Would You Shoot 2 Men to Protect Your Neighbor's Property?

[BDBopper]

I wouldn't shoot to kill the two men. I might fire warning shots

But then again you don't want a legally blind guy owning a gun. Those warning shots might kill them anyway LOL

[Gemini Cricket]

This is from the article above. The bold is my doing.

In the 911 call, a dispatcher urges Horn to stay inside his house and not risk lives.
"Don't go outside the house," the 911 operator pleaded. "You're going to get yourself shot if you go outside that house with a gun. I don't care what you think."
"You want to make a bet?" Horn answered. "I'm going to kill them."
After the shooting, he redialed 911.
"I had no choice," he said, his voice shaking. "They came in the front yard with me, man. I had no choice. Get somebody over here quick."

There are a couple of things that bug me about the whole thing:

1. The quote above. Was this a game to the man? Was it just adrenaline?

2. Shooting two people in the back. Wow. No threat to him, they were walking/running away from him.

3. Horn looks like my ex's dad.

4. I don't want to pull the "what kind of message does this send" card, but what kind of message does this send? Vigilantism is A-OK in Texas.

5. He could have shot to wound. He chose not to do that. Twice.

6. Does the fact that they were illegal immigrants make the ruling okay? I don't think so.

7. Does race play a part in this? If they were white guys shot in the back, what would the opinion be then?

8. Horn suspected they were robbing his neighbor, and they most likely were. But even suspicion of robbery was enough for this man to kill.


I don't think I could shoot to kill anyone unless me, my family or friends were in danger. Even then, my instinct would be to wound. But with all the adrenaline flowing, who knows.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

No, no, no, no, and no. I don't and won't own a gun. I wouldn't shoot one under pretty much any circumstance. Not for my own safety, not for the sake of property or belongings. If the zombies are coming, I want to be the one who gets killed before the opening credits.

I possibly would lose my mind if I watched someone kill my husband (or a niece/nephew/my own child) and in that case I don't trust that I wouldn't be violent. But I feel no instinct towards violence in my life as it stands right now, and I tend to be pretty disgusted by other people's violence.

He showed clear intent. His defense is B.S.

[BarTopDancer]

He showed intent. If he said he was going to go fire warning shots, or if he was going to shoot to disable them it'd be slightly different. But he said he was going to kill them. Intent. They weren't in his house. They had their back to him. Maybe the case could be made they were loading shells, I don't know.

Could I? Not in this circumstance. I don't own a gun, don't plan on it. I think in the adrenaline of a situation where my life or my loved ones life was in imminent danger, perhaps. I wouldn't shoot to kill, and if I did I don't know if I could live with myself. But in regards to this situation? No.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Snowflake

I would not shoot to kill, I would not own a gun. But that's me. This is Texas, an entirely different place on the planet.

What I wonder anytime something like this happens, doesn't anyone ever shoot to disable or hoblle them,

No, you don't shoot to maim, especially with a shotgun. If you're going to shoot somebody it better be because you need them to be dead or consider that an acceptable outcome.

[blueerica]

Originally Posted by Alex

No, you don't shoot to maim,

Pfft... speak for yourself, buddy.

[Alex]

Ok, but it is a lesson of proper gun handling that when you shoot a person it is to kill. There is no guaranteed "maim" (not to mention it requires shooting at a much smaller target) and if that is a risk you can take then you shouldn't be shooting them in the first place.

[Alex]

The other lesson from my stepfather was "Unless you're in immediate danger, you better be planning to eat it if it is alive when you shoot it. So keep that in mind if you get an urge to point this at your sister."

But it did keep me from harrassing squirrels in our backyard with my BB gun. Though I did become a great hunter of apples hanging from our trees.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Alex

Ok, but it is a lesson of proper gun handling that when you shoot a person it is to kill. There is no guaranteed "maim" (not to mention it requires shooting at a much smaller target) and if that is a risk you can take then you shouldn't be shooting them in the first place.

Well, see, I know nothing about the lessons of proper gunhandling, and I hope never to.

I still think if you are popping soeone who is running away, aim for the knee.

[BarTopDancer]

I think everyone should know how to handle a gun and gun safety (beyond don't point it at people or at yourself) even if they never ever plan on touching or owning one.

One can hope all they want, but you truly never know what situation you may find yourself in.