How Did You Feel About Joe Horn; The Man Who Killed His Neighbor's Burglars?

[jdtickler]

In my opinion he did the right thing, and maybe the best thing would have been to shoot them at the legs or just incapacitate them, but unless you have profesional training in firearms, such as police or military training, its probably too hard to just take your time and aim at the body part you wanna hit, speacilly in such an stressful situation such as a robery.
In my country there's actually a whole debate about the same thing, cuz it used to be such a peaceful place, but lately crimes got incredibly violent, so more and more citizens are getting guns to defend themselves, and its not like there's a war on the streets, but most people around here agree that some of our laws actually end up protecting the criminals, instead of the decent working people, cuz most of the time in here, when persons like this 61 year old man do what he did they end up being judged and prosecuted first than any criminals they manage to catch >_<

 

[Wade1]

Clogged court dockets being what they are, I can't get too exercised about the fact that he's not being charged with a crime; it is at best debatable that prosecuting this guy would have any effect on future criminal activity or the safety of the community.

That said, I think his actions were unjustified.

 

[jts963]

Just to correct some misconceptions here without getting bogged down in this particular case.

If you're going to shoot a burglar, shoot to kill. Always. If you wound the bastard, I guarantee you that he will sue you and is likely to win. The dead can't sue. Kill the bastard or let him go, wounding is the idiot play.

 

[Dr. Bill Kobb]

We have a statute here in Florida called the Homestead Act that makes it perfectly legal to shoot someone whom you feel is invading your property with criminal intent. Wounding or no, the law's on your side down here. I don't know how it would apply to Mr. Horn's case, though. If I recall from when this story first aired, there had been a rash of burglaries in that neighborhood at the time. Betcha they've diminished.

 

[Senshi1]

Whilst murder was a bit of a drastic step, here's some advice for burglars: if you don't want to get shot, don't rob houses. Simple as that. It's like becoming a surgeon and then running out of the operating theater screaming "OMG I gotted blood on meee! 🙁"

Besides, you wouldn't like it if somebody burgled you. "Do unto others" and all that.

 

[Meka1]

Whilst murder was a bit of a drastic step, here's some advice for burglars: if you don't want to get shot, don't rob houses. Simple as that. It's like becoming a surgeon and then running out of the operating theater screaming "OMG I gotted blood on meee! 🙁"

Besides, you wouldn't like it if somebody burgled you. "Do unto others" and all that.

i agree, good for Mr Horn im glad he got off

 

[kopfhorer1]

Anyone hear about this story? Over in Texas a 61 year old man, Joe Horn, called 911 to report 2 men who broke into his neighbor's house. He said he had a shotgun and was going to take care of it....

That's Texas, I guess.

Anyone remember a vigilante from the 80's by the name of Bernhard Goetz? This case reminds me a bit of Mr. Goetz's.

 

[JimBoy]

That's Texas, I guess.

Anyone remember a vigilante from the 80's by the name of Bernhard Goetz? This case reminds me a bit of Mr. Goetz's.

Not quite the same thing. The only same thing is that a "regular citizen" opened fire on criminals.

Goetz was personally confronted whereas Horn wasn't exactly.
Goetz never killed anyone; Horn killed 2 men.
Horn was at his house and Goetz on the NYC Subway.
Horn wasn't prosecuted and had no trial; Goetz had a trial and he had to serve time for illegal firearms.