Father Fatally Shoots Man After Home Is Sprayed With Paintballs

[MechAg94]

https://www.ammoland.com/2019/07/father-fatally-shoots-man-after-home-is-sprayed-with-paintballs/#axzz5tNAqtDnL

Read more: https://www.ammoland.com/2019/07/father-fatally-shoots-man-after-home-is-sprayed-with-paintballs/#ixzz5tNBP6p2p
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The homeowner, the father, came outside and approached a suspect with a gun who was standing there. The father believed that the individual was a threat and fearing for his own safety, fired a round at him.

The homeowner also fired a couple rounds at the suspect's vehicle in the street. Several cartridge casings were found outside the home along with splatter from a paintball gun.

This looked interesting.  I think the title of the article is accurate, but deceiving.  It sounded to me like the guy went out to see what was going on at night and there is a guy with a fake gun.  If he has problems, I think it will be with the shots at the car after that.  We have the usual lack of information, but it sounds like the police were still piecing the story together.  I can see a scenario where the man is fully justified.  I can also see a scenario where it would be unjustified. 

Here is the linked article, but it doesn't really say any more.
https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/hpd-father-fatally-shoots-man-after-home-is-targeted-by-group-with-paintball-guns/285-f08a7e99-ebab-41dc-a59b-402bd958a0b7

[BobR]

I had just about the same thing happen when I lived on the Rez, the kids next door used my house and van for paintball targets one day. I cornered the father and explained to him how every time I was outside I was armed and if I looked up and saw someone pointing a weapon at me I would shoot him because I had no idea who they could be or if the weapon was real. Later that day the paintball guns were loaded into the truck and disappeared.

In reading that one article I think there is a lot more left unsaid. Over a dozen people outside, one shot at the "MWAG" and a couple at the car. This seems fishy to me for some reason. Why go out and confront a superior number of people if you think they are armed?

Just an observation, when chasing down other reports of the guy shot was either a teen or a 19 year old man. I guess it depends on the slant the news organization takes on guns. Whatever he will be one of the "kids" killed by a gun for all anti-gun group stats.

bob

[MechAg94]

A few more points:

1.  This was in Texas, it was at night, and he was on his own property though not inside his home.  They may not have been stealing anything, but they may have been vandalizing his vehicle.

2.  If he came out threatening people with the gun, he will have trouble.  That gets in the way of a self defense claim even if they were trespassing. 

3.  Someone in the comments pointed out that a paint ball hit to an unprotected eye can cause serious injury which would allow deadly force in response under Texas law. 

4.  I am not sure why he shot at the car.  Since that may have caused a fatality, that will be an issue. 

5.  The media can call them kids all they want, but a gang of teenagers is nothing to take lightly if they are truly being aggressive. 

[HankB]

In TX, the law that allows shooting a bad actor "at night" isn't quite the carte blanche that some people think it is.

Still, multiple armed assailants is nothing to simply discount - hopefully, the homeowner never said that "he knew" they were paintball guns.

As for shooting at the car - maybe he saw someone in the fleeing vehicle pointing what he reasonably thought was a gun at him, in which case - self defense.

Still, going outside was tactically unwise, IMHO.