“Minneapolis police were called to [Thomas Karl] Sonnenberg’s home after he called 911 to report a man had come to his door seeking refuge from people who had been chasing him with a bat,” myfoxtwincities.com reports. “Charging documents state Sonnenberg allowed Parker into his home and locked the door behind him. Both were in the kitchen when Sonnenberg called 911 at about 11:46 p.m.” Yes I know: stop right there. Why would you let a strange man into your house at 11:46pm? Especially one who claims he’s in the middle of a violent confrontation? “Wait out there I’ll call the police,” would have been the correct response. Didn’t happen here, with tragic consequences . . .
Investigators say Parker tried to confuse the dispatcher by grabbing the and giving police the wrong address before grabbing the gun Sonnenberg wore on his hip.
Roughly 5 minutes later, a Minneapolis officer responding to the initial call knocked on the door but did not get an answer. After looking through a window, that officer saw Sonnenberg’s body slumped over a chair in the kitchen.
Set aside Mr. Sonnenberg’s fatal mistake. Even without entertaining unfamiliar midnight callers, the idea that your home is an impenetrable fortress is as stupid as it sounds. Just as “gun free zones” like schools, restaurants and pubic buildings are only “gun free” as long as bad guys observe the signs (as if) your home is only a sanctuary from potentially deadly villains until it isn’t.
Home carry people. Do so discreetly . . .
When it’s just me and the kid or close friends, I wear my outside-the-waistband RKBA Kydex holster outside my shirt. It’s more comfortable and it normalizes guns for my sprog. When there are workmen about or the doorbell rings, I cover my gat and that’s that. There’s no need to surrender the element of surprise or present a target of opportunity to someone with nefarious intent.
Equally, if you don’t know your visitor well, keep your distance. The more perceived/potential danger, the greater the distance should be. Carrying the gun on his person eliminated the need to acquire the gun but did not relieve him of the need to think tactically. Mr. Sonneberg should have left Devon Parker outside of a locked door, retreated further into the house and unholstered his firearm.
There’s nothing wrong with wearing a retention holster for home carry and/or toting a gun with an external safety to create an extra layer of security – provided you train with your rig and don’t mind the bulk. But if you find yourself in a life-or-death struggle for a gun with a bad guy in your home, you’re WAY behind the curve. Best not to go there in the first place.