If home invaders start seeing other home invaders killed by law-abiding residents, maybe they’ll start thinking twice about invading homes. This is especially of interest to law-abiding Durham residents who eschew the use of firearms in all cases. There were two instances in Durham in August in which residents shot intruders and possibly saved their own lives. Those who argue that people should let the police handle it need to ask themselves what would have happened to the 14-year-old and his mother in Corpus Christi or the two Durham residents if they had taken that course.

As Glenn Reynolds commented on the Texas incident:

Not only was this tragedy averted, but if the guy had gotten away with it he almost certainly would have killed others. Not now.