You live alone ? Do you keep a gun in your residence ?

The Dunblane massacre took place at Dunblane Primary School near Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom, on 13 March 1996, when Thomas Hamilton shot dead sixteen pupils and one teacher, and injured fifteen others, before killing himself. It remains the deadliest mass shooting in British history.

What do you think that the British response to this heinous crime was?

Public debate about the killings centred on gun control laws, including public petitions for a ban on private ownership of handguns and an official inquiry, which produced the 1996 Cullen Report. In response to this debate, two new Firearms Acts were passed which outlawed the private ownership of most handguns within the United Kingdom.

This report by the American television and radio company, NBC gives the statistics.
The Metropolitan Police carried out some 3,300 deployments involving firearms in 2016. They didn't fire a single shot at a suspect.
It's a world away from the United States, where cops killed 1,092 people in 2016, according to figures compiled by The Guardian.

Of course it's easier for police to remain unarmed if civilians do the same. Out of every 100 people in Britain, fewer than four of them owns a firearm, according to GunPolicy.org, a project run by Australia's University of Sydney. In the U.S. there is more than one gun per person.
 

Murrmurr said:
That is an offense in the US as well. You cannot shoot someone in the back as they are escaping or running away. When they are doing that, they are no longer an imminent threat to you; they are police business, not yours.

Whenever a citizen shoots someone in self defense, their next step is to get an attorney because the shooting will be investigated. Even if it was obvious self-defense, detectives have to investigate and send a report to the department, which sends a report to the DA, who sends a report to the court.
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I heard that back in the Wild, Wild West, it was frowned upon to shoot someone in the back. However, it is acceptable now. Your post triggered my memory of a big story back in 2009, so I Googled. This guy in Houston shot two guys who burglarized his neighbor's house even though they weren't a threat to him. Certain people saw him as a HERO and he got off scot free.

'I'm Gonna Shoot!'Horn called 911 in November to report a burglary in broad daylight at the house next door.

"I've got a shotgun; you want me to stop him?" Horn asked the dispatcher.

"Nope. Don't do that," the dispatcher replied. "Ain't no property worth shooting somebody over, OK?"

Horn was clearly upset by the dispatcher's response.

"I'm not gonna let them get away with it," he said. "I can't take a chance getting killed over this, OK."


Despite the dispatcher's protects, Horn said, "I'm gonna shoot! I'm gonna shoot!"

The 911 dispatcher warned Horn to stay inside at least a dozen separate times, telling him, "An officer is coming out there. I don't want you to go outside that house."

Then Horn sounding angrier by the moment cited the new Texas law.

"OK, but I have a right to protect myself too, sir," he said. "And you understand that. And the laws have been changed in this country since September the first, and you know it and I know it."

Moments later, Horn saw two burglars leave his neighbor's house, one of them carrying a bag filled with cash and jewelry.

"I'm gonna kill him," Horn said."Stay in the house," the dispatcher said."They're getting away," Horn replied."That's all right," the dispatcher said. "Property's not worth killing someone over. OK?""---damn it," said Horn, who then defied the dispatcher.

"Well, here it goes, buddy, you hear the shotgun clicking, and I'm going," he said.

"Don't go outside," the dispatcher warned.

Self-Defense? Horn says he came out his front door, down his porch and confronted the two burglars. The next sounds heard on the 911 tape are Horn ordering the two men to stop & and then shooting them both.

"Move you're dead," he said, and fired his shotgun three times.

"Both suspects were shot in the back," Pasadena Police Captain A.H. "Bud" Corbett said. "Not at the same angle, but both suspects were hit in the back."

https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5278638&page=1
 

No gun here. Inherited one that I gave to my B-I-L, a retired cop. I have made a point of living where I have no need for a gun, but if I ever feel the need, it will be a short barrel 20 gauge shotgun. Bullets pass through walls. Wouldn't want to kill a neighbor, and shotguns scare the hell out of burglars.
 
Being robbed is more then just STUFF .... i suppose those who have never been robbed .... do not get that ..... you feel a sense of violation and helplessness.... INSURANCE does not cover that ......some things are not replaced.

people these days ......seem to think it is OK ..... ( insert reason for theft here ..... poor / high / mental issues)

Judging public do not give a crap about they time and effort a person may have put into earning money ..... finding / buying items or any sentimental attachment ..... no the only distress is for those who feel the need to steal ...

The victims of theft .................... should be full of PRIDE that all of our work ................can be used or pawned or whatever the lowlife decides to do with it perhaps not seeing any value they will throw away something precious to you.....

perhaps they did turn and run thus their back to him ........ with items and were shot .........they had warnings ....

That was more understood in the old wild west
 
Nosy Bee-54 said:
I heard that back in the Wild, Wild West, it was frowned upon to shoot someone in the back. However, it is acceptable now. Your post triggered my memory of a big story back in 2009, so I Googled. This guy in Houston shot two guys who burglarized his neighbor's house even though they weren't a threat to him. Certain people saw him as a HERO and he got off scot free.

'I'm Gonna Shoot!'Horn called 911 in November to report a burglary in broad daylight at the house next door.

"I've got a shotgun; you want me to stop him?" Horn asked the dispatcher.

"Nope. Don't do that," the dispatcher replied. "Ain't no property worth shooting somebody over, OK?"

Horn was clearly upset by the dispatcher's response.

"I'm not gonna let them get away with it," he said. "I can't take a chance getting killed over this, OK."


Despite the dispatcher's protects, Horn said, "I'm gonna shoot! I'm gonna shoot!"

The 911 dispatcher warned Horn to stay inside at least a dozen separate times, telling him, "An officer is coming out there. I don't want you to go outside that house."

Then Horn sounding angrier by the moment cited the new Texas law.

"OK, but I have a right to protect myself too, sir," he said. "And you understand that. And the laws have been changed in this country since September the first, and you know it and I know it."

Moments later, Horn saw two burglars leave his neighbor's house, one of them carrying a bag filled with cash and jewelry.

"I'm gonna kill him," Horn said."Stay in the house," the dispatcher said."They're getting away," Horn replied."That's all right," the dispatcher said. "Property's not worth killing someone over. OK?""---damn it," said Horn, who then defied the dispatcher.

"Well, here it goes, buddy, you hear the shotgun clicking, and I'm going," he said.

"Don't go outside," the dispatcher warned.

Self-Defense? Horn says he came out his front door, down his porch and confronted the two burglars. The next sounds heard on the 911 tape are Horn ordering the two men to stop & and then shooting them both.

"Move you're dead," he said, and fired his shotgun three times.

"Both suspects were shot in the back," Pasadena Police Captain A.H. "Bud" Corbett said. "Not at the same angle, but both suspects were hit in the back."

https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5278638&page=1
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He was charged and had his day in court.

Police investigate everyone who uses deadly force in self-defense, to end a real threat, or because they believe they were in imminent danger. Sometimes they're charged with manslaughter or even murder. If they can prove self-defense, they get to go home.
 
The last few years we lived in the city, I kept a firearm ready to go and easily accessible. Even though our neighborhood was fairly crime free, the problems were creeping closer every year. My "home defense" choice was an Intratec tec-9.

https://guns.fandom.com/wiki/Intratec_TEC-9

Now that we live in a nice quiet rural area, I have to remember to take it out, yearly, put a couple of rounds through it, and clean/lube it to keep it from turning into rust.
 
I was told by a detective under cover that she has a license to carry one and I should too.
A 38. I figured it out that the reason this lady standing close to me at the traffic light was a little old lady dress in disguise.
She was following me. After a time I figured out that another lady I was talking to young and pretty was a tenant here in my building was her for she revealed that she lived upstairs took me awhile to figure who she was. Finally she moved. I know I always have to figure out the Ys.
So yes, I should have one if zi want yo feel safer. I never go outside. Due to covid-19
 
I do live alone, have never owned or even handled a gun, nor would I want to. Our doors are firmly locked as soon as we close them, and it would be virtually impossible for anyone for force their way in, unless they blew up the door with a bomb or something. I've never heard of a situation where I live where anybody needed or used a gun.

Besides which, if I ever tried to fire one, I'd probably end up shooting myself! 😁
 
I will never have a gun. A friend once turned to me for help. She had an abusive husband and she had run with her two children. In fear, I borrowed a neighbor's gun and intended to shoot him if he came. After a while, I clammed down and returned the gun to my neighbor. Good thing I did because he did come and she got in the car with him with her two children and they drove off. She lived with him until the day he died, many years later, and then she talked only of what a wonderful husband he was. Had I shot him, she would have testified against me and my life would have been ruined.

It is not just the legal aspects that concern me but knowing that fear could lead me to kill someone is a sobering thought. I don't want to risk killing someone because I am afraid.
 
C50 said:
I have been around and owned guns my entire life but never worried about keeping a gun easily accessible until a few years ago.

I now live alone and my house is secluded and we'll back off the road. One day while working in the pasture an unfimilar pick up came down my drive and two young guys get out, walk over to me trying to sell me left over asphalt "from another job", an obvious scam. A week later another truck pulls in while I'm out mowing inside a fenced pasture, another two guys get out and start to crawl thru my fence. I yelled to stay there, I shut off the mower and asked what they wanted. They claimed to be looking for a dog and wanted to show me a picture in case I see it, I told them to get out and they got very pissy. I couldn't help but think these guys were all working ttogether looking for places to rob and it worried me.

Both times I was well away from the house and defenseless. Sense then anytime I am outside I carry a gun, and I also keep a gun handy while in the house.
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In your situation that sounds reasonable.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Guns were never allowed in my home. I had a BF once who took out a gun and thought it was cute to play with it. I asked him to leave and that ended that relationship.
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My friend worked for a battered women's shelter. And I wound up counseling a few victims of domestic violence.

My advice to them, which is my advice generally...is to not have a weapon in the house unless you have had police or military training.

The basic thing that people forget is this: The burglar knows when he is going to attack. You don't. The element of surprise is such a HUGE advantage in a confrontation with weapons. You are immediately in a great disadvantage.

Now, with a great deal of professional training, you can realize when an opportunity presents itself to properly engage weaponry as a defense. But that is hardly an easy thing to assess. And doing work at a gun range, is not going to give you that kind of experience.

There are some basic, simple security measures that work very well.

Professional security doors on the ground level. Professional security system. A huge plus is to put these metal grates on the (insides) of your windows. They are basically iron bars. And what that does, is prevent entry into the house and give enough time for the police to arrive, before the home is entered. Otherwise, the police can be notified that your security is breached, but they are already in the house.

A big dog definitely helps. Burglars are looking for the easiest opportunity. Not the hardest. They will pick a house without a dog, if they have an option.

Oh, and don't ever connect your locks to some computer system. All that does is enable some hacker to gain access to your house. If there is no electronic / computer connection, they are going to have to breach a physical system. Last thing you want is some nasty kid genius gaining easy access to your home. That stuff is about sales. About people trying to make money in a new arena. And that arena is hardly secure. A simple lock and key is far more secure than that could ever be.

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this link has extensive info, good info...


Crime Prevention and Safety Tips

From the New York City Police Department


https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/services/law-enforcement/crime-prevention-and-safety-tips.page

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and a few more links:


Personal Safety Tips

Put together by the UCLA police department


https://www.police.ucla.edu/prevention-education/personal-safety-tips
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8 Safety Tips for Women, from a Woman Cop​


https://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/safety-tips/women_safety_tips_from_a_woman_cop/
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PERSONAL SAFETY TIPS FOR OLDER ADULTS

From the Escondido, CA Police Department

https://police.escondido.org/Data/Sites/4/media/pdfs/PersonalSafetyTipsForOlderAdults.pdf
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Macfan said:
Some things simply shouldn't be asked here, and definitely shouldn't be answered. Just a word to the wise - think. Don...
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I agree, no one should ever post what their personal security situation is, online. Whether you have guns or not, etc. etc. etc.
 
Two short barreled revolvers, one for traveling and one plus a short barreled shotgun for home defense. Best to have a weapon and not need it then need it and not have one.
 
You know not every American is a "gun crazed maniac" but the media tries hard to paint them as such. A lot of Americans are pretty decent folks. I based this on having spent 2 winters down in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and having often traveled there. Once this Covid madness is over I plan to go there again.
 
Sunny said:
I do live alone, have never owned or even handled a gun, nor would I want to. Our doors are firmly locked as soon as we close them, and it would be virtually impossible for anyone for force their way in, unless they blew up the door with a bomb or something. I've never heard of a situation where I live where anybody needed or used a gun.

Besides which, if I ever tried to fire one, I'd probably end up shooting myself! 😁
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A wise person knows their limitations. 😁
 
Sunny said:
Besides which, if I ever tried to fire one, I'd probably end up shooting myself! 😁
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That would be me too. :ROFLMAO: I recall there was a NY Giants football player who went into a bar with a gun concealed in his pants waist or pocket. While sitting at the bar, it accidentally discharged. Poor guy ended up at the hospital having to explain how he got a gunshot wound in one of his legs. I could see myself doing something like that since I know absolutely nothing about guns.:)
 

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