Gerry Steckmyer and his wife awoke to a loud commotion and were shocked by what they saw out their bedroom window—a deranged man was shouting and jumping on the roof of their car. Police say that when Mr. Steckmyer opened the window and shouted at the man to get off the car, the man walked toward the house and started trying to break in. He kicked the home’s front door and slammed his shoulder into it. Steckmyer repeatedly told the man to leave and warned that police were on the way, but there was no stopping the man’s odd behavior. He grabbed a 5-gallon water cooler bottle, smashed in a window and entered the home. When the intruder neared the master bedroom, Steckmyer shot him with a handgun, killing him. (The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, CA, 12/18/06)
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A 21-year-old man was eating pizza with his mother and a friend when someone knocked on the door. According to police, when the friend opened the door, two intruders burst inside and put a gun to his head. The man’s mother sought refuge in a bedroom while he ran downstairs to retrieve a firearm. Confused, one of the intruders asked where everyone went, then said he’d kill anyone he found. In response to the threat, the 21-year-old reemerged, shooting and killing one intruder and causing his accomplice to flee. (Post-Tribune, Merrillville, IN, 12/03/06)
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Police say a 16-year-old gang member wearing a ski mask and toting a .22 rifle knocked on a front door north of Chicago one night. Inside,
Saffiyya Darr and her husband called out to ask who it was, but got no reply. Several minutes later they heard a loud sound coming from their back door, and Darr ran to her bedroom to get a 9 mm pistol. When the suspect forced his way inside, she shot him twice. He died at the scene. “If you are sitting at home at night and someone kicks the door open, you have the right to defend yourself,” said Police Chief Douglas Malcolm. (Lake
Country News-Sun, Waukegan, IL, 12/04/06)
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There is a sign on Abel Sisneros’ home warning, “Nothing inside is worth risking your life for. Owners of this property are highly skilled to protect life, liberty and property from criminal attacks.” Authorities, however, say an intruder failed to heed the warning. Sisneros heard a pounding at the front door and grabbed his 9 mm handgun as a precaution. He was at the top of the stairs when the suspect broke through the locked front door. Sisneros fired two shots. The wounded burglar groaned and ran to the back of the house until police arrested him. “He couldn’t get out of the back [of the home], and he knew I was still in the front of the house, so he was trapped,” Sisneros explained. (The Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, TX, 12/22/06)
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Upon witnessing someone breaking into his neighbor’s home, a man immediately called the couple who live there. Police say the couple immediately returned home and found the burglar inside trying to remove a television set. The male homeowner confronted the suspect, who drew a pocketknife and struck the homeowner’s hand, cutting him. That’s when the homeowner pulled a .22 pistol and fired two shots, wounding the intruder and causing him to flee. He was later apprehended. When a local reporter asked Knoxville, Tenn., policeman Mark Pressley the impertinent question of whether the couple would be charged in the incident, he replied, “They’re kind of the innocent victims here. They’ve had enough problems.” (News Sentinel, Knoxville, TN, 12/30/06)
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Police say a 17-year-old boy was home with his cousin when four armed men kicked in the door and started shooting. The teen rushed to grab his shotgun and fired at his assailants, killing two of them. The other suspects fled, but were later apprehended. “Truthfully, it was either them or me,” said the teen. “I’m thankful to be standing here today. I thank God.”
(KHOU 11 News, Houston, TX, 12/28/06)
