The importance of being armed for defense of your family, your home, and your property, can never be understated. As well, the importance of training your children in the proper use of the firearms you may have. They not only need to know safety but how to shoot.
This 10 November 2015, story out of North Carolina, is exactly why.
From The Post and Courier, written by Melissa Boughton -
A 13-year-old Ladson boy fended off two would-be burglars by using his mother’s gun to protect himself while home alone Tuesday.
He killed one of them in an exchange of gunfire, and the second suspect was later arrested, according to the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.
Lamar Anthwan Brown, 31, of Summerville, died at Trident Medical Center of gunshot wounds, according to Charleston County Chief Deputy Coroner Bobbi Jo O'Neal. He was dropped off at the hospital by the second suspect, Ira Bennett, after fleeing the Elderwood Drive home where the shooting took place, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Bennett, 28, of Kent Avenue in North Charleston has been charged with first-degree burglary and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
The boy was not injured in the shootout, and his mother said she is just thankful he is all right.
“I’m speechless right now,” she told The Post and Courier after the incident. “Who knows how this would have turned out.”
The newspaper is not identifying any family members because the boy is a minor.
‘Feared for his safety’
The attempted burglary unfolded just before 1:30 p.m. at the Woodside neighborhood residence, where the boy said he became suspicious after seeing a vehicle pull up behind the house, according to an arrest affidavit.The boy saw a man try to break into the back of the home, "at which time he feared for his safety" and grabbed his mother's pistol, the document states. He began firing at the man, and the Sheriff's Office reported that the man returned fire.
The two suspects then fled, and as they drove away, the boy continued shooting at them, according to the affidavit.
Brown had been shot three times, and Bennett drove him to the hospital. The gray Chevy Sonic they were in had bullet holes in it, the affidavit states.
Bennett allegedly told officials that someone shot at his vehicle while driving on the interstate.
While investigating after the shooting, deputies found a Colt .45 pistol in the backyard of the Ladson home where Brown and Bennett tried to break in, according to the affidavit. The pistol did not belong to the boy's family.
Both Bennett and Brown have extensive criminal histories, according to a check with the State Law Enforcement Division. Bennett has been convicted of assault with intent to kill, pointing a firearm at a person and third-degree burglary. He has also been convicted of possession of a controlled substance, manufacturing and distributing a controlled substance and possession of marijuana.
Brown's convictions included six felony drug charges. He had also been convicted of unlawful carrying of a weapon, disorderly conduct and trespassing.