Valuable lesson

[Keno311]

Last night I learned a valuable lesson. My family and I slept on the couch on the first floor of my house. At 4 am I awoke to what I initally thought was someone knocking on my door but I quickly figured out that it was actually shots being fired. Just a few rounds at first and then a sudden burst of rapid fire lasting 5 to 6 seconds. This happened twice within a 25 to 30 second period. I estimate approx 40 rounds were fired and that it was about 50 yards away. The first thing I did was wake my girlfriend up, I told her to take Kade (our 4 month old) up stairs to our bedroom and stay there until I told her otherwise. I reached under the couch to grab my S&W model 60 that I keep in a concealment book wherever I sleep but it wasnt there, I had left it upstairs beside my bed. My next reaction was to grab my 12ga coach gun that I had sat just inside my front door after coming in from a little weekend outing but then I remembered that ALL of my 12 ga shells were in the back of my vehicle I thought about running upstairs to grab my S&W but I wanted more firepower than just 5 rounds of 357 so I ran to my dining room and opened my safe. I grabbed my beretta 96d since I knew that it is the only firearm that I keep loaded in case of emergency and proceeded to load 3 more magazines. I looked out all of my windows for the next hour trying to find out what was going on but I saw nothing due to the surrounding houses. I heard on the news tonight that it was a cigarette store robbery attempt gone wrong and that the suspect had opened fire on officers while fleeing which resulted in a massive shootout.

I always thought that I would be prepared in a situation where I would have to protect my family but last night I wasnt. This fella could have easily seen my house as a place to hide from the police and if he had.... I most likely would have been in the process of opening my safe or asleep unarmed on the couch. From now on, I'll be prepared

[GodblessAmerica]

First, let me say I am very thankful that none of you were hurt in this incident. Second, I like the title of your post; sounds like you are indeed learning a valuable lesson, and all the better, recognize the opportunity without having had to endure any tragedy. Third, I'll offer just a bit of advice and caution. As you replay this scenario (or other similar ones) in your mind and look for improvements, may I suggest that since your 96D is intended as your "go to " only loaded in case of emergency weapon, plan on going to it first every single time, and practice doing so under all conditions. Come what may after that (need to develop this plan further if you haven't), but at least then you will have your emergency, loaded pistol with you if needed. Now, as far as being prepared, I suggest you don't overeact and create a potentially dangerous situation down the road by having multiple, loaded weapons around that a soon-to-be toddler may find and pick up. I have more than a little experience here (father of four, two still in diapers) and am myself constantly evaluating best practices to keep defensive firearms available to me but away from little ones. Since you have a safe, utilize it to it's full potential, and if you need other smaller ones, get them. Yes, multiple safes can be expensive, but they offer more options and I haven't yet seen one that costs more than the life of a child. Stay safe, keep thinking, and you'll do OK.

[RoSAR1]

The first step to being prepared is getting a good house alarm. You can have 500 loaded guns in your house and without an alarm someone can easily enter your home and shoot you in your sleep. Guns don't do you any good when you're sleeping.

[marlboroman84]

I'll second GodBlessAmerica and say glad you and your family are ok. I had a sorta similar incident a couple weeks ago where I was at work (I work nights) and my wife was at home on vacation. Around 1 in the morning she said someone started trying the doorknob on the front door. She went to the front door and looked out the peep hole. The guy at the door seemed rather confused and kept looking around, but kept trying the door handle. She grabbed her phone and was on the way to the bedroom to get my pistol when it stopped. She went back to the door and he was being let in the apartment across the hall. She told me this when I got home and we figured Friday night, guy was drunk had the wrong apartment, didn't think to knock or maybe our neighbor had told him just to come on in when he got there who knows. The things that bothered me was this 1.Had the door not been locked (which 99% of the time it is,even during the day) dude would have walked right in. 2. When she went to get my pistol she couldn't find it I had bought a holster the week previous and put it in my nightstand instead of the hard case under the bad and she didn't know. So after that we ran a drill of what she would do if someone ever REALLY tried to get in the apartment, but I was proud she got her phone and went for the gun. She's not big on guns, but she can shoot and knows what to do. Point of all this is saying I think in both these situations a little bit more preparedness would have helped if an attack was imminent. Best of luck to ya and be safe.

[HangFire83]

When you mention sleeping on the couch it felt like a brick hit me on the head. On those nights where the little woman is tossing and turning I will occasionally get up and move to the couch. I just realized that I do not bring my Taurus out of the night stand and into the living room. We only have a one level apartment but my night stand and the couch are on opposite ends of the apartment. No little ones running around yet so I can just leave it under the couch or on the coffee table. Thanks for the heads up and glad nothing happened to you and yours.

[Glock 31]

I'm also glad to hear you guys are ok. Can't really add much more than the previous posts. My personel security practices are basically, have my Glock on my at all times, work or play, night or day, sleep or wake. Along with a small utility bag for end of the world days, I'm set.

[XavierBreath]

I'm glad to hear that you are OK.

I see a couple of problems. First.... your girlfriend and baby should have sought cover on the bottom floor, on the floor, with as many walls/solid objects between them and the direction of the gunfire as possible. Stray bullets are a huge risk, especially if the criminal had been using something like an AK variant. The gunfight could have come down your street with bullets flying wildly. By going upstairs to hide in the bedroom, they placed themselves at greater exposure to stray bullets. There are few trajectories for stray bullets going down, many for them going up. The ground is your friend. The bottom floor position also retains the option of a ground floor window for escape if need be. Never go up.

Second.....You no doubt already realize how you could have done better yourself. A locked away Beretta with several full capacity magazines is no match for an armed and motivated intruder. My best advice is to get or construct an 18 inch 12 gauge pump shotgun with a sidesaddle of low recoil 00 Buck, in addition to a full magazine. With that shotgun, all you need to is take cover and wait. If anything comes through your door without body armor, you have the means to stop it immediately.

I'm glad that you are OK and learning from the experience.