March 23, 2011
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Could You Shoot Someone?
I was reading an article about how a former beauty queen shot and killed an intruder who broke into her home.
(It is not my fault. That is an actual photo of her holding her gun).
The man pushed into her home at 3 in the morning. He grabbed the woman by her nose and mouth and dragged her upstairs to her bedroom.
She ended up shooting and killing him. Here is the link: Link
Could you shoot and kill someone?
Comments (154)
yes. break into my home, threaten the life of me and my family……in a heartbeat.
In the heat of the moment, I think it’s possible I could.
Yes.
Well, not if I don’t have a gun. ;{
if I felt threatened enough… Most cases my answer would be no though.
Yes. I’m trained.
Since we have no guns in the house, I guess not.
Is that a pink gun? Does it have a little breast cancer awareness ribbon on it? Do they make pink bullets, too?
I’ve been playing Heavy Rain (recently finished it) and honestly, it puts you into situations like these. I had to shoot someone to save myself in the game, it was quite stressful (even if it was game. ) It just was so real.
I don’t own a gun or plan on owning a gun so that makes me say probably not. But if I somehow had a gun and was in a similar situation I wouldn’t loaf around and do nothing.
As hard as it would be before and after the fact, I believe I could. Probably the reason why I keep Dobermans in the house, rather than a gun.
in that situation i think i would just out of total terror. he covered her nose and mouth? that would drive the primal fight mode in me. hopefully i wouldn’t shoot myself or a hole in the wall or something…
I highly doubt it. I think at my worst I’d just start thrashing and trying to beat the person up.
Also… Didn’t you ask this same question in some other post last year? :O
I really don’t know. I’m not sure I could.
~V
in my home ? you can bet your ass i would !
I don’t know. I could attempt to shoot someone who breaks in, but I don’t know if I could hit em.
Yes I could. When I was very small my grandfather sat me down (I think I was 6) and said to me, “Today I am going to teach you how to shoot a gun and never miss. I hope you never have to use it.” We talked about what would happen if I had to shoot a person. If it came down to life vs. death, I know I could pull the trigger. Would I be ok afterwards? I can’t quite say. Hasn’t happened yet, I hope it never does.
I have and would not hesitate to do so again
If it was life threatening to me or anyone in my family or REALLY close friends, then yes.
yup
hell yahh!! if this was me i would have done the same thing!!
To save my family, close friends, or myself.. hell yea. In a heartbeat. I know this is heartless, but especially someone I didn’t know..
I would have to feel incredibly threatened before I would shoot to kill. (It might take less for me to shoot someone to injure or scare them enough to make them leave me alone) I hate the idea of killing someone, but if it’s either shoot them or be raped, murdered, or both, I’d shoot.
lol maybe in their foot or something…
Yes I could, I’ll shoot anyone of you if you try and steal my M & M’s.
I’m a lawyer. I don’t have to kill anyone to destroy them.
If the circumstances called for it, yep.
If you asked me this question before I had a daughter, I would say no. Now, there is no doubt about it. I have more than just myself to worry about now.
I came very close, in Viet Nam. It was not what you might think. A drunken American soldier was bullying one of my barracks mates and came at me after I pulled him off the other guy.
I was on watch that night, working under a buck sergeant. I walked back to my desk, picked up my M-16 and put it on semi. I pointed straight at the drunk, and said-”Give me a reason”. The sergeant ordered me to put the weapon back on safety, which I did. Bully’s comment, when sobriety returned the next day “I’ll never forget you for what you did last night,” He didn’t, making a few more threats, and the brass transferred me to Saigon, “for everyone’s safety”.That was the closest I have come to shooting another human being. I do have a weapon here in the house, but have not had to even point it in the three years we’ve had it.
I’ve never laid hands on a gun before. I would definitely try to shoot someone if I had to, but unless they’re in close range I would probably miss D:
who says I haven’t
Hmm…is it even possible to drag someone by their nose???
Absolutely.
I would shoot an intruder. I really think all young women living alone anywhere should keep a gun in the home.
Yes….because I feel I wouldn’t be the one that killed him, he put himself in a situation where a gun went off and he was in front of it. I would grieve the loss of a life, but not that I had done anything wrong
Bust into my house uninvited or some other such thing and find out. Go ahead. Make my day.
If I could avoid it, I wouldn’t shoot to kill.
I’m sure I could if the situation warranted it…but I’d probably be filled with all sorts of regret afterward.
We currently don’t have any guns/firearms in our home but I’m certain we
will because my husband has really been talking about it lately.
However, if I had a firearm and someone broke into my home – yes. I’m
going to shoot and aim to kill. I will NOT take a chance when it is my
family’s life in danger. You do NOT mess with a mother bear so why
would you mess with a mother human? I’m going to shoot first and ask
questions later. If I were single or if it were just me and my husband -
I would TRY to shoot to incapacitate and then call the cops to bring
them to justice. However, with my children in my home I just would
rather play it safe and shoot to kill.
not for myself, but for other people, yeah.
Yes. But in the state of California, I’d probably end up going to jail if he does’t die, so I should make sure he’s dead before he drops completely to the ground, right?
@Kiwigummy - ”If I could avoid it, I wouldn’t shoot to kill.”
Good choice. I’d torture the guy too.
? : Yes.
I don’t know about killing someone.
yes, I could kill the world. I can’t get to the people who are hurting me though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Ldgz1UJVs they’re trying to frame me again.
I’m still hoping that God decides to have morals. I know it’s probably in vain, but I don’t have anything else to do.
I think so.
I think I could. I might even be able to shoot someone in the face.
Probably. Shooting is pretty much the easiest way of killing anyway.
Absolutely.
I shoot people all the time…with a camera…lol
But in all seriousness, yes I would discharge a firearm to protect myself, my family, my friends, or any innocent if their safety were threatened, but if possible, I would avoid killing. I’m not likely to own a firearm in the first place though.
i could if i shot him or her in a vital spot. it would be from self-defense and fear of death.
@saintvi - they do make pink pocket knives for breast cancer awareness.. don’t know about other weapons though.. haha
I’d shoot him in both legs and make him beg for mercy*pwaaaahahahh*
reverse terrorize/torture him. I win
fuck yes…i know a lot of people say that, and don’t mean it…but i could in a fucking heartbeat, gun or no gun
Well, I don’t own a gun or even know much about how to properly work one. And even then, I can’t aim worth shit. So, no. I am quite incapable of shooting someone at all.
As for the KILLING part, assuming that the offender is unarmed, I know I have the mental capacity to do so if I am in immediate danger. Then it’s just a matter of physical strength/skill. So, it might be just fine that I’m out of shape right now. I don’t want to kill anyone. D;
@BenelliMan - Nope. California is a “Castle Doctrine” state. Should an intruder unlawfully force their way into your home, it creates a situation where a homeowner can lawfully use deadly force under the presumption of the homeowner fearing death or severe injury. You are also not required to retreat or give ground to an intruder, so provided you can get to your gun, you’re legally permitted to fire on them without a warning.
However you can’t shoot someone if they’re only trying to steal your TV for example and they don’t attack you. And you obviously can’t chase them into the street and shoot them if they run out of the house. If there’s no threat, then there’s no justification for deadly force.
If i have a gun, Yes..if necessary.
Yep. Definitely could. Don’t ever want to, but I could pull the trigger if it was my life or theirs.
I keep a short-barrel .12 gauge pump-action shotgun in the house. Threaten the lives of myself or my family and you get to learn what 00 buckshot feels like.
Also shooting to wound is pointless. Home defense experts will tell you that if the situation has already deteriorated to the point where you’ve had to retrieve your firearm, it’s best to just go ahead and shoot to kill. Better to end the situation quickly than draw it out.
If I have the capability to do so, I would. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to shoot a gun. A pink gun looks pretty badass, though. But I’d rather have an orange one.
I absolutely could shoot to kill if my life were completely threatened. In fact, in my state, there is a legal presumption that anyone who breaks into your home poses an imminent threat to your life. Therefore, you may use deadly force to protect yourself in your own home should someone break in while you are inside. Under this premise, I would wait for the intruder to gain illegal entry into my home before I shot them. I would most likely not kill them, however. I would instead choose to severely injure them so that I may watch them suffer and later answer for their crime.
Now that I know how to operate a gun, yes.
I absolutely could.
Yes, yes I could. And I hate guns.
Yes I could shoot someone. I carry concealed all the time and am a fine marksman with it. Even if it were justified, I’d feel pretty shitty about it. I’d rather not.
@ctaretz - hahaha. Thanks for the laugh. I could visualize you sitting there hoarding your M&M stash with a gun!
@californiagal - Lol
As deemed appropriate, yes.
If its in self defense, yes.
If they threatened the lives of my family or friends, hell yeah I’d shoot them dead in a heartbeat.
Yes, but if it’s a hot lesbian, then only after I am sexily raped.
if they were trying to kill me—-fuck yeah!
there’s a gun in my house, if I was threatened I would definitely shoot someone. I might try to hit them in the leg or something instead of completely killing them. But if needed I could.
Goddamn right I would. I applaud her for her bravery and ability to fuck someone’s shit up. She’s a badass.
@ShimmerBodyCream - Can we leave out the part that comes after?
I could mentally and morally in that situation. But I’ve only fired a gun like twice before in my life. So I’d probably miss.
@airbornerose - I’m in my underwear, door is unlocked, my money is in my dresser, and I only have a taser. *spreads*
Yes.
Like many of the others have said, threaten my life and my family’s life and I could most definitely shoot someone.
I have shot and killed someone.
Halloween night, 1969.
I still think of it often, but the details of the event especially fill my thoughts each year when Halloween rolls around.
by instinct maybe…
but if i were conscious of the fact that if i pull this trigger i could kill this man…i probably wouldnt. i would shoot him in the leg or something…or maybe knock him out with something.
but in all honesty…i dont know until it happens (hopefully never)
In a situation like that? Heck yeah!
Addendum.
To those who would shoot to wound with the expectation that your assailant will be dealt with through the justice system, I offer a few words of advice.
IF you ever find yourself in a situation in which you find it necessary to shoot another human being, shoot to kill. If that requires that you fire several rounds to accomplish the task, then do so.
If you wound a person who has attacked you, it is unlikely that they will be grateful. They will want revenge. They will know where you live. They will wait for you late at night, in the shadow of the maple tree next to your garage, and, when you step out of your car, they will make you pay for your poor judgement.
The revenge, of course, will come after their best effort to cast you as the agressor during the court room proceedings that will ensue after you have “wounded” them. In the aftermath of a gunfight, who started it will be based on your word against the word of your opponent. If your opponent is fatally injured in the incident, you will be the only participant with a story.
yes and i probably won’t feel horrible about it.
@WildWomanOfTheWest - true this. Dobermans over guns.
You betcha Red Rider. And, my Kahr Arms K9 is pink too. I would much rather have to call 911 to tell them I shot an intruder than to have my kids have to call 911 to tell them that Mom’s been killed by the bad guy. I live 3 miles out of town, we live in a LARGE county in Wyoming, and it takes more than 30 minutes for the sheriff to show up, unless he is in town. I will NOT die because someone is stupid.
We don’t have guns here so could I batter them with a frying pan, hell yeah! Use my shears to chop off their nether regions, yep. Use my dog as the human shredder, yep. Use a pair of steel capped toe boots to boot them where it counts, for sure. I can be resourceful if someone threatened my family, as David Banner says “You won’t like me when I’m angry” and add PMS into the bargain and you have one pissed off Scot!
I think i could, if someone tried to harm me or my family i would depending on the severity of the situation either kill or disable them.
As soon as someone has opened the door of kill or be killed then they are fair game in the situation, and i value my own life.
@phosphorickike - Hahaha I bet your a good lawyer too
lol
Without question. Anyone who breaks into my home better be prepared to pay with their life, because they will.
@phosphorickike - good point!
If I had too I probably but since I don’t believe in owning guns…and never served in the military and live in a fairly good and safe neighborhood…I doubt if the chance to ever shoot someone will ever arise in my life but if I does and it involves protecting myself or someone else…I think could. This woman had a good reason to shoot him…she was probably about to get raped. Nothing wrong with protecting yourself.
Only if I’d been taught how to shoot a gun. As of now, I probably couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.
If my life is on the line, as well as my family’s, and I had a gun handy, yes. But I’d probably try for a knee or injuring the guy first…
Shoot to injure when my life and the life of others is threatened? Sure. To actually kill someone and live with the thought that I extinguished a life? I don’t think I could.
@VeritatisAmans - Best answer so far monsieur!
I hope I never find out.
Most likely although I wouldn’t go for a kill. I would try to injure the intruder by shooting him in arms and legs if possible.
of course. especially if it was in self defense or defense of a loved one.
BOOM, HEADSHOT.
In a desperate situation like that, I think I could.
I couldn’t see myself getting over it very easily though.
If I were a gun owner, I think I would, as often as possible, shoot to STOP rather than shoot to KILL. If I happen to kill, then it would most likely be unintentional… I would only shoot to kill in an extreme instance where lives (mine or my friends/family) are in danger.
This seemed like one of those situations where it may have been the best option.
I could but only to protect myself or someone else.
@Blind_Paraplegic - for what I have been told by those who I know that are avid gun owners, You never fire a gun at someone unless you are prepared to kill them. It is noble to say you would aim to only injury but you could miss.
I’m not sure if I could actually shoot someone now but I probably could if my children were in danger and I felt that I had no other choice
without a doubt
I have a laser-sighted Glock nine millimeter that is almost never more than arm’s reach away from me when I’m home. Yes, under the right circumstances, I could kill someone.
Don’t own a gun. not sure I could. Hopefully I never have to find out.
the real question is if I could shoot more than one person a day
I believe as humans our brains would kick us into survival mode- most people could pull the trigger- it would just be the after effects.
Yes, I believe I could pull the trigger if someone broke into my home and threatened my life or my families.
If I was in a despatate situation, yes.
Yes, no question.
regardless of the circumstance, your blood runs cold as ice – especially if you have the gun, it is loaded and cocked and the safety is off and you are pointing it directly at the chest of the “bad guy”. you might feel like crying, like begging the person to please stop the threat. this is because you KNOW you are going to shoot them, no doubts about it. you beg them to get on the floor or whatever – ANYTHING so you don’t have to pull the trigger. this is a one on one situation like attempted rape or robbery. if a child or spouse or family member is threatened, then your panic is simply to get a clean shot and not hit the ones you love. of course there are the sickos and cowboys out there who would use any threat just to get to pull the trigger. the reality is that you cannot know how you will react until placed in that position.
I would to protect my family, absolutely. Not that I’m comfortable with killing anyone, but my husband always tells me, “Don’t point a gun at someone unless you are prepared to kill them.” And if it was ‘kill or be killed’ or if my daughter was in any sort of danger, I’d definitely be shooting – the killing may or may not be intentional.
yeah, i could. i’d even call an ambulance just to alleviate any hard feelings.
I want to but I can’t..I know that sounds really bad but if you only new…
This is why I have a gun. This is why I train and practice. This is why it’s always ready to go. I’m not willing to put my safety and well being in the hands of someone else anymore.
Could I shoot someone? Absolutely.
Sweet gun! If I had a gun and someone broke into my house, heck YEAH I would shoot them. Without hesitation.
I could, I would, and then I would take a knife and slit the intruder’s throat just to be certain that he/she was dead.
I know this answer isnt related to the question, but I find it stupid that the couple ‘sometimes needed change for a $100 bill’ when paying the pizza delivery boy. Seriously. you can’t break your own bills into 20s? If you can’t do that, then they deserved to get burglarized.
As for the rape, yeah, she shoulda shot the guy. … in the back, I don’t know if that was called for. But if you’re shooting to defend yourself and you accidentally kill him, I don’t think there’s anything morally wrong with you. So long as the intent is not to kill him.
Of course, but the number one driving factor would be if my family was in danger (especially my little sister).
I have a girlfriend who absolutely hates guns. She won’t touch one, won’t talk about them, and has repeatedly said that she would let herself be killed before she would shoot a ‘bad guy.’
But my thinking is, “why let an evil person kill you, a good person? That leaves one less good person in the world, and one less evil person.” And what’s more, somebody who’s threatening your life isn’t exactly an innocent victim. It’s tragic that they’ve resorted to violent crime, but it isn’t your fault, and I think Americans have not only the right but the DUTY to not let violent criminals think they can get away with rape, murder, and assault.
Instead of going out drinking for my 21st birthday, I’m getting a concealed carry permit. I only pray I never have to use it.
Our house was always armed growing up, and now that I’ve moved out mine is too. I’ve been taught the basics and yes I believe if I felt threatened enough I could shoot someone to save myself or others. Having dogs that sound ferocious helps keep that from happening though
@saintvi - Charter Arms makes both a pink and purple .38 Undercover, but I can’t recall if that’s exactly what it looks like head-on or not…
Oh, PS, since this is “Theologian’s Cafe,” I also think protecting your family is Biblical, guns or no guns, and allowing your children/spouse to be at risk is un-Biblical, though people might vary in their method of defense (home alarms, watch dogs, guns, etc). The worst, though, is leaving your family uneducated about potential danger and how to react, regardless of the preferred method.
I don’t know honestly. When it comes to situations like these it really depends on the moment. If my life or someone I love’s life more importantly was in danger then probably. I’ll have to answer this question when put in one of these situations. I’d probably shoot to stun. Going for the legs would be my first shot most likely.
Yes, If my or my family’s life were threatened by another, I doubt I would hesitate.
If my life or my friends or my family were in danger I’d probably should someone a few times.
I wouldn’t try to kill them. Only make them be in enough pain for me to tie them up and call the cops.
I’ve always thought if I had a gun and someone attacked me, I’d just shoot the hell out of their legs. Good luck continuing to attack me while crippled -_-;;.
she did the right thing to defend herself after what he did
I could if I had a gun and knew how to use it. It’s self-defense.
It’s easy to say you would…but I’m not gonna lie; I don’t think I’d have the balls, haha
you know what would have happened to her if she hadnt done it.. it was a classic case of self defense.. i hope she doesnt get into trouble.
I have a daughter to think about. If someone comes in my home and threatens to hurt me or my family, and I have a gun, that poor SOB better be ready to be in some serious pain (or dead, although it depends on if I aim well enough).
Still, even if it was just me, I would shoot someone to avoid being raped…that sounds like where this was going…>.> Hell, I’d probably shoot someone just because I was pissed that they killed any sense of security I would ever have in my own home.
Shoot someone? Easy. Kill them? hm…
I’d fight to my last, but I honestly don’t think I could ever take a life. Hell, I can’t even kill bugs…
Uh, this photo wasn’t taken after she shot the guy, was it? I hope not…it’s one thing to do what you need to do to protect yourself, but it’s still not something anybody should take lightly.
Yes to protect my family, I would shoot someone.
Probably not without training, no. I’ve never even held a gun and if I felt angry/threatened enough to shoot, I’d probably end up hitting a lamppost or something.
I think I would shoot and kill the intruder I mean I would panic and grab that gun and shoot O.O
@TheApologetica - Another example of finding support in the bible for anything one chooses. According to christian mythology Matthew wrote:
Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you
on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if
someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him
have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go
one mile, go with him two miles.
NOT an endosment for deadly self defense.
@ShimmerBodyCream - Most excellent. *creeps*
You could take everything from my home and I wouldn’t shot you but if you were going to harm my family I would without blinking. It would haunt me for the rest of my life but that if it was necessary for my families safety then yes.
I actually had this conversation with a friend of mine the other day. I’m pretty sure that if someone handed me a gun right now and told me to shoot someone I wouldn’t be able to do it. The idea of taking a life, even at the risk of losing my own, bothers me so much I can’t really say that I’d be able to do it. There are a lot of rules that I believe can and should be broken under the right circumstances but I can’t definitively say there is ever a right situation to kill someone for me personally.
if somebody ran up in my house i would shoot to kill.
1) i have to protect myself and my family
and (2) im shooting to kill because i’m not trying to shoot you in the leg, and then you get out of the hospital and come look for me. you already know where i live.
if you didnt want to get shot you should have stayed home instead of being out robbing people. i would do it and not feel bad about it
I’d shoot them with a hand grenade. Then I would order pizza, clean my cat’s litter box, and then call the police.
I don’t think so. but you never know until you’re in the situation, because your mind and body become absolutely amazing when you’re in danger, thanks to our built-in fight-or-flight response that we have to all possibly harmful situations.
Yes, if it was for the right purpose.
@Slag_Runner - No, no, no, you’re right about that phrase, and I totally agree with that, too. It does not do to react violently to someone, especially out of pride– “you do you think you ARE, to be this way to me?? I’ll show you what for,” but would you say it’s loving to take that phrase and say “If someone tries to rape your wife, let them rape your daughter, too” or “if someone strikes your cheek, and then kidnaps your child, do not react with violence”?
You make a good point in that Matthew tells us to accept persecution, but that by no means excludes the need to defend our families from people with evil intentions.
yes - and I was taught never to shoot to maim
I have no idea what I would do..
I would try not to aim at the vital organs, just disable him even though he’s trying to harm me. I couldn’t live with myself if I killed someone.
@WhenHateIsTheOnlyOption - But then again in the heat of the moment, you don’t really get a good aim.
You threaten my family – I threaten YOU!!!
Pastel Accounting Support
@TheApologetica - My point was not that Matthew was right but that one can find many contradictions in the bible. When you referenced it as a support for self defense, I was pointing out that the same bible also counsels against self defense.
Without a doubt, yes.
@phosphorickike - Coca-Cola and a smile, sir. I like what you said.
Yeah, I could beat the punk up, take his picture and plaster it all over the Internet. I’m a journalist who blogs.
Currently do not have a gun. Comes with living in Asia. Swords are easier to find.
Yes I can and will do what is needed to defend my home and family up to and including lethal force.
Only if my family was in danager.. Drop them like the cheap slut gangster they are. Right in there tracks
I honestly don’t know if I could. My boyfriend watches fights on youtube. He tried to show me one yesterday and I started to cry until I couldn’t breath. I don’t understand why any human being would EVER intentionally harm another.
I guess if it was a matter of life and death I may think differently.