Armed St. Louis, MO Homeowner Fends Off 2 Violent Home Invaders

As reported, a homeowner used his gun to fend off a pair of home invaders, one of whom had just opened fire:

Police say that early last Thursday morning, two men went to a home on the 2600 block of James Bell Avenue in St. Louis, MO at about 5:40 AM, and attempted to lure the homeowner outside by falsely claiming that someone was vandalizing his car, then asking for a jumpstart for their own car, and finally by asking for a drink of water.  The homeowner realized that something was amiss and attempted to close the door to his house, at which point one of the men fired shots at the homeowner but missed, according to police.  The homeowner reportedly grabbed and fired his own gun, striking one of the burglars in the abdomen and sending the other fleeing.  Police arrived and apprehended one 27 year old suspect, and are seeking the other.  No injuries to the homeowner were reported.

Those who are unarmed, or who are armed with an inferior weapon, will often end up overpowered by the criminal, with dire consequences.  Nor can a citizen rely upon the police for protection, as they are minutes away while it takes a criminal who is breaking in just seconds to harm their victim.  It is also important to note that the police will sometimes fail to help even when asked repeatedly, and they are not legally liable for that failure.  Adding to the problem, police are 5.5 times more likely than an armed citizen to shoot the wrong person, meaning that there is a certain degree of danger anytime there are armed police coming to the aid of a citizen.