In Byram Mississippi, on 1 June, at about 3 p.m. a minor was at home alone. He called his father to report a possible home invasion. A neighbor gave this account. From wapt.com:

“Daddy armed him in case he was ever by himself,” neighbor Rick Waltz said. “Daddy was at work and he got a call that said, ‘It sounds like somebody is in the house. More than one.’ Like any parent would do, he said, ‘Get your gun and protect yourself if you have to.’ Somewhere along the line they met up, and one will not be going home tonight.”

The rifle the father had armed his son with is reported to be one of the ubiquitous semi-automatic clones of the famous AK47. They’re an excellent choice for home defense. While they are not capable of automatic fire like military versions used by many countries, several attributes useful for home defense exist in both versions.

They’re easy to handle. Their overall length and pistol grip allow them to be more easily maneuvered inside buildings, and make it easier to prevent being disarmed by an assailant.

They’re relatively light, don’t recoil a great deal, and have good ammunition capacity. In rural or semi-rural locations, such as in this case, over penetration is less of a problem. Because they are so well known, they have excellent deterrent value. In this instance, though, the deterrent value wasn’t sufficient.

From clarionledger.com:

During the course of the investigation, police determined that Reed had conspired with the victim immediately prior to the incident to rob the resident at the home. Police said the incident unfolded quickly. When the teen who lived at the home saw the alleged intruder, he shot him once with an AK-47. It appears the bullet went into the victim’s hand, traveled up his arm and into his chest cavity. Only one shot is believed to have been fired. There was no forced entry, Thompson said, and there wasn’t a vehicle in the area connected with the victim.

The dead man was reported to have been armed with a handgun. The man charged, Samuel Reed, is 18 years old. The invader who was shot has been identified as Cameron Jackson, also 18. The victim who defended his home is believed to be a teenager. His name hasn’t been released.

Weapons that are used to defend homes are seldom identified in news reports. It’s likely that this instance will be added to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports as a homicide with a rifle.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

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