Stories of armed defense seldom make it to the mainstream media. As armed defenders, the news reports often leave out important details that we want to know. In this case, an ex-boyfriend attacked his ex-girlfriend. That story is common enough. Fortunately, in this case, the ex-girlfriend’s brother was at the scene and was armed. This is how it was presented in the news and also what we can learn.
This story took place in late April in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The defender shared an apartment with his sister. The sister’s ex-boyfriend had a history of abuse, including physically beating her. The ex-boyfriend threatened her the day before and said he would come back and beat her again.
It was a Sunday evening, and both the brother and sister were at home. There were other friends in the apartment at the same time. They heard someone at the front door. Apparently, with little warning, someone broke down their front door. The ex-boyfriend walked in and went to the sister’s room. She shouted, and the attacker grabbed her.
The defender ran to his room and grabbed his gun. Our defender followed the ex-boyfriend and shot him until he let go of the victim. It isn’t clear from the news reports who called 911 and asked for help.
Police arrived, and the defender put his gun away. Emergency Medical Services declared the attacker dead at the scene. The armed defender gave the police a statement about what happened. The defender’s sister and their friends who were in the apartment during the attack also gave statements to the police. The neighbors also made statements about the attacker threatening his ex-girlfriend the previous day. The police noticed the broken front door.
The defender was not charged with a crime.
It is scary enough when we are seemingly attacked by a criminal at random. This is worse since this violent attack was deliberately directed at this woman: the attacker came to the apartment with the deliberate intent to hurt her. There are a number of things that the defender and victim did well.
They recognized that the world is not a safe place, so they had a firearm for their defense. The armed defender stopped the attack and then stopped shooting. The defender, the victim, and the witnesses stayed at the scene and gave a preliminary statement to the police. You have to love that there were lots of witnesses.
As is true in most defensive situations, we want to call 911 and ask for help. We want everyone else to make that call, too, including the victim and the witnesses. We want someone to stay on the call with the dispatcher so we know when the police are about to arrive. We want to make sure we do not have a firearm in our hands when the police are at the door.
This defensive gun use is also highly unusual. In this case, the defender had to shoot the attacker and not shoot his sister while she was being attacked. That may mean we have to get close to the attacker. Perhaps we have to get very close.
Yes, we might be able to shoot the attacker in the back from across the room, but will our bullet go through the attacker and wound our loved one?
That sort of defense isn’t something we usually practice as we stand in a port and shoot at a stationary paper target that is 7 yards away. Taking a class on close-quarters armed defense really helps us make better decisions in an attack like this one.
I’ll also bet that the victims in this story weren’t regular readers of the columns here at AmmoLand News. If they were, then this sister would probably have asked for a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend. She would also have been armed herself. Please tell me if you think I’m wrong, but I think we are counting on luck if we are depending on someone else to defend us. What if the attacker broke in while the brother was taking a shower?
This story is one of many that go under-reported by the mainstream media because it shows a positive image of a law-abiding gun owner defending their life and their family. It is our responsibility at AmmoLand to report these stories to you. While we will continue to report these stories, groups like the Crime Prevention Research Center, led by Dr. John Lott, are fastidious in studying the use of firearms for self-defense. Stay up to date with all news on self-defense by following CPRC and AmmoLand News.
About Rob Morse
Rob Morse writes about gun rights at Ammoland, at Clash Daily, at OpsLens, and on his SlowFacts blog. He hosts the Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast and co-hosts the Polite Society Podcast. Rob was an NRA pistol instructor and combat handgun competitor.
Great account of the incident, Rob. Also, thank you for not allowing AI to write some of your article.
Well written, and no, you are not wrong. Further proof that Ammoland needs to jump on the MSM band wagon. To dissolve the gun negativity in the news.
I’ll answer your questions. No, absolutely you are not wrong. I can say with almost 100% certainty that the brother and sister do not read Ammoland or any conservative publication that values the 2nd Amendment as much as the first 5. I’ll go out even farther on that limb and say, they probably can’t recite anything from the Constitution and Bill of Rights…correctly. They are probably very young. The part about restraining orders is puzzling. If these folks were dimocRAT’s they would instinctively known about those pieces of paper dims think are useful protection instruments. I’m not convinced they are… Read more »
My only regret here is that he had to go and get his gun. I grant that not everyone likes to carry all the time, and only to have it off body when sleeping, but sometimes there isn’t an opportunity to go and access arms. Discreet constant carry is not difficult, if regulations allow. I would never advise leaving unsecured arms around the house, of course. Either under direct control, or otherwise controlled access.
Better yet, a bolted front door and secured entryways, as well as closed circuit visual. When that fails, weapons with high intimidation factors, ie. guns.
Better yet, how about keeping ex boyfriend LOCKED up for what I’d be willing to bet is a string of priors?
Don’t forget the bars on the doors and windows, a moat, high exterior wall with concertina wire, electrified of course, concrete safe room and pill box on each corner, a tank trap, and for good measure, a GPS scrambler to protect from drones and a brace of Chihuahuas. …Or substitute a well armed citizenry not inclined to put up with BS from an ex.
I recommend ED 209 from Omni Consumer Products Corporation.
Good points made. My wife decided to buy a defensive weapon and trained with it. The very first time she fired it at the range, she obliterated it hitting center mass consistently. I like to proudly show friends the picture of the target I took referring to her as the new Annie Oakley. She had never fired a gun before. A natural.
Why are you so adverse to giving dates?
Good morning. According to the article the link referred to, it happened 4/24/2023. At the end of said article, there was a reference to the police providing the grand jury with their evidence to determine if any charges would be made, so there may be more to come in this story. I take issue with Mr. Morse’s reference to a restraining order potentially being a help here. If an apartment door wouldn’t have stopped the decedent, how would a piece of paper work a different outcome? The decedent didn’t come armed with a firearm, according to the story, so being… Read more »
As to the restraining order, it might have been helpful after the fact, in any legal problems.