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Last night made me glad that my husband and I think it is important to be prepared and are always thinking of and discussing possible scenarios and actions to take in response. We have both discussed and actually practiced a routine for clearing the house which allows us to cover each other and safely clear the house should the need ever arise. Well, the need arose last night.

This morning at about 4am I was jolted out of a deep sleep by what I think was a door slamming. My husband happened to have already been half-awake and it certainly jolted him completely awake. We both reached for our nightstand revolvers and I asked if he heard the noise to, and if he knew what it was. He said he thought it was a door and when I agreed he said, "Let's clear the house."

While clearing the house we discovered that the kitchen door leading to the carport was unlocked (odd...I remember locking it) and the front door was also unlocked and the screen door partially open. I would be inclined to think the wind blew an unsecured outside door shut, but it was not at all windy and the doors should have been locked anyway. No intruder was found and no belongings are missing, but we are almost certain that someone had been in our house because we always check doors and windows before going to bed and I remember them being secured. Finding two outside doors unlocked is suspicious.

We haven't practiced clearing our new house before but I think we did well improvising a plan on the fly.

We also concluded a few things:

• We grabbed our revolvers by reflex because they are close and quicker to grab than the shotgun especially since we were groggy and hadn't identified the location or cause of the sound. In retrospect, we had time after hearing the noise to pick up the shotgun so perhaps one of us should have had the shotgun while clearing the house.
• We're going to speed up our fortification plans and put bars on our bedroom door and the outside door in the room connecting to our bedroom. We were going to wait but after last night I do think they would be useful.
  We were considering getting a small camera system with live feed to our computers which would overlook all entrances to our home. I think we definitely want to get one now, if only to have documentation of anything that happens and not necessarily as a deterrent or security blanket.
• I'm almost 100% sure we had locked the doors so now we need to test to see if the locks failed, if there was a simple way to break in, or if perhaps we hadn't locked the doors and that's why they were unlocked at 4am.
• We are going to devise a plan for clearing our house tonight so we aren't pulling it together as we go along. Two weeks in a new place was plenty of time to prepare a new plan and we should have already done it.
• And...we really need to get a lamp or a bedside flashlight for the bedroom because stumbling in the dark looking for the overhead light was not cool since it's across the room.

Glad everything turned out OK - I would think about having a good alarm system installed.

Glad all was OK. That can be an extremely scary and dangerous situation.

One question. Didn't you guys just move recently? If so, did you have the locks changed? if not, it is VERY likely there are spare keys floating around for your home, and you have no idea who might have possesion of them. I would suggest you have the locks changed/re-keyed ASAP if that hasn't already been done. The alarm system is also a good idea.

Outstanding post, Random!

A plan is just words on paper unless you exercise it. williamkevin and I have been talking about this very thing, but have been somewhat unmotivated to actually DO something. You have motivated me.

One of the things we have been talking about is taking a couples tactical firearms course of some kind.

I'm glad that everything turned out ok, but it sure seems suspicious and worrisome that you think someone might have been in your house. Please keep us posted on how the plan and lessons learned progresses!

TLynn

By all means deepen the bolts, plate the jams etc. But I beg you, don't go the route of bars, I have had my heart broken too many times by the results of bars.

Keith B wrote: One question. Didn't you guys just move recently? If so, did you have the locks changed? if not, it is VERY likely there are spare keys floating around for your home, and you have no idea who might have possesion of them. I would suggest you have the locks changed/re-keyed ASAP if that hasn't already been done.

This is the most likely the case. Someone probably had spare keys, came in and did not recognize any of the stuff in there and took off. For sure change your locks and get good quality, bump proof locks. A cheap lock can be bumped very easily by anyone with just a small amount of know how. Spend a few extra dollars and buy quality hardware. It might also be a good time to get a dog. They are the best early warning system you can have. Glad you're ok!

TLynnHughes wrote:Outstanding post, Random!
One of the things we have been talking about is taking a couples tactical firearms course of some kind.
TLynn

Love to find one of those within range (so to speak) of DFW

randomoutburst wrote:We also concluded a few things:

• We grabbed our revolvers by reflex because they are close and quicker to grab than the shotgun especially since we were groggy and hadn't identified the location or cause of the sound. In retrospect, we had time after hearing the noise to pick up the shotgun so perhaps one of us should have had the shotgun while clearing the house.
• We're going to speed up our fortification plans and put bars on our bedroom door and the outside door in the room connecting to our bedroom. We were going to wait but after last night I do think they would be useful.
  We were considering getting a small camera system with live feed to our computers which would overlook all entrances to our home. I think we definitely want to get one now, if only to have documentation of anything that happens and not necessarily as a deterrent or security blanket.
• I'm almost 100% sure we had locked the doors so now we need to test to see if the locks failed, if there was a simple way to break in, or if perhaps we hadn't locked the doors and that's why they were unlocked at 4am.
• We are going to devise a plan for clearing our house tonight so we aren't pulling it together as we go along. Two weeks in a new place was plenty of time to prepare a new plan and we should have already done it.
• And...we really need to get a lamp or a bedside flashlight for the bedroom because stumbling in the dark looking for the overhead light was not cool since it's across the room.

Great post!

I think one of the good things things you've mentioned here is the camera system, not only for documentation purposes, but as an surveillance system of sorts. If you set it up in such a way as it allows you to view the main areas of your home on the INSIDE, you would be able to see them before stepping out of your bedroom to clear the house.

In regard to the shotgun, I agree with your conclusion. At least one member of your "marital tactical team" should be armed with one during clearing ops.

Again, great post and thanks! It's got me to thinking.......

I would rethink that bedside light thing. You want the intruders backlit, not you.

Take a look at X10 or some other remote light switch. You can replace two of your wall switches to control lights over the doors remotely, with a little remote on your nightstand. Bump in the night? Hit the remote and turn on those lights in the other end of the house before you head that way.

Rex B wrote:I would rethink that bedside light thing. You want the intruders backlit, not you.

Take a look at X10 or some other remote light switch. You can replace two of your wall switches to control lights over the doors remotely, with a little remote on your nightstand. Bump in the night? Hit the remote and turn on those lights in the other end of the house before you head that way.

Ooooooo...great thinking!!! <putting that on the "To Buy" list>

TLynn

Good post but, if someone is in your home during the night stay put, guard the entrances to where you are. dial 911 and calmly wait. By doing this you are less likely to be ambushed in your own home or worse shoot some family member. We hear stories all the time about husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, children shooting a family member thinking they are an intruder. Please reconsider your actions clearing a building is dangerous enough for trained professionals much less sleepy, nervous, scared, amateurs.

Edit: Night lights throughout the house keep it dim just enough to silhouette the intruder DON'T search with a flashlight they aren't called bullet magnets for nothing. +1 on a dog a barking dog is a better deterrent to a burglar than a firearm.

I have door braces for my front and back door. There is NO way the person is going to unlock the back door OR kick it in. He'd break his foot off trying. they are $15 at Home Depot/Lowes and well worth the peace of mind.

MoJo wrote:Good post but, if someone is in your home during the night stay put, guard the entrances to where you are. dial 911 and calmly wait. By doing this you are less likely to be ambushed in your own home or worse shoot some family member. We hear stories all the time about husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, children shooting a family member thinking they are an intruder. Please reconsider your actions clearing a building is dangerous enough for trained professionals much less sleepy, nervous, scared, amateurs.

Randomoutburst, you guys did OK by definition in that particular situation, because you're both still around to share your experience. However, during your after action review, please give serious thought to MoJo's advice. It is sound.

A well situated defender who maintains his position will be able to successfully take out anyone moving to find him nearly every time. If you're moving and a true armed Bad Guy simply takes a good position and waits in ambush, you hand him this major advantage.

Yes, I know, there are two of you and one of him. So play out the scenario - the first one to move into the BG's line of fire goes down with critical wounds. Your next move might be to:

a) maneuver to try to get a better position from which to engage the BG (who has now moved to another unidentified location and is waiting for you to move into his field of fire)
b) go to the aid of your spouse and become the second casualty
c) retreat, look for a phone, and call 911 while your spouse bleeds out on the floor while struggling to breathe, and begging you to help him / her.

If you picked a, b, or c, the next set of choices gets even worse.

Not every situation turns out to be a mysterious circumstance or false alarm, and there are no do overs.

Please give some thought to the virtues of being the well situated defender instead of the one moving to find him.

Glad it turned out ok. I highly recommend getting some good training on building searching tactics - I know there are instructors out there that will teach these skills to civilians. Get a good grasp of concepts such as slicing the pie and getting out of the fatal funnels. Also crossing and communication play in here too.

You may already know these things so I don't want to sound as though I'm talking down to you. Good Luck!

MoJo wrote:Good post but, if someone is in your home during the night stay put, guard the entrances to where you are. dial 911 and calmly wait. By doing this you are less likely to be ambushed in your own home or worse shoot some family member. We hear stories all the time about husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, children shooting a family member thinking they are an intruder. Please reconsider your actions clearing a building is dangerous enough for trained professionals much less sleepy, nervous, scared, amateurs.

Edit: Night lights throughout the house keep it dim just enough to silhouette the intruder DON'T search with a flashlight they aren't called bullet magnets for nothing. +1 on a dog a barking dog is a better deterrent to a burglar than a firearm.

Here is what my wife and I do.

Someone breaks into our home she gets her gun, cell phone and our daughter into our son's room, shuts the door, and gets in the corner behind the bed so that she can keep an eye on the door and call 911. I grab the shotgun and a handgun and go take cover by the steps.

This is our most protective plan because my wife and children are all in one spot with only one entrance. I am stationed by the stairwell which is a chokepoint for the BGs. If anyone starts to come up the stairs I do what I have to to stop the threat to my family and I. If they end up making it past me my wife has her gun on the only entrance to the bedroom they are in.

It is not a good idea for an untrained person to clear a building. There are unknown factors that put you at an extreme disadvantage. As stated above its still dangerous for trained professionals to clear a building. Find the chokepoints in your house, take cover and call 911.