Mother Shooting Home Intruder to Protect Family Underscores Importance of Right to Bear Arms

A mother who recently shot a home intruder after discovering he was hiding in one of her children’s bedrooms underscores the importance of the right to keep and bear arms.

A 33-year-old mom fired her handgun at the 59-year-old stranger who broke into her southeast Portland, Oregon, home, killing him. She had just returned home with her two children — ages 5 and 10 — after a weekend trip. Authorities were called to the woman’s residence around 2 a.m. where they found the intruder shot dead.

The unidentified woman was not charged with any crime, police say.

A perfect example of why the right to keep and bear arms must remain

Such an incident is the cornerstone of why gun owners rally behind the Second Amendment. It is there to give American citizens a means of protecting themselves against very real threats. A stranger taking refuge inside a child’s bedroom with ill intentions is one of the best reasons people have to defend themselves with firearms. Had the mother not shot the intruder, she and her children would most likely have been seriously harmed, or worse.

Two more mothers protected their families in 2016, thanks to guns

It was not just the mother shooting a home intruder in Portland that made news this year. In March, an Indianapolis woman shot and killed a burglar who broke inside the family’s home through the baby’s window. The man had a handgun of his own, firing at the woman first. He missed, but she shot him before he could fire again.

Fortunately, no one in the household was hurt.

Similarly, a North Carolina woman encountered a burglar who entered the family’s home. She had just come home from running errands with her toddler when she saw a car parked in the driveway. She grabbed her gun and walked inside to find the suspect holding her iPad and walking towards her. She fired her gun multiple times at the intruder, killing him.

The nation is firmly divided on the subject of guns

The subject of guns in America has always been a hot button issue, but is even more so in the aftermath of a shockwave of violent shootings in recent weeks. A spate of shootings at soft targets like schools and nightclubs have the nation on edge, with public opinion split about the causes and the solutions.  A slew of high-ranking government officials are using the maximum extent of their power in an attempt to make good on changing laws and restricting gun rights. So much so, that great debate has raged on that they are punishing law-abiding and responsible gun owners. No matter what side of the debate you fall on, most people can agree that had these women not had their handguns ready to defend their families, the endings would not have turned out quite as well.