McDonald County, Missouri is in the extreme southwest part of the state, hard on the borders of Oklahoma and Arkansas. It’s an Ozark county populated by people who declared their independence from the state in 1961. In short, they’re not people you want to mess with.
If only a would-be burglar knew a little more about McDonald County before he let himself into a local home last week.
Two homeowners came home at about 9:30pm to find 62-year-old James Garrett skulking around their Tiff City house. Both were armed when the intruder took a shot at them. They then returned fire and both hit their target.
According to the McDonald County Sheriff, things were well in hand by the time deputies arrived.
Arriving deputies made contact with the homeowners who had come home to find a man inside the home. The homeowners entered the house to find a man barricaded in a room. The burglar fired a shot at the homeowners from a handgun. The homeowners, who were both armed with handguns, returned fire, striking the burglar with a gun shot in each thigh. The homeowners were able to then disarm the burglar and hold him until deputies arrived.
The wounded burglar was identified as James F. Garrett, 62, rural Seneca. Garrett was transported by ambulance to a Joplin Hospital.
Neither homeowner was injured by the shot Garret took at them.
Garrett will be facing charges of burglary, first degree assault, and armed criminal action once he gets out of the hospital. No charges were filed against the homeowners.
Another happy ending and a successful defensive gun use brought to you by the Second Amendment.