Following a string of burglaries in the neighborhood, the residents of the 2800 block of La Canada Street in Las Vegas were on high alert. That’s why, when two suspicious characters were seen lurking around, the police were quickly called.
The situation escalated, however, when the two men in question began prying their way into a man’s home. The home owner grabbed his gun and fired, killing one of the burglars while the second man fled (and hasn’t been found).
Police are sending the case to the DA’s office, but they’re not expecting any charges to be filed against the home owner. The victim’s neighbors, on the other hand, are critical.
Here’s what one of the neighbors, Elizabeth Cannon, said when interviewed:
“Shooting him in the foot would have been a better idea. He has the right to defend his property, but not in the way of murdering someone.”
Another neighbor, Oscar Rodriguez, echoed that sentiment:
“If he felt he was in danger I guess he has the right to [shoot],” Rodriguez said. “But I would shoot him in the leg to keep him alive then call police.”
As we’ve discussed, “shooting to wound” is a tactic that probably shouldn’t even be used in the movies, let alone real life. Aiming at anything other than center mass is far more difficult, which increases the likelihood of missing and thereby (1) failing to stop the threat, and/or (2) hitting an innocent bystander. Even if you do succeed in hitting an aggressor’s leg or foot, that wound is less likely to immobilize him. This puts you in serious danger of continued aggression and retaliation. The object is to stop the threat.
So, this burglary victim’s neighbors would have preferred him to deliberately risk his own life, and possibly theirs, rather than the lives of the guys who were forcibly entering his house.
Here’s a news reel from Fox 5 Vegas, where you can here these gems come straight out of the respective horses’ mouths: