TX Rancher wrote:Yes, Mr Sherman may have had a fighting chance, but even if it existed, it would have been a slim one.John R. Fuller wrote:"Police say the victim, 69-year-old William Sherman, was just getting out of his car when he was approached by the suspect armed with a shotgun.
No words were exchanged between the suspect and the victim before two shots were fired."
It appears as if this guy might have a fighting chance. He saw the crook approaching with a shotgun and enough time passed that it was noticable that they did not exchange greetings of any sort. If it is at night, on my property, and someone I do not know approaches with a long weapon in any other position than slung/holstered, then I must assume no good will come of this meeting in my driveway.
Ask yourself how fast you can draw and acquire a target at night. Remember, it’s cold, so you probably have a jacket on and maybe gloves. Your getting out of your car and don’t expect to see anyone, especially someone with a shotgun. Depending on the available light, you may not even spot the shotgun. After all, just a few seconds ago you were driving and looking at headlights…your night vision is not exactly peaked, and remember, he’s 69, night vision is something he remembers having a couple of decades ago. The BG is certainly putting the monkey wrench in your/Mr Sherman's smooth running OODA loops. I suspect the odds were heavily in the favor of the BG. Even taking the age of the victim out of the equation, I still think the BG’s going to score first hit.
It’s just a bad situation. Even if you operate in condition yellow 24/7, there are still situations where you will lose, and this may have been one of them.
The good news is the BG was a dork. Close range, two blasts with the shotty, and only one marginal hit. Maybe he learned to shoot by watching movies, or playing video games. Thank God the average BG doesn’t take the time out to train in their profession.
and I hope Mr. Sherman knelt and gave a Prayer of Thank's at the first opportunity because from what we read he should have been dead.
There are a lot of folks who think their shotgun pattern will cover the whole door across the room and that there is no need to aim, or that they can ''shoot from the hip '' I do concede that some shooters can and will be very accurate but most will think close is good enough with the shotgun.
I suggest that those that use a defensive shotgun should pattern it at 10', 15' and 20'.