This afternoon in N. Charleston, SC, a 13 year old boy, home alone, exchanged fire with two burglars. The boy was unharmed. One of the burglars was shot three times, and dropped his Colt 45 at the scene. The boy continued firing as the burglars retreated in their car, leaving multiple holes in the vehicle. His accomplice, left him at the hospital where he died, and was later apprehended. The gun belonged to the boy's mother, but he had never been trained with it. He was taught to call 911, and protect himself.

That kid has pretty good instincts, maybe it rubs off from being so close to Parris Island.

Good stuff. Whats scary is that the robber was armed.

Wow, I just read the article in the Post and Courier. Good job for that kid, I just wish his aim had been a tiny bit better!

I wonder if the anti crowd will put some sort of spin on this.

Is this being publicly reported on TV or in the press and do you have a link to it? There's a story that's been floating around the net for some time regarding an 11 year old girl who shot it out with burglars that's completely bogus.
N.B: I just saw the above post so could you provide a link to these papers?
Jim

Surprised you even ask, they will spin this to try and make his parents out to be neglectful because they left a gun where a kid could get it.

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John

I was thinking the same thing so I looked it up

WCSC : CCSO: Burglary suspect dead, another arrested after teen opens fire

Feel good story of the day.

That's hardly unusual.

Once you've decided to become a burglar or worse, a home invader, nobody should expect good judgment or basic human decency from you.

Agreed

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Don

i just got done reading this story on OANN. again, a gun saves the day. put one in the grave, the other in the pokey for a LONG time i'm sure. glad this kid had access to one and judging by the 3 rounds in deady #1, good aim! once again, ".45acp., turning human garbage into fertilizer at 900fps..."

It was the perp's gun. They make no mention of the gun the boy used.

".......located a Colt .45 pistol in the area where the boy said the suspect was trying to enter the home."

The perp got shot and dropped his gun.

He also just fired through the door

"He saw a subject out back trying to get inside so he fired his mother's gun through the door and the subject reportedly fired back," CCSO officials said"

Glad the boy was able to successfully defend himself and his home. Hope the DA's office isn't the zealous antigun kind; in some places, shooting through the door and at the fleeing car gets you prosecuted.

Most of all, I hope the boy's all right; taking a life, even justifiably, is no small thing even for a normal adult to live with; for someone his age it will likely be even tougher and I hope there are folks who'll help him find the best way to put it to rest as much as it can be.

Local PD might consider sending a couple of their officers with deadly-force experience to talk and help him through...

geez... take it easy man. just a little light hearted rib. i'm just glad the kid is ok. not my fault the media ain't getting the facts right. i don't work at OANN...

I wasn't jumping on you. Just saying

Good think the Perp did fire thru the door. If he hadn't an over zealous ADA could very well want to make an 'example' of the boy for undue force or something like that. .............

I don't think that would happen. Good luck getting that past a jury. Little kids, pregnant women and elderly people. ..will never work with a jury and no DA would ever try. Have you ever heard of an old lady going to prison after accidentally mowing down a few bystanders in her Buick?

Looking for a link for you, I spotted this coverage by the DailyMail from the generally gun-difficult United Kingdom. Surprised by the factual, non-judgmental reporting. Then I saw a comments section and scanned it for UK peoples opinions. All positive comments. Not a single knee-jerk reaction in the bunch. We should be so lucky here.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...l-burglar.html

I have heard of LOLs getting probation and loss of DL for serious traffic incidents. The scenario that we are posting about if occurring in another less conservative local most certainly would cause some sort of legal action against even a young boy for blindly shooting thru a door and injuring or killing someone. The Prosecutors are like hired guns. IMHO, They are all trying their best to build a winning record of cases for their resume and the next job. .............

Still, I don't see it happening. They'll just argue that a 13 year old doesn't have a understanding of how dangerous that was and was only afraid for his life. Find me an adult that will send their tween child to prison for defending himself at home against 2 ARMED MEN. And most adults have children or grandchildren or nieces and nephews....Not gonna happen.

I dont know. I delineate between burglars and rapists/murderers. Im more inclined to believe people dont generally want to kill.

There are unarmed burglars
There are armed burglara who are not prepared to use their arms
Then there are armed burglara prepared to do whatever to et your stuff.

Id say the majority fall in first two categories.

I have no idea where most fall. Guess I'll have to play it safe. Do you think I should play it safe for myself, or safe for the burglar?

I'd like to make an example of the boy, too. Give him a medal, a college scholarship, and a car.

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A less serious criminal is someone who got caught for a less serious crime this time. It does not mean that they have not or will not commit serious crimes. Assuming that any criminal is not willing to harm you or another to engage in or escape from their crimes is not realistic and not prudent.

In addition, if someone is willing to enter another person's living space, they are a serious criminal and should be responded to as such. If one of them tries to enter despite someone being there, ignoring for example the dog and other other signs, they are very dangerous and need to be responded to at a level more dangerous to them than they are to the innocent.

Violent criminals lives don't matter.

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NHI, 10-8.

Show me a study which proves your first paragraph true. Its theory as much as mine is, both could be realistic but please dont shoot down my theory unless you have some hard facts.

I respectfully disagree. Depending on the circumstances almost anyone can commit an act that results in the death of another that could be construed to be murder. In other words a homicide can be committed by a perfectly honest, everyday, citizen with no prior record or no or little chance of ever committing another such crime. On the other hand a person who will break into another person's house to steal, particularly someone's house that they don't know has "murder in his heart." This is not a crime of passion, committed in the heat of the moment. This is a crime of premeditation and deliberation with the intent of taking something that they don't own. They have no idea whether the house they are breaking into is occupied or not. Just because its in the afternoon/morning. etc does not mean that people are not in the house.

In North Carolina, prior to the election of a left wing governor and legislature and some questionable supreme court decisions, the offense of First Degree Burglary (the unlawful breaking and/or entering of an occupied dwelling house, at night, for the purpose of committing a felony or LARCENY therein) was a capital offense, i.e. it carried the possibility of a death sentence. This was predicated on the belief that if a person would break into an occupied house (the night part was from a time when people mostly worked in the day and slept at night) to steal that they would also commit murder.

I do understand that when you categorized murder with rape you were most probably talking about first degree, premeditated, deliberate murder; however, the offense of murder has many nuances and degrees.

And you willing to bet your life on that?

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

Kudos to the young man that chose not to be a victim. Hopefully, he will not be charged for irresponsibly discharging a firearm, since he shot through a door. Hopefully, it wasn't a solid door, but one with glass so he could see the threat ... important for a legal defense. It is also hoped that the parent owning the gun isn't charged for allowing a minor access to the firearm.

Remember when burglars use to refuse to carry a firearm, because it increased the potential sentence they might receive, if convicted? Remember when burglars took extra precautions when casing a home to ensure that it was unoccupied? It is amazing how brazen criminals have gotten!

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Judge control not gun control!

The family of Lamar Anthwan Brown (the perp who died) is probably saying he was a good boy, he never did anything wrong, he didn't deserve to die and the boy should have minded his own business and let then do what they went to do!

Ira Bennett should be charged with First Degree Murder, as someone died as a direct result of a criminal act he was participating in.

Way to go, kid! (Now they need to get him some training)

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

I've been following this story in the Charleston Post and Courier. The thug that didn't get shot is telling quite the little story about his non-involvement. I truly hope justice prevails, and it should once all the evidence is sorted out.

The boy used his mom's Glock 17. Thankfully, they're user-friendly.

What does your question have to do with anything? I never stated im going to trust any burglar.

Sure. I can totally see your side and see it true. However, I want to see numbers or some evidence to sway me this way. Im just more prone to thinking people are good than evil.

If you come armed, it's obvious that you're prepared to make the transition from "burglar" to "home invader".

If you bring a gun to a "burglary", it's manifestly obvious that you're open to other "possibilities".

And that isn't all that unusual. Certainly it wasn't when I was growing up in Chicago, nor is it that rare in Ohio.

If you enter my home without permission, then when told to leave (I have no intention of "apprehending" anyone), you advance on me or produce any sort of weapon, you're going to end up as an unpaid product tester for Speer.

That must have been quite the "ripping yarn". What's the explanation? He was impersonated by an alien Zygon? Hologram? Mass hysteria?

Serious....but funny.

You get to bet YOUR life on your theory, not mine. It would appear that you are trying to get people to believe your theories and act upon them. It's on YOU to support your theories with more than air.

You made fair points of your own on the other side, also theoretical. I didn't see any statistical evidence offered, though...

Twin sibling. I can't tell you how often it's a twin sibling. Occasionally, it's even true...

Certainly you dont understand human nature. Simply walking around with a gun doesnt mean youre prepared to shoot, to state that as fact meand youre naive and quite oblivious to statistics. Look up wars and how people didnt shoot at others.

Yes. That is why I said mine is theoretical smart one. Its best to have a position as we all have pre formed opinions. Notice how I never stated mine aa fact unlike doug.

My rule of thumb about burglars: A burglar is unarmed and usually breaks into dwellings he believes are unoccupied at the time. Persons who are armed, and enter a dwelling they know is occupied are not burglars. This is another type of animal, entirely.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

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Decades of experience; my own and that of other cops and prosecutors (I've been both) across the country. Due to my other professional activities (LE legal research/writing/teaching/consulting), I have connections all over, with cops and prosecutors in various types of jurisdictions.

The Kansas City experiment in ... 1975 or so. (Aggressive traffic enforcement was the single most effective tool for reducing overall crime rates.) I've looked and never seen any sign of any research repudiating that outcome.

Broken windows policing. It likewise works, no matter what the Terrorists, Anarchists, and Narcissists say.

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NHI, 10-8.

Way to spout off some nonsense. All you told me is youve lived a life where youve had experience, yes that is great (no sarcasm) But youve shown nothing. Just because youve experienced it in your microcosm doesnt mean its indicative of yhe greater. But go ahead. Keep pumping your chest and provide no facts or stats and keep calling me wrong. If that makes you happy, have at it. Ill remain open to new ideas as long as theyre backed by something.

Certainly data is not the plural of anecdote, but to take a lifetime of professional experience in multiple related roles and reduce it to "nonsense" is irrational, and microcosms aren't vacuums -- often they induce to practical knowledge about the larger picture.

ClayCow, sometimes you take principled stands, challenge groupthink and overly simple classifications, and I admire that -- it's unfortunate that just as often you undermine your own positions with ad hominem attacks and willful rejection of salient -- though certainly not final -- information if it doesn't suit your sensibilities, the very thing you're so often taking a stand against; this thread is only the most recent example.

I vote this "Most Controversial Post of the Month"... and the month ain't even half over yet!

I'm not going to take sides, but those "armed burglars who aren't prepared to use their arms" would still concern me a lot.

If someone breaks into a house while armed, I'm going to be prone to thinking he's more evil than good.

If you choose to see it the other way around, that's your choice.

Those thugs were career criminals. The paper reported they both had rap sheets. There was no "good" there, period. If that kid had killed both of them, he'd have done society twice the favor.

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Experience with people is a critical component of LE, prosecution, CPS, and other coercive compliance professions.

While you can disagree with that experience, you also did not address either the 40 year old and unchanged outcomes and lessons of the Kansas City experiment (it was a deployment experiment) or the effectiveness of Broken Windows policing.

Take a look at the recent beating of a SD trooper by 4 smugglers he stopped on I90. Journal exclusive: Attack on South Dakota trooper led to heroic police work. None of them had prior felonies, but all except for one had significant misdemeanor histories. The trooper is lucky to be alive, in spite of his errors. They seemed compliant, so he started to search alone. Unsat. He failed to shoot them before he was really messed up. Unsat.

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NHI, 10-8.

Don't be so sure,..... it could get you dead.

Where is that unlike button

Charlie

I am at a loss as to how to quantify what is in a person's mind or "heart." A good person will not break into your house. Good people don't steal other people's property.

Perhaps our definitions of good differ drastically.