Every citizen of the United States is endowed with the constitutional right to protect their property and family with a firearm. Despite this extremely wise piece of legislation, the authoritarian left seeks to have it destroyed. This is while they push for policies that would let more dangerous people into our country. They must be stopped. Guns are one of the few ways to really stand a chance against a home invader. The case in favor of ownership is extremely strong.

Earlier in the week, a 23-year-old man, Zach Peters, saved his family from armed intruders by shooting and killing all of them with an AR-15. This was an excellent example of why the Second Amendment is important. Although the act was incredibly heroic, not everyone sees it that way. In response to the shooting, one of the deceased teens’ family members spoke out for the first time, calling it unfair.

Leroy Schumacher, the grandfather of one of the people killed, spoke out against the killing. He argued it was unfair to shoot his grandson even though he had violently broken into a private residence armed with a weapon. By doing so, he appears to be taking the side of the intruders, despite the fact that they may have also been murderers, given the opportunity.

Schumacher acknowledges the fact that his grandson made a terrible decision, saying, “what these three boys did was stupid,” but claims his grandson never got into trouble. When discussing the incident, he didn’t appear to take into account the fact that they outnumbered Peters three to one. Instead, he said, “brass knuckles against an AR-15, come on, who was afraid for their life,” suggesting the criminals did not stand a chance.

But it’s not just the fact that they had brass knuckles. They also had a knife. Brass knuckles and knives are extremely dangerous. Both have the potential to kill someone very easily. But even if the intruders didn’t have any weapons, the family could’ve been killed by a single punch. On top of that, they outnumbered him three to one. Further, armed and violent intruders aren’t supposed to have a chance to do anything. They may use it as an opportunity to attack and kill.

Not to mention that Peters was in his own home, which he has every right to defend with just about whatever means he sees fit. He chose an AR-15. Others, since it was a close-quarters encounter, may have chosen a handgun instead.

According to the grandfather, “they knew they could be punished for it but they did not deserve to die.” Yet once again, this statement appears to not take into account the facts of the case. The very act of breaking and entering is enough to justify the shooting.

But they didn’t just do that. The three teens also dressed themselves up to conceal their identity and look intimidating. It would have been frightening to see three strangers dressed in normal clothing. Seeing them all dressed in black, wearing masks and brandishing weapons, must have been especially terrifying. Sometimes people flee when they are afraid, and sometimes they react like an action hero, channeling their adrenaline into focus. The son of the homeowner responded with the latter. Also, the intruders displayed aggression by shattering the glass of the backdoor. Peters was reasonably afraid for his life and did what he had to do to protect his family from an immediate threat.

Even so, Schumacher insists that “there’s got to be a limit to that law,” adding “I mean he shot all three of them; there was no need for that.” Yet it’s unclear what the grandfather would have preferred instead. The teens broke into the house wielding dangerous weapons, indicating they were willing to use violence if given the opportunity. If the son of the homeowner did not shoot, he could have been overpowered and killed by the three attackers.

While it’s true the teens may have left if asked politely, it seems unreasonable to take on that risk. It would be tragic for an armed homeowner to be killed because they hesitated. The intruders are already in the guilty of a life-threatening crime. The lives of the innocent are not worth an attempt at diplomacy. If the situation was different, and three armed, masked intruders broke into his grandson’s house while he was still alive, would he still feel the same?

What’s worse, the grandfather blames Peters, the victim of the crime, for the suffering of the felons’ families. “These boys’ families are going to suffer with this the rest of their lives, we have to live with this the rest of our lives,” he argues.

But blaming the homeowner for the pain caused by the teens’ decision to break the law is reprehensible. The burglars aren’t just to blame for the attempted crime or the duress experienced by the homeowner. They’re also responsible for causing their own families suffering. Their actions led to their deaths, which not only affected them, but their families as well. They behaved in a way that put their lives at risk and showed no consideration for their loved ones. Their families have to live with the consequences of their actions.

However, despite the loss of family, Schumacher is somewhat optimistic. “You can’t change history, but you can damn sure learn from it, and maybe some kids will learn from this,” he reasons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpBJkgLsYLI

Peters is not expected to be charged for the shooting on March 28th. He clearly acted in self-defense. The three teenage thugs made the decision to find a house to break into. They then drove to a seemingly peaceful neighborhood and found a house to loot. Before the robbery, they donned masks and gloves and wore all black. They also brought brass knuckles and a knife in the event they met any resistance. They then drove to the house and trespassed onto the family’s private property, making their first mistake. Their second mistake was smashing the glass of the backdoor, waking the son of the homeowner, who immediately armed himself. Their third and final mistake was actually stepping foot into the house.

Upon breaking the glass of the backdoor, the three teens woke up Peters, who grabbed his AR-15 and raced to investigate. What he saw next terrified him. In his home, where he expected to feel the safest, were three armed burglars. Outnumbered, and in imminent danger, he shot and killed all three of them.

Peters was rightly in the comfort of his own home, which he has every right to defend from intruders, and the invaders carried weapons, causing the family to be in imminent danger. The worst thing that the teens did was step foot inside the house. That’s really the only thing that matters and the main reason why the son of the homeowner was justified in shooting the potential killers.

When someone breaks into a house and the homeowner is there, it tends to go one of two ways. The outcome usually depends on whether or not the homeowner has a gun. This means that the situation could have been much different if the authoritarian left successfully destroyed the Second Amendment. If a person doesn’t have a gun, the outcome doesn’t tend to be in their favor. However, if a person does have a gun, the situation usually ends much differently.

If Peters didn’t have a gun, he could have been overwhelmed. They already demonstrated poor decision making by breaking into the house. It seems to follow that they could’ve easily made more poor decisions if they had the opportunity, such as murdering the family. The family could have easily been beaten to death. Or worse, they could’ve been killed with the knife.

An accomplice to the group was waiting in the getaway car and managed to escape the scene, abandoning the others. She later turned herself into police claiming to have planned the entire operation. Authorities reported that the group broke into the house after first burglarizing another part of the same neighborhood earlier. Information about a fifth person, who investigators say is a witness, has yet to be released.

The identities of all four are now public. The three that were killed were 19-year-old Maxwell Cook, 17-year-old Jacob Redfern and 16-year-old Jaykob Woodriff. The getaway driver was Elizabeth Marie Rodriguez, a 23-year-old mother of three. After being arrested, she showed remorse and appeared to understand why Peters reacted the way he did. Specifically, she said, “I know what we did was stupid and wrong. I don’t blame him. … I understand why he did what he did. I mean, I do to an extent.”

Despite the desperate attempts by the authoritarian left, the right to bear arms must be protected. Liberals advocate for policies that would leave the most vulnerable incapable of leveling the playing field. They’ll be unable to defend themselves or protect their families and loved ones. The grandfather of the dead felon only makes things worse by bringing up legislation that puts more lives at risk.