But they won’t go away.
Whether anti-gun activists like it or not, there is a definite criminal element in the U.S. that is not deterred by gun control laws and no trespassing signs. They break into locked doors and attack when the good people are at their most vulnerable.
It is then that appreciation for the Second Amendment is found in a most powerful way.
This latest terrifying scene unfolded in the dead of night Thursday morning in Centerville, Ohio.
The dark house was occupied by a family of four, and a frightened woman called 911 at 4:55 a.m. to report an intruder trying to break into her home. “Please, please. Someone’s in our house.” While she was on the line, she told the dispatcher that her husband had retrieved a firearm to confront the criminal.
It was then that the dispatcher heard a gunshot.
According to the press release, when officers arrived on the scene, they were met at the door by the husband who explained what had happened.
They discovered the alleged intruder, 36-year-old Joseph Gibson of Centerville, dead inside the residence. He suffered a gunshot wound to the head, according to Montgomery County Coroner Dr. Kent Harshbarger.
According to the Dayton Daily News, responding officers “also found a 40-year-old woman lying face down in the front yard.” They reported the female was alive but unresponsive.
Officer John Davis of the Centerville PD told local media that authorities did not know what role, if any, the woman played in the alleged home intrusion. He said the unconscious female “was removed by medics to the hospital for issues unrelated to the shooting.”
There were no other injuries reported.
Davis said the department is not searching for any other suspects in the case. “We have everyone that was involved identified and we’re just working through getting answers to a lot of questions we have as to what led up to the shooting.”
While on the phone with dispatch, the wife said she and her husband were alerted by their Ring doorbell camera that someone was at their door. “My husband literally jumped out of bed and saw that somebody was trying to break into our house at our front door, like pounding on it.”
A neighbor told law enforcement that he noted a car parked near his driveway overnight. Kevin Schnabel said it “might’ve been 2 or 3 a.m. and then it was still there an hour and a half later…The second time I came down and noticed the car was still there I opened my front door so I could see if I could get a better look, but I really couldn’t see anything, and I didn’t feel like going and walking up to the car.”
He said he never heard a gunshot or sounds of a break-in. Authorities say the incident is still under investigation.
It is apparent that someone was looking for an opportunity to enter a residence in the middle of the night for reasons unknown. And while the unconscious woman’s presence is a mystery, the man who illegally entered the residence was met with armed resistance and paid the ultimate price.
It is fortunate for the couple and their family that they were prepared for the worst. Having the security of a doorbell camera to alert them to an intruder was crucial, but even more critical was being prepared with a firearm. The intruder undoubtedly did not expect to encounter an armed homeowner and lost his life as a result.
