A Florida homeowner used an AR-15 to shoot and kill two alleged home intruders, one of whom was wearing a “Friday the 13th” horror movie mask.
Some time later, the suspects allegedly broke into the home and immediately exchanged fire with the homeowner, who had armed himself with an AR-15 rifle. The gunfight left two suspects dead and the homeowner suffering from gunshot wounds.
The homeowner is reportedly in stable condition in the intensive care unit.
The Ocala Star Banner reported that investigators arrested the other two suspects, 19-year-old Robert John Hamilton and 22-year-old Seth Adam Rodriguez, near the scene. Rodriguez was arrested on charges of murder and home invasion robbery with a firearm, it was reported. Hamilton faces home invasion robbery with a firearm.
Hamilton and Rodriguez informed detectives that all four suspects went to the victim’s home with the intention of robbing him of marijuana and guns, WCJB reported. They were being held at the Marion County Jail without bond.
‘Important to Be Vigilant’
“Detectives were informed that they believe one of the suspects showed up earlier that evening and was knocking on the door and he had left and the homeowner had gone to sleep and the four individuals showed up after,” said Valerie Strong, a Public Information Officer with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, according to WCJB.She said the investigation revealed that the homeowner believed he recognized one of the suspects from a past Craigslist transaction.
“When you do anything online, it’s very important to be vigilant on the people you are doing transactions with and we recommend doing it in a public space to make sure no one knows where your home is,” Strong added.
A neighbor of the homeowner was cited by WCJB as saying that he had seen the intruders scoping the place out earlier and believed “this was not just a random act on their part.”
70-Year-Old Woman Shot Home Invader
A 70-year-old woman shot a man who tried to rob her house, sheriff’s deputies in West Virginia said.The woman, who was not identified, resides in a house on Seneca Trail near Hillsboro.
Blake was shot at least once. He was rushed to a hospital in Roanoke for treatment.
The 70-year-old woman was not publicly identified.
The Moral Right to Self-Defense
David Kopel, an Adjunct Scholar at the Cato Institute and author of the book “The Morality of Self-Defense and Military Action: The Judeo-Christian Perspective,” recently wrote an op-ed for the Epoch Times on the moral right to self-defense.In his article, Kopel argues that the right to bear arms should be protected. He cites Cicero, the great Roman lawyer and orator of the first century B.C., in support of the case that self-defense against criminals is an application of the natural “instinct of self-preservation.” So “if our life be in danger from plots, or from open violence, or from the weapons of robbers or enemies, every means of securing our safety is honorable,” Kopel writes, citing Cicero.
While acknowledging different perspectives on gun control, he argues fundamentally that policies undercutting the right to bear arms are best construed as a human right violation.
“The sanctity of the home against violent and unexpected invasion is a widely expressed fundamental human right all over the world,” Kopel writes. “Accordingly, the self-defense right and its auxiliary right to arms are at their apex in the home. Laws that impede home defense are especially egregious violations of human rights.”
