In all seriousness… I am a single woman living alone, but very well trained and raised in a military family with a father who was a police commander. I have a large house that is three stories and if you broke in assuming at night, and I’m upstairs. I have Cats and possessions that are dear to me and maybe a little bit of anger issues. But I definitely do not see myself hiding in the bedroom and letting them have their way with my sanctuary, which by the way does have two levels of security systems before breaking in. I am in Illinois. Do I not have the right to proactively defend myself or does it have to be reactive only when I receive an active threat that is coming too close as I would not want to wait until then and leverage the element of surprise. I am well armed with various pieces, easily accessible throughout the house that only I would know about.
Just food for thought. We usually leave a small light on in the hallway leading to the bedroom. We also use a privacy knob lock similar to what is on a home bathroom door. This of course would only delay someone attempting to gain access to the bedroom from the hallway, The hallway light backlights anyone standing in the doorway. Perfect silhouette. In case of an intrusion bladed sight lines to the door are identified. We keep our car keys in the bedroom to activate car alarms if needed along with cell phones. House alarms are set at night.
Upon being alerted to a potential intrusion, my immediate response would involve assessing the situation. Given the proximity of my readily accessible firearm and the presence of a trained canine, I would prioritize securing my immediate vicinity. From within my bedroom, I would issue a verbal warning, stating, “I am armed and have contacted emergency services.” The subsequent course of action would then depend on the intruder’s response. Their options would be to retreat or face the consequences of attempting to enter a darkened, unlit room. It is also worth noting that a monitored security alarm system is in place.
I’m always armed, whether at home or on the road.
My wife knows how to access the Bedroom safe within seconds and she knows that the hand guns in the front are loaded. Hopefully she would be able to protect herself after calling 911.
Me on the other hand, I always have a loaded pistol on a magnet next to me and an extra 15 round mag on my side board. The pistol has a weapon light and green laser for nighttime engagement.
I also always have a pistol caliber carbine next to my bed with a Holosun holographic site, a green dot laser with an 800 lumin light below the hand guard!
Our house alarm is always set at night and I have security cameras inside and outside. Am I paranoid?Nope!!
My biggest fear is having to ever fire on anyone. I don’t want to have to kill anyone and I don’t want to ruin my beautiful floors or anywhere else with some intruders blood! I’m always aware of bullet penetration through walls and luckily, our house has a distance from the neighbors houses.
I am a long time firearms collector and when I first learned about USCCA and our protective insurance policy, I joined right away. I’ve been a member for many years and don’t plan to drop my coverage.
One other thing, I absolutely love the USCCA Magazine!
Arm my self, Retreat, if possible, put sone distance and obstacles between myself and the intruders., call 911, warn the intruders I am armed and will protect myself, tell them the police are almost here, go now! Even if harming someone else is legal and morally right; you still have to live with the fact you harmed or killed somebody, causing alota grief to their loved ones. You’ll carry their death on your conscience to the grave. You’re going to have alota really bad nights. If any way possible, Avoid a confrontation, is the answer. That makes you the winner.
That’s a sobering advice given by my first CCW instructor.
Just my opinion, not advice. Assuming you have a plan, have practiced your plan and are awake and calm enough to execute your plan, your audible alarm should cause the intruder[s] to leave. Dial 911 even if your alarm does so automatically, tell 911 where you are in the house and how many of you are at risk - tell 911 you are armed. While doing so, move yourself [and family] to your cover or concealment spot, put your family behind you and wait for LEO to arrive. If the intruder is still coming despite your audible alarm, and enters your choke point, stay concealed and prepare to defend yourself. Charles641 makes a good point about the regret of killing a person. I agree. Also, that regret will haunt you worse if the intruder kills your family. This is not about being John Wayne or John Wick, its not a fire fight. You don’t want 9 rounds coming back at you and your family. Exercise trigger control of yourself. If the intruder[s] remain while your alarm is blaring, you are your only immediate defense, stick to your plan. If it goes loud, and the intruder goes down, be prepared to be arrested as part of the process. May God keep us all safe and away from ever having to execute the ultimate protective plan.
Good plan. Welcome to the community.
Welcome to the community!
True story many years ago, wife and I woke to noise of the door from the garage to the kitchen in the middle of the night. We thought it was the cat. So did the cat sleeping between us. Wife called 911 (we both were probation officers). Police were already in the neighborhood because of a prowler. I retrieved my gun stored close by and loaded a magazine. Wife told dispatch that I was armed. Once I chambered a round, the noises coming down the hallway stopped. I made a vocal statement that I would kill the first shadow. No intruder found. Never getting back to sleep was the worst of it all.
glad you had ample time to do all that.
Welcome to the community!