Tourist,
If the point of your post it to convince people that crime can happen anywhere and anytime, just come out and say so. We all know its true. Maybe that is why Bill carries 24/7 when he is at home. Even in gated communities located in the good parts of town, things happen.
I was renting my parent's old house and was burglerized. It was inside of a gated community that had some pretty expensive homes and was done during day light hours. There was actually a problem with burgleries in the community (about 20 or so if I recalled in a 350 home community). The cops were totally useless, but that is another story. If you think about it, it makes more sense to rob nicer homes since they usually contain more and better stuff. Also, gated communities are a false sense of security since a simple wave to the guard is all it takes to open the gate. Even if they write down your license plate number, there is little they can do. There are some exceptions of course but most gated communities here in Miami have the "secret wave" admittance policy.
As for the homeowner getting killed, it is not that hard to believe either. I park my car in the garage so there is no way for a burgler to know if I am home or not. I have heard that most burglers will actually knock on the door pretending to look for an address to determine if there is anyone home. Hey, it makes sense to me. If the homeowner tried to attack the burgler or detain him for the police, the ensuing attack makes perfect sense.
My point is that it isn't as uncommon as you think and that you should always have some safeguards that buys you more time to react. This may include good locks, an alarm system, and/or a good guard dog. Heck, get all 3 for good measure. I am also thinking about changing all my windows to hurricane proof windows since I hate putting up shutters everytime a storm comes near (besides, its great insulation). You might even want to keep a few guns hidden around the house if you don't have any kids.
Poop happens. Be prepared when it does.
