Does everyone in your house know how to shoot

[philip964]

Today in Houston.

"The teenage son of a Harris County deputy constable shot a burglar this afternoon who tried to break into their home, authorities said.

The boy, 15, and his sister, 12, were alone about 2:45 p.m. when someone tried to kick open the front door then soon after the back door of their home in the 2600 block of Royal Place Court, officials said.

Their father was at work at the time, said officials with the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's Office.

When one of the suspected burglars kicked open a window, the boy grabbed a rifle and fired. Both burglars then fled, officials said.

Soon after the shooting, a man showed up at Tomball Methodist Hospital with a gunshot wound. He is being questioned by investigators. There was no information about the second suspect, who remains at large, officials said.

The children were not injured during the ordeal, officials said.

Investigators with the Harris County Sheriff's Department have launched an investigation."

This was cause for great celebration on the drive home local talk show radio shows.

 

[sidheshooter]

The answer for me is a qualified "yes". Everyone can work the hardware and knows the safety rules, but to say that there are varying levels of interest in going out and, say, taking tactical pistol courses for kicks on a weekend would be an understatement....

 

[Old Shooter]

Yes

 

[Leanwolf]

Yes.

L.W.

 

[bensdad]

A qualified yes. Neither of my children could defend the palace walls, but both are familiar with firearms and have shot multiple centerfire guns. The boy is 8. I think he's shot most of my guns (under VERY close, hand-on supervision). The girl is 11 and would rather go to the dentist than the gun range, but she too has shot most of the platforms I own. The wife and I both have carry permits and practice some (I'm at the range almost weekly, she hits it about monthly or so).

 

[irishelcid]

Seeing as my daughter is only a year I'd have to say no, but someday she will learn. I taught my wife how to shoot all of them and that's what finally got her interested in firearms

 

[Tim the student]

Yes, but my wife doesn't shoot as much as I would like her to.

 

[redbullitt]

I do my best to make sure. Most of them even enjoy it hah.
I make it a point to have everyone comfortable with our standard go to weapons and my carry weapon since those are the ones that are always around and would be called on if needed. You never know right?

 

[Manco]

Yes, at my insistence, but they won't practice much or train for combat-type shooting, at their insistence. I can't make them, obviously, so I hope that I'll be home if and when shooting ever becomes necessary, and if I'm not, then I hope that the gun itself and/or one shot will be enough to chase off the bad guy(s).

 

[wulfhart]

Yes, both my wife and I shoot fairly regularly and could shoot an intruder if needed.

 

[G27RR]

No, but 1/2 my household is under 3 yrs old. I do plan to teach my boys, though, and bought them a pair of matching .22's for when they are a bit older. In fact, I als bought a pair of matching ARs in case they are hard to come by in the future. For now, Dad (me) gets to use them and keep them around for SHTF duty. Plus, by using them, they each get one of ''Dad's guns.'' I am leaving their .22's in new condition though.

 

[easyg]

Yep!

 

[Dnaltrop]

Every person in my household over the age of 8 has at least basic/intermediate familiarity and access to the safe.

The 8 year old is on a Marlin 101 .22, but I'm thinking of a Henry ar-7 for an even lighter-weight option for her. (and she does not get safe access till 21)

Apparently they're making them with rails for a scope now, great little survival rifle and Kid's gun ( it floats when you take them Canoeing)

 

[sm]

I certainly hope so, since I live alone...

 

[possum]

my wife yes, and she will be attending a training course with me in the spring, to make her even better. my kids are 3 and 5 and they will in due time.

 

[JoeMal]

Yes

No, but 1/2 my household is under 3 yrs old. I do plan to teach my boys, though, and bought them a pair of matching .22's for when they are a bit older. In fact, I als bought a pair of matching ARs in case they are hard to come by in the future. For now, Dad (me) gets to use them and keep them around for SHTF duty. Plus, by using them, they each get one of ''Dad's guns.'' I am leaving their .22's in new condition though.

You rock

 

[Sauer Grapes]

It took 20yrs, but I finally got my wife to shoot a handgun in the last year. Just to give her a reason to have more interest I bought her, her very own handgun. Atleast now I feel better knowing she can shoot enough to give the bad guys a run for their money. I told her shoot first, asked questions later. If they are in the house, they are fair game.

 

[William Lee]

My girlfriend knows how to shoot the shotgun if she has to, but she doesn't enjoy it because she's small and it is rather large for her. Working on getting her something in a Walther PPK .380, which she can really wrap her hands around and feel confident with. However, she has bitten an attacker in the past, so we are by no means unprepared.

 

[ONLY]

Took three years to get my wiafe to shoot. But she can out shoot me now! Just waiting for my son hes 1 to get a few more years behind him and my soon to be born daughter to get some years on this earth and ill takem both to the range one day.

 

[Sam1911]

No... the little guy is only 19 months old.

By 8 years old mine seem to do pretty well, though:

 

[toddyboman]

myself and wife yes....

my kids being 5 and 2 no.......My 5 year does shoot some but not well enough to defend.....but its only a matter of time before she gets better!

 

[DeepSouth]

Yes, it would be unsafe to have it any other way. Now my 7 year old probably wouldn't be able to stop a burglar due to access, but yeah he shoots.

 

[philip964]

A little update on the 15 year old shooting the robber: His father had drilled him about once a month on how to handle the AR15. It was kept disassembled and unloaded, but with a partially full clip nearby, upstairs in the bedroom area. The children were in their bedrooms when they first heard noise at the front door. They were home alone.

The robbers tried to kick in the both the front and back doors. The father had reinforced them since their last burglary two months before. The son began assembling and loading the AR15 at this point. The burglars broke a window and both crawled inside. The son came down the steps and saw one burglar with a flat screen TV and began firing. He shot 8 times. Hitting one of the burglars. The other burglar said "don't shoot" and the young man said "ok". This burglar then exited through the window and pulled his partner out with him. During this time the 12 year old daughter was on the phone with 911.

During the previous burglary all the TV's the father's shotgun and the son's PSP were stolen.

The young man is pretty shaken by the whole thing and is very glad the burglar did not die. He is very protective of his younger sister, but you also never mess with a teenager's PSP.

 

[Mr.Davis]

Philip,

That's a great argument for not limiting magazine capacity. In California or another limited capacity state, he would have only had two rounds left, max.

It's also a great argument for the legitimate use of what politicians love to smear as an "assault weapon". The kid would have run out of ammo in most revolvers, couldn't probably run a pump very well (and would have been out of ammo again). An AR-15 was the perfect weapon for the young man to defend himself with.

Great shoot!

 

[mcdonl]

Me, my 14 and 11 year old daughters and my wife. Although my wife is not a gun person, she knows how to safely load, unload and shoot all of the guns in the house as well as identify if they are loaded/unloaded. In a bad scene, they could arm themselves.