Gunfighter

M.W. · Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 172 Location: inside the loop

Just finding out the details on this incident but one of our IDPA shooters who shoots scenarios and drills with us at Shiloh on occassion was involved in a home defense shooting on December 29,2008. He is the elderly father of one of our club officers and lives alone.

He was sitting at home late that evening (in a somewhat rural area of North Houston) watching TV almost in the dark in the rear of his house.
With front porch light on he noticed on the surveillance monitors near his chair(he has cameras all around his house) that a white panel van had pulled up to his front door and that two men had gotten out(not that it matters but one was white,one hispanic) and were attempting to steal the chained down generator he had been using on a home improvement project in his front yard.

Seeing this,he grabbed his .357 revolver and wisely did not go out the front door but went out the back door and circled around them to their van.
Using the van as cover he verbally challenged the two thieves. When they realized he had control of their van they rushed at him,one holding a pair of bolt cutters. Given no choice the father fired hitting one perp in the head dropping him immediately then he shot the other in the chest and he went down as well. Both went to the hospital in critical conditon.

The whole thing was on tape so no problems for the father.

He credits his time practicing IDPA with helping him to handle the situation,using cover properly,fast target transitions,and making the shots when his life was on the line. He had no doubt that when they rushed him they meant to do him serious bodily harm or even kill him. Also,he learned later that they had planned to break in his house for valuables.

NOTE*- IDPA competitors maintain that while our sport is not "training" it most certainly is excellent shooting practice with a personal defense orientation,a point demonstrated by this event.