Father shoots and kills daughter 16.

I'm going to back you up on this one. It's an inherent risk with rural living. You are on your own, there is no law enforcement that can protect you. 

I live in an area similar to you. The first year I lived here there was someone going around breaking into houses covered in blood and wielding a machete. The only reason he was stopped was because someone held him at gunpoint waiting the 30 minutes required for the sheriff to arrive.

Just last year I had someone creepy try to get into my house. When they discovered my door was locked they stood outside and stared into my window for several long minutes. I called 911 and truly thought I was in danger. The sheriff made it here in 15 minutes, record time really. If that person truly meant me harm I would have been dead in that 15 minutes. It's not paranoia or suspicion, it's just fact.

I don't have a gun because they terrify me. I do have a back door and neighbors within running distance. Most everyone I know thinks I am stupid for living here without a gun or at least a dog and I might be. I suppose only time will tell.

I would love myshelly to properly consider lesley 's post and respond to it.

This isn’t far from me. And I will say I am anti-gun unless you’re hunting for food you are going to eat.

The week before this a 6yo, 9 yo and 22yo were gunned down in a car nearby. The deceased’s 10 yo sister was friends with them. I am not making excuses but I think that area has seen an uptick in crime and shootings that are gang related.
So possibly the fear and anxiety there has really gone up.

The neighbor they interviewed said his grandson had been shot & killed a few months ago.

The shootings here are on the increase. They’re just shooting at each all over. Earlier this year they were shooting outside of Carter’s children’s store. It’s like there’s absolutely no regard for life.

I feel awful for that family.

Sadly this is "normal" middle-class and rich suburban life in South Africa. Houses have burglar bars, external doors have gates, you may have a gate separating living areas from bedrooms, fences are electrified or have razor wire, you have armed response like ADT, and panic buttons in every room. It's why Oscar Pistorius's initial statement sounded so plausible to South Africans.

You're allowed to shoot in self defence in South Africa, but you must be able to show that you believed your life to be in danger. If a burglar has a knife but there's a locked gate between you, you cannot legally shoot him. You cannot shoot to defend property.

Living in Australia my thoughts are very, very similar.

Shootings of this kind has happened but it has been criminals breaking into another criminals house so circumstances were very different.

hookturnian what is the gun culture like in SA? Are guns easily accessed?

Lots of people have guns. You need to take an exam on the gun laws on when you can shoot, responsible gun ownership etc. Once you pass your exam you can apply for a gun licence, and once you have that you can purchase guns, which are registered. You have to renew your licence every few years. There are also a lot of illegal weapons, including AK47s. This is a holdover from apartheid times, when there were weapons caches hidden around the country. A lot of people also received military training of some sort, whether for or against the apartheid regime. South Africa had conscription until the early 90s, so just about every white man over the age of 50 would have served at least 2 years in the army. Many would have combat experience, domestic and abroad.

So technically, in your line if thinking, if 2 people come upon each other in some scenario and they both, in their individual minds, fear for their life from each other, either one could shoot and kill the other because if what (they say) they believed? Again, fastest trigger finger wins?

That's actually what a lot of people felt about the local Rittenhouse case. Many feared for their lives (and of others) because of him and his actions. If only they had shot to kill first... different dead person, same not guilty ending?


Again, slippery slope, the "I believed" stuff

I think that to some extent, it depends upon your circumstances and life experiences. I am very cautious; my doors are always locked. I never would leave a downstairs window unlocked at night. But I live alone, and have been burglarized twice in my life. If I lived alone in the country, I wouldn’t have a gun, but I would have a large dog.

I guess i will take being called odd... its ok..

I dont feel like i live in fear... i dont watch the camera feed all day on high alert...

I haven't even loaded or shot any of the guns in a couple years... but dh has...

I do have the doors locked when im home alone...

I am not locked and loaded and ready to shoot anyone walking past....

I honestly dont know how fast i could get loaded and ready... it is not really something i worry about.. ever...

I just know that we do have guns... and if something suspicious is going on outside... its better in my opinion to be prepared then not... opinions of course vary so much on this topic...

I still support Beto even if he "came for our guns"

That's a good point. I live alone. I'm not afraid (if I was I wouldn't be here) but I am cautious. 

Here's the thing- with that attitude, you are declaring yourself as judge, jury, and executioner, all in one fell swoop.  And our constitution is supposed to prohibit that.  Let's assume the worst- that this was a bad guy with bad intentions.  They still have the right to be tried for their crimes in front of a jury of their peers, and they cannot be subject to cruel and unusual punishment.  And, sorry, but DEATH would most definitely be a cruel and unusual punishment for the crime of breaking into a house.  Which is all that father thought had happened at that point in time.

I am not a gun owner and never will be, but I cannot believe that shooting first in the dark before you've even identified your target or accounted for the others in your house is considered responsible gun ownership.  No way.  

Because people with guns are scared of other people having guns.  Unfortunately, they don't seem to realize that to others, THEY are the ones that are the threat.  And it's a vicious cycle.  

And people with guns who carry or keep them “for protection” leave their guns improperly secured, and the guns get stolen and used in a crime against someone else.

Every gun purchased needs to be registered so it can be traced back to its legal purchaser. Then if it is stolen and used by another in a crime, the purchaser should have charges filed against them as well.

If every gun owner secured their weapon properly, there would be many fewer guns on the street to be used by criminals and maybe people wouldn’t feel such a need for protection.