even closer to the residents and there would be a greater chance of accidentally shooting one of them too.

It is a tragic situation that could have played out differently if the homeowner didn't have a gun (which I am sure is MSNBC's angle on the story), but it could just as easily played out tragic for the homeowner and his entire family if the intruder had ill intent and the homeowner wasn't armed.

We could be reading about a family that was murdered in their sleep but I guess that would be ok with some people.

That family in CT, the mother, two daughters were murdered. Left in a burning house. The father, lived, remember he is a doctor... I wonder what kind of outcome, had he been armed, it might have been... Will never know, just a point, I pondered when I read your comments, RC2220...

I am sure you would have allowed a stranger to enter your child's room and snuggle up to them while you waited on the police right? If the mailman or a girl scout breaks in in the middle of the night and refuses to listen to verbal commands as well as a warning shot and is heading towards the piglets room, they would get the same treatment. Forward, oink!

Since when do girl scouts crawl in windows at night to sell cookies Cameron?

@Cameron,

I don't have a gun, don't like 'em, but I have no problem with anyone who does. But just to let you kow, the homeowner tried to end it this non-lethally as you call it. He called it into the police, he gave a warning with his voice and by firing a shot, He shot the kid in the arm, the kid apparently was too drunk to heed them and kept coming. What else was he supposed to do. I don't think I will piling anymore on this homeowner in this situation.

I honestly don't see how we as outsiders can fault the homeowner when it is obviously the parents don't. If they can see this for the tragic occurrence that it is, well, then, so can I. It was their son!!

Please explain at what point lethal force WOULD be justified in your mind. Does the intruder have to have his hands on your throat? Do you have to have confirmation that he is carrying a weapon (if so, what do you do if they don't consent to a search of their person)? Does he have to declare his intent to rape - what about heavy petting?

Please clarify if possible, because I am a little tired of low IQ players saying that there is some (unbeknownst to me) way of assessing intent of an unannounced intruder at 2:30 AM, that doesn't put one's self or one's family at risk to protect the welfare of a stranger.

Cam: If that kid had responded to the warning or not broken for the other family members, I would agree with you. But for all this homeowner knew, it was a home invasion/robbery and he had to act when the dumb kid forced him to. Sure, the kid was drunk but if you blame the homeowner, you truly need to re-figure your logic and ethics. If you were in that same situation and you let this moron traipse on by, you're a moron and your family doesn't deserve you. Doesn't have to be a gun...but you should do SOMETHING....baseball bat, clothesline...SOMETHING.

I agree. When the teen heard a warning shot, he should have gotten down on the floor face down and identified himself.

Quote/: There's no reason this couldn't have ended non-lethally. Another "responsible" gun owner who believes bullets are the only answer. Yes the teen was wrong, but was killing him really the only option?

I know a guy who shot an intruder and wounded him, the intruder had a gun no less. They had an inquest and found the home owner innocent of any wrong doing, no charges were filed. Later the intruder got a lawyer and filed a civil suite and won. Don't remember exactly how much but it was a pretty big figure. The point is the victim suffered financial harm, where's the justice?

No reason this could'nt have ended non-lethally.

Yeah if this kid was 5 years old holding a teddy bear then this could have been a non-lethal situation. In a home invasion you do not have the time to make double extra sure you will be ok if you do not take action. It is dark, it all happens in about 5 seconds, and you do not know the capability of the intruder. The home owner made the right call. The anti firearm community always seems to jump to conclusions we all just want to shoot someone. This is not the case at all. If you own a firearm you carry much more responsibility because should you ever have to make the decision to shoot someone you can not take it back. Unless you are the person that is there you don't have a clue.

Troll.

How much money are you willing to bet on that?

How do you know the homeowner wasen't black.

Where is it stated that the homeowner was white. What did I miss?

When the alarm went off 911 was called by the alarm company, In a shoot don't shoot scenario this would have been a Shoot.

How do you know this? All we have is tthe shooters word for the sequence of events and even if the sequence is right, did he really give the kid a chance to respond? or was it "blam" warning shot then "blam" kill shot immediately after?

If the scene was staged, it would not be all that hard to tell for any competent CSI department. Regardless, unless you're trying to argue that the homeowner shot the kid outside and drug him inside, your conclusion is completely wrong. For the most part, all bets are off if you break the plane of the front door and the homeowner doesn't know your intent.

All we have is a dead kid in the middle of the night in somebody else's house. That doesn't bode well for the kid.

Any stranger climbing through the window of my house in the middle of the night is dead meat. The only realistic assumption that can be made in such a situation is it's either him or my family. Remember, this is a three sport high school star. He must be very large, very strong, very fast or all of the above.

Wouldn't put it past that demagogue to say something stupid about this to exploit it. No doubt bring up the pawns...I mean innocent children....to drive the point home.

Hey Obama...if you can't make your point intellectually without using human props, you should probably keep your mouth shut...just some free advice in advance.

I wonder if 0bamma will say that about the 17 year old in Georgia who shot that 13 month old baby in the face. After all he was the same age as Crayon.

@ greatwhiteshark,

I don't think Caleb gets the Darwin award at all, he' just a kid who snuck out of his house after he was grounded and got so drunk apparently that he got the two houses confused. We all have done thinks when we were teenagers that we know is stupid now,, we just lived long enough to realize it, and Caleb didn't. It was a mistake that turned tragic.

By the way, his father thought the kid was home, considring he was grounded for not cleaning his room, so no fault there either. I used to sneak out when I was a kid, until I got caught and never did it again. I had done it lots of times before getting caught and parents did not know, and believe me they were no pushovers. Kids fool their parents sometimes, it doesn't make them bad parents.

There you go, blaming the innocent, again.

Actually it is a legal gun just stopped an intruder inside a mans home after he was given ample warning that included both verbal and a warning shot.

I wonder how much of the homeowner's story is true. I'll guess he shot the kid first, then seeing it was the neighbor kid and putting 2 and 2 together, shot again to create a cover story of a warning shot given. I know all my neighbor's kids, and I wouldn't shoot them first and ask questions later.

I'll guess he shot the kid first

Who cares, The kid broke into his home, He did not even have to give a verbal warning or warning shot , he could have shot him when he crawled in the window.

Your guess is irrelevant

And I wonder why such a yahoo stopped using Yahoo...

JimCA

"As always,

More legal guns => more dead kids.

Some people never learn, though."

Actually there are way more legal guns and gun owners than 20 years ago, but there are also over 50% less murders and shootings. You should really try and use some facts before posting your nonsense.

@Roodles

Correlation or causation? You should really try using facts properly before posting YOUR nonsense. How often do we hear about guns preventing murders? (but it's probably the liberal news bias right? haha)

Funny how you call me a "keyboard macho man" for suggesting a different approach than shooting the unarmed kid dead. As if it is such a crazy dangerous and insanely courageous thing to do handling it without killing the kid that I must be lying to suggest I would have handled it without killing anyone. Shows how much of a coward you really are.

Keep babbling Leroy... this is great.

Yes Wagewatcher any thought that this guy might not have just HAD TO shoot this kid is nothing but idiotic "babbling." You go with that pal.

Leroy.........I called you a keyboard macho man not to insult your manhood, but to point out how naive you are. Reminds me of this poster on a recent article about an ax-wielding madman who chopped up a Dunkin Donuts. When I said that is why you need to have access to a gun, he laughed and said he is only 5'-5" and he can handle the ax-swinging man with his fist. You and him are really tough guys on the keyboard, but living in fantasy land.

Don't recall anything about this drunken kid having an axe. The more I read this story, the more I think this guy KNEW he could have handled it without killing the kid. His version of the event smells.

Wow, Leroy, you're just as clairvoyant the sheriff's office that said the kid didn't enter the home with criminal intent.

Tell us Leroy, how exactly was the homeowner to be certain that the intruder didn't have a gun? Ask him to hold still while he frisked him?

you can just kill anyone

You shoot to stop a threat. If the intruder dies of a gunshot wound... well, that's unfortunate.

who crosses a boundary

Where is your boundary.... Your vagina, wife's vagina, daughters vagina?

onus on the home owner to quantify an actual threat

Crawling through the window at 2:30am, ignoring verbal commands and ignoring a warning shot and heading for an occupied bedroom qualified the intruder as a threat.

Finally, a statement that begs sense. Thanks.

No threat? The person who was shot continued to approach the home owner after a verbal warning, the homeowner fired a warning shot and the guy continued coming at him, got past the homeowner and proceeded to head toward the room where the homeowners family was.

At what point would he be a threat in your mind? When he has slit your wife's throat? when he is raping your daughter?

The homeowner was at fault for not having locked his window.

Since when does having an unlocked window make you at fault for anything, If you do not live in my home it does not matter if my windows or doors have locks on them or not, If you do not have my permision to be there then you are an unlawful intruder. What do you do in warmer weather, Do you leave your windows open? I do, I should not have to fear someone breaking into my home. Homeowners should not have to make their homes into prisons

Ya, someone has broken into my house at 2:30 am, I will totally just stop, make some coffee and cookies and let him continue on towards my loved ones room, no biggie. NOWAY, I would intervene in anyway possible, I will protect my family from anything I feel is a threat. Dude gave a verbal warning, warning shots, and called the police......most people would of just started spraying bullets. I bet nobody will be breaking into this man's home again.

I am so glad we have the holier than thou crew around here to point out the homeowners flaws, the boys flaws and the parents flaws. Please, check yourself, they were not perfect and neither are you.

haaha , i just saw the commercial for 'bates motel,' where he says ''she's not a bad person, she's just not perfect"

Oh yes, blame it backwards on the home owner for not having locked a window. Total B.S.! All the anti-gun liberal nutjobs come out seeking to ban all weapons so that nobody is allowed to protect themselves, their families or their property.

LOL thats like saying its your fault you got raped because you have a pussy.