patrick.net

The road to hell is also paved with bad intentions. Like take away a person's right to defend himself.

Belt-fed, water-cooled, and on a tripod: no way you're shootin' your kids accidentally with that.

Handguns are un-American: go large-calibre full-auto or move back to Ungabungastan.

There just seems lots of stupid to go around in this case, I can't blame her I mean she was a young girl, plenty of them do stuff way stupider than this.

Call it Crazy says

Lal and her cousin had hoped to scare Galley and Premila's brother but were mistaken for intruders."

Personal responsibility.... stupid hurts sometimes...

When society becomes so paranoid that an innocent children's game is mistaken for armed assault, then society has become too paranoid.

Them's a whole family of stupid.

Guns for home defense isn't always the solution but I'd hate to see the day when the option of putting fate in your own hands is taken off the table, instead having to solely rely on police response time, the mercy of intruders and your ability to escape undetected on foot.

If I heard a noise in my closet, depending upon the situation I might be inclined to shoot. There shouldn't be anyone hiding in there. And we don't know the whole story.

One thing is for sure, we need to remember that we have the right to bear arms and that this isn't a road to hell scenario. This is an intruder in a closet in their personal home and a person who shot her.

Stupid really abounded all around.

If everyone had a dog or two and a shotgun home invasions would never happen and the dog/s would sniff out the prankster in the closet.

Which is safer for you and your family?

Option 1: Taking out a gun when you hear something.

You risk
- Shooting a family member or innocent bystander
- Getting shot by an intruder

Option 2: Having an app on you smart phone or tablet that

1. Turns on all the lights in the house.
2. Starts blaring a siren
3. Starts blinking external lights
4. Plays a recording over house speakers that say 911 is being called and various cameras are recording everything.
5. Automatically dials 911 and reports a home invasion if not turned off or delayed with a passcode within five minutes.

Now a dangerous, armed intruder might fight back under option 1. Under option 2, he's going to shit his pants and run before you even get out of bed.

Which weapon is better for self defense: a gun or an app like that?

If only such an app was used in the story in the original post, everybody would be alive and laughing about the story, telling it to their grandkids in fifty years. There are better solutions than shooting out of fear of what might be.

elliemae says

If I heard a noise in my closet, depending upon the situation I might be inclined to shoot. There shouldn't be anyone hiding in there.

"RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

Know what it is, what is in line with it, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything you have not positively identified. Be aware of your surroundings, whether on the range or in a fight. Do not assume anything. Know what you are doing."

http://thefiringline.com/Misc/safetyrules.html

Dan8267 says

Automatically dials 911 and reports a home invasion

And then the cops show up and the trouble likely escalates.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/15/justice/north-carolina-police-shooting/index.html

http://www.tulanelink.com/tulanelink/policemisconduct_08a.htm

Dan8267 says

Which is safer for you and your family?

I'd go for both options cause it's good to have options. You forgot having a dog which is more reliable than either option. You gotta walk and feed it though.

Dan8267 says

Option 2: Having an app on you smart phone or tablet that

1. Turns on all the lights in the house.

2. Starts blaring a siren

3. Starts blinking external lights

4. Plays a recording over house speakers that say 911 is being called and various cameras are recording everything.

5. Automatically dials 911 and reports a home invasion if not turned off or delayed with a passcode within five minutes.

Now a dangerous, armed intruder might fight back under option 1. Under option 2, he's going to shit his pants and run before you even get out of bed.

Average police response time documented on Detroit city site is 42.51 min for Q3 of 2013, up from 39.81 in Q2. Why shit own pants and run when there is plenty of time to sit on the toilet with a good book, then rob/rape/beat/kill, and then leisurely walk away? =))

Robert Sproul says

Dan8267 says

Automatically dials 911 and reports a home invasion

And then the cops show up and the trouble likely escalates.

Are you honestly suggesting that a person who's home is being invaded should not call 911? Well, I suppose the app could have an option not to call 911, but still blare the siren and play a staged recording of a 911 call.

Plus, the best way to defend yourself against cops is with many cameras all recording, easily done in your own home. Have the recordings stream to an offsite server.

Moderate Infidel says

I'd go for both options cause it's good to have options. You forgot having a dog which is more reliable than either option. You gotta walk and feed it though.

True, the two options aren't mutually exclusive. I'm not arguing that the right to have a gun is continent upon home defense use, just that the home invasion alarm system I described is more effective and safer. Plus, with all the lights on and the siren startling the intruders, you'd have more time to get your gun or rifle, take a defense position, check on the kids, and assess the situation so that you don't shoot innocent people.

Dogs are great, too, but I'd rather not put them in harm's way.

Plus, in cases where the cops are the bad guy, as Robert pointed out, cops are much, much less likely to shoot a dog or a person when they know they are being recorded and they think the home owners have 911 on the line. It makes them less trigger happy and more defensive about being able to justify their actions.

Straw Man says

Average police response time documented on Detroit city site is 42.51 min for Q3 of 2013, up from 39.81 in Q2. Why shit own pants and run when there is plenty of time to sit on the toilet with a good book, then rob/rape/beat/kill, and then leisurely walk away? =))

Detroit police types are highly atypical. Detroit Police Response Times No Guide to Effectiveness.

Detroit police take an average of 58 minutes to respond to emergency calls, compared with a national average of 11 minutes.

So maybe this won't work with the status quo in Detroit, but for the rest of the country it would. The solution is to fix the response times of the police in Detroit.

But even so, criminals are far more likely to flee when they are well lit, being recorded, and sirens are blaring alerting everyone to their presence. I sincerely doubt that the typical home invader is going to continue attempting to rape an pillage when the element of surprise is not on his side, every action he does is being recorded, and the likelihood of him being identified increases exponentially with every second he stays.

In an alternate universe Dan is ecstatic that the lead news story was George Zimmerman was shot dead, as he leaped out of a closet in a strange woman's house.

Dan8267 says

Detroit police types are highly atypical.

Typical person has only one life. Nobody wants to be a victim of atypical response time. Therefore the more options are on the table, the better.

Option 1.
option 2 is neutered when your battery dies...

Dan8267 says

Which is safer for you and your family?

SoftShell says

Option 1.

option 2 is neutered when your battery dies...

Dan8267 says

Which is safer for you and your family?

Guns don't kill people, dead batteries do.

Straw Man says

"RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

Know what it is, what is in line with it, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything you have not positively identified. Be aware of your surroundings, whether on the range or in a fight. Do not assume anything. Know what you are doing."

I am well aware of who lives in my house and who has the permission to be there. Other than the band of gypsies under my bed, there should be no reason that anyone be hiding in my house anywhere. I'd shoot.

I don't want to "know" my target... after all, if I introduce myself, they might already have me in their sights.

Call it Crazy says

Maybe you can have the recording of you being beaten and your wife being raped streamed directly to your Facebook page!!

Straw Man says

Typical person has only one life. Nobody wants to be a victim of atypical response time. Therefore the more options are on the table, the better.

Both scenarios are far more likely to happen if you attempt to confront an intruder or intruders, who may be armed, with a gun than if you set off the alarm I mentioned. If you're going to play the odds, you're safer with my idea.

SoftShell says

Option 1.

option 2 is neutered when your battery dies...

Multiple devices including a hardwired button to you wall outlet, preferably through a UPS.

Option 1 relies you on being a better shot than all of the intruders put together and not being outgunned. Once again, if you're playing the odds, you're safer with option 2.

When I walk into my house I pre shoot every closet.

Call it Crazy says

You wouldn't know they were in there until you walked into that room. If it was a real intruder, you'd be dead or injured before you could even get your phone out of your pocket to run the app....

At least with a gun, you might be able to level the playing field...

So you walk around with your gun loaded, safety off, and unholstered? You're more likely to get yourself or someone else accidentally shot.

Moderate Infidel says

When I walk into my house I pre shoot every closet.

marry me!

Dan8267 says

Call it Crazy says

You wouldn't know they were in there until you walked into that room. If it was a real intruder, you'd be dead or injured before you could even get your phone out of your pocket to run the app....

At least with a gun, you might be able to level the playing field...

So you walk around with your gun loaded, safety off, and unholstered? You're more likely to get yourself or someone else accidentally shot.

you can agrue millions of different senarios............this story is nothing more than others had already mentioned.....lack of parental responsibility and nothing to do with firearms in general. When are people going to start realizing this. Show me any story where a child was accidentally killed with a firearm and I will show you where a parent/adult was at fault. This is no different than a child drowning in a pool because he/she went unsupervised.

Moderate Infidel says

When I walk into my house I pre shoot every closet.

Oscar Pistorious, is that you?