Also, I have a gun in reach at all times. see concealed handgun license Call me crazy, but I trust nobody.
unless you're by your gun 24/7, it wont help. this was obviously a home invasion. when it happened to my parents, they were coming home from willowbrook mall....parked in the driveway and 3 guys ran up on them while they were getting outta the car. a gun wouldve dont absolutely nothing. they were better off being tied up face down in the garage while the the two others stole stuff from the house "stuff" can be replaced....
everytime i come home late, i drive around the culdesac to with headlights on highbeam. if there's a car that doesn't belong to my neighbors... i double check to make sure noone is there. Then Iopen my garage, close it withouht getting out of the car.
My friend had a home invasion 20 years ago. He and his dad were the types to have guns all over the place, behind the washer, in the fireplace, next to the bed. I think he had like 7 guns hidden around his house. It didn't do him any good since he woke up with a gun at his head. They roughed up his dad pretty good where he was in the hospital for a few weeks. Luckily the invaders didn't find any of the guns because they probably would have killed them.
The alarm wailing scares the flip out of people...I've yet to hear the story about the family that was murdered while the alarm was wailing. It's disconcerting, even when you know it's gonna go off. My parents had someone kick in their backdoor one day...the alarm went off....he ran away. There was nothing to suggest he ever even walked in the door once the alarm went off. Also...if you're going to have an alarm, make sure it calls the proper authorities. If you have a constable patrol your neighborhood, THAT IS WHO YOU NEED TO HAVE THE ALARM SCHEDULED TO CALL. We had a false alarm one time and the constable who patrols our neighborhood was pulling up at my home about 5 minutes after. IF YOU HAVE A CONSTABLE PATROLLING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU CALL HPD....HPD WILL NOT COME!
I've thought about buying a gun for home protection but the truth is I would have to move if I ever shot anybody in my house. I would just never be able to get that out of my mind. The place would be tainted and just be a bad memory. Obviously, that is a secondary consideration when it comes to protecting lives. I'm still on the fence about it as I don't really like guns. I would probably buy one of those .22s that can pump out the bullets really fast (semi-auto is it?). Anyway, glad noone was hurt in this particular incident. It definitely makes one think about what they would do in that situation...especially if you have a family. What happens if you start shooting and are overpowered? Then, they may kill you and your family as well. I guess there are no guarantees as to the outcome. The big thing is if you could be asleep and not even hear them come in. They could be standing right at your bed. A gun is not going to help you then...unless maybe you sleep with it under your pillow or something. I would rather have a remote that could trigger the home alarm to go off and/or the car alarm...preferrably both at the same time. Then, see what the burglaroos do. I doubt they hang out then.
I have a concealed handgun permit and I keep a pistol with me at all times except in places I am not allowed to have one. I'm not saying it is totally efficient but it's a start. We would like to get a home security system installed sometime though.
Carrying a gun might make you feel safer, but I don't see how it would help in this situation. You did the smart thing, Moe.
I am so sorry, a prayer for you and your family. And, I don't think having a gun would help, but having a video system would... DD
i personally set the alarm once i enter the home, with the motion detector off. might as well use what you have to help protect you.
A video system might help you find the robbers after the fact, but how would it protect you? Perhaps it provides a deterrent if it's conspicuous and they see it. But that's no guarantee. I personally think a fence and a dog would be a better solution.
Both would be beneficial.......I think you advertise the video system......most houses with alarm systems are more safe because the burglars just don't want to chance it. DD
They're basically pitbulls....with floppy ears. They have the tough look, bark, and are very protective....(and aren't small). And honestly, just a park can send a potential burglar / robber fleeing. My GP's had a back window in their house broken for an intruder to enter, and my uncle was visiting with his family and their golden retriever. That thing's bark scared him away. needless to say, my GP's got another dog for protection / affection.
I was a victim of a home invasion myself. It was almost 10 years ago. I was living in an apartment near Chimney Rock and Westpark with a roommate. I remember someone knocking on my door at around midnight. I stupidly opened it, expecting a friend who was bringing over the movie "Detroit Rock City" for a late night screening. As I opened the door, there was an averaged size man standing there, asking if some dude was there. Before I could tell him I had no idea what he was talking about, this Warren Sapp looking guy came around the corner, grabbed me by the collar, and pistol-whipped me until I was unconscious. When I came to, I felt dazed, and my vision was all blurry. As my vision came into focus, I was staring down the barrel of a 9mm, and the smaller guy was yelling something that I could not understand. I pointed to my box that I kept my money in (I happened to have a few thousand in cash) and they snatched it and bailed. As I surveyed the room, it looked like a slaughter had taken place. There was blood splattered on every imaginable surface, and the apt was ransacked. At that point, my roommate comes out of his room, totally unscathed. He was asleep at the time, and said that he came out with his hands up when he heard the commotion. It did not occur to me then, but it was kind of odd that he was so lucky (more on that later). Next up was a trip to the Bellaire hospital, as it was right down the road. The one vivid memory from the ride over there, was looking up at the streetlights through the huge gash above my left eye. When I arrived at the hospital, they gave me some stitches. A couple of cops showed up to fill out there standard report. They actually laughed when I described one of the guys as looking like Sapp. I then came home to spend my last night living in Houston, as my dad came to get me out of there, and take me back home to the valley. I have only returned twice - once to get my stuff, and once to go to a wedding. This turned out to be a life changing experience for me, as I ended up meeting my wife for the first time 2 weeks later (she was working at my brother's law firm), and got married a year later. Now back to the roommate thing: About 2 years after the fact, I get a call from an old friend. He had just done some volunteer work, and had interacted with some people doing community service there. He recognized one the guys as someone who had worked with my roommate. They got to talking, and come to find out, when my roommate's name came up, the guy said "XXXX is crazy, he was trying to get me to jack his roommate". I am not sure what the motivation was, but my brother ran a background check, and the roommate had quite a record - I never would have suspected it.
I think having an alarm is better than having a gun. Unless you're some marine cobat veteran most of us don't have the requisite split second reactions needed to realize what is going on. Plus, like some posters added, your gun is useless when you wake up to gun in your face. Some things that would protect you from suffering home invasions: Setting an alarm at all times, having strong doors, a dog, a fence, putting furniture in front of windows, never ever opening the door for anyone you don't recognize, and being cognizant of your surroundings when getting home.
