Armed Neighbor Joins in Gunfight to Save Neighbors

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Bartholomew Roberts

Moderator
I came across this story of armed self-defense:
http://www.baynews9.com/content/new...cles/bn9/2013/12/23/kenneth_city_triple_.html

Summary: A man heard shots coming from his neighbors house. He grabbed his own gun and entered his neighbors house and killed the man attacking his neighbors. Both neighbors were shot and rushed to the hospital. If they live, they'll pretty much owe their lives to this man making the decision to step into an active gunfire situation in someone else's house.

I brought this up because even with a considerable amount of training; that is a lot of risk to take on. I thought a discussion of how you could mitigate the risk in this kind of circumstance might be worthwhile. I also thought the discussion might help us identify some of the risks in trying to intervene in that kind of situation.
 
At the very best, . . . in the best of circumstances, . . . this is a bad situation to ever get in: an active gun fight.

We can really never prepare fully for such, . . . but realize that if you do go, . . . take firepower with you, . . . not a pea shooter.

You want something that will take down your opposition, . . . NOW, . . . and if possible something that may have some element of intimidation to it.

I would most likely grab my AR, . . . but maybe the semi-auto shotgun, . . . depending on the neighbor and the neighborhood. In my own, with my close neighbors, . . . I know them well, . . . know the layout of the houses, . . .

Going in has to be a slicing the pie situation, . . . hopefully getting some sort of idea what is going on through the windows before entering.

Entering is the most dangerous part of course, . . . everyone in there may take you for another enemy and open up on you.

Of my 4 or 5 close neighbors, . . . I would never hesitate, . . . others I don't know as well, . . . they may be on their own.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
Missing from the posted summary, but not the article, is that the "neighbor" who lived next door and intervened is the son of one of the victims.

Seems like he had a little skin in the game, which explains his willingness to enter the home.
 
Also missing from the posted summary, but not from the article, was that all of the people involved knew each other. It was still a brave thing to do but I'll bet there's a lot more to the story that hasn't come out yet.
 
Man I don't know?!?!?!?!

I guess it depends on so many things that in order to determine if I would get involved I would have to be living it.

Walking into a knife fight with a gun is risky enough but a active gun fight - well someone is getting shot and I don't want to be that someone.
 
All the same issues faced by LE responding to an active shooter, WITHOUT body armor or anybody to assist.

Tough call, but how do you not go if its your parents?
 
Definitely call the police/EMS. It would stink to "save the day" only to bleed out because no one can reach a phone!

If you own it, donning some body armor would be smart.
Of course, having trained and practiced single-man room clearing would be pretty valuable!

In all, it's not a pretty situation to face. Throwing yourself into a gunfight is generally a stupid solution to the problem. Two way gunfights are nasty enough, but throw in a third choice?! :eek: That said, sometimes it can be a "man in the arena" moment where it is more worth it to risk death/permanent disability than sit by.
 
Regardless the discussion re tactics, these are intriguing statements.

all of the people knew each other.
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At this point, it's not clear what led up to the shooting.
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I'll be very interested to read further details.

But yeah, if we're talking close family members, vest/no vest, whatever, I'm going in.
 
If I heard gunshots at my parents house next door, I'd go without second thought. I'm home which means I already have my beretta on me. My parents can't wait, I need to go ASAP so unless my extra mag is within reach, I'm leaving it and bolting out the door. I'll just have to hope that 16 rds can do the job, which statistically and judging by my own skill, should. If not, God didn't want me to save the day. I know this isn't the ideal way to go about this, but I feel if the situation was actually happening, this is how it'd go.
 
If you own it, donning some body armor would be smart.
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Are you sure?

If you wind up being charged with a crime body armor will add another very hard to dodge Federal Offense to the charge even if the State doesn't have issue with it.

Of course, you can weight that against the fact that it could save your life.
 
lcpiper said:
If you wind up being charged with a crime body armor will add another very hard to dodge Federal Offense to the charge even if the State doesn't have issue with it.
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What's illegal about body armor?
 
About the only question that needs to be answered is whether you can live with the consequences of your actions or lack there of. Helps to think beforehand not only the immediate consequences, as in life and death but other related nuances as possibly being criminaly prosecuted, nasty civil lawsuits, massive legal expenses, ext. If it's your son as in the example brought forth or a close family member or friend, it's clear enough. Start deviating and the water gets murky pretty quickly.
 
What at the legal ramifications of leaving your house and going to a neighbors to help? Isn't the doctrine to retreat and what not? I would do the same thing if I was in the same situation, but with our government and court systems...
 
The worst possible result is that you step in to "save" your neighbor's and kill the perceived bad guy and then learn that it was your neighbor's who were trying to kill him and that he had successfully managed to defend himself from the attack when you barged in and killed him.

As has turned up in several incidents, just because the shooting happens on the owner's home turf does not mean that the owner are not the bad guys.

Are you sure?

If you wind up being charged with a crime body armor will add another very hard to dodge Federal Offense to the charge even if the State doesn't have issue with it.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am sure. If I was to enter into the middle of a gun battle, I would much rather do it with body armor than without. That there is a gun battle is a known risk. That you might be charged is not known and it generally does not pose a lethal risk.

If you are more worried about possible future charges than protecting your life right now, then your priorities are in the wrong order. You need to be alive to be prosecuted.
 
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