Posted on 10/20/2012 8:36:11 AM PDT by marktwain
CALERA, OK - Yesterday we reported on a brave 12-year-old Bryan County girl who was home alone when she shot an intruder that broke into her house. She's been the talk of Texoma the past 24 hours, and today Steven Powell sat down with her to hear the story in her own words.
"He opened the screen door and started pounded on the door. So I didn't answer it. And I called my mom. She said to go get the gun and hide in the closet."
Kendra St. Clair says she stayed in the closet until she thought the coast was clear. So she went to check the back door.
And he was standing there trying to open it. So I got really scared and I called 911."
She went back to the closet. That's when she heard the man in the house.
"When I was back there on the phone with 911, I heard the bathroom light turn on that was leading to the closet. And when I saw the door handle turn, I shot him. I guess it went through the door, went through him, and went through the wall."
(Excerpt) Read more at kxii.com ...
I believe there is video of her interview at the link.
Perhaps he had been surveilling the house and knew she was home alone. Just wasn’t sure where she was, and wasn’t counting on her knowing of the danger and being instructed by her mom on the phone to get the gun and to hide with it.
Normally I’d think that a story like this was just one tick short of perfection, since the evil blood sucking perp survived. However, since this is a child who did the shooting, it’s best not to leave that on her conscience until she’s better equipped in logical thought to handle it.
The real scary part is the perps knew someone was at home and came in anyway.
If anyone has young children teach them how to handle firearms. If the mother had left the Glock locked up she would not have a child anymore.
Nothing wrong with firing through an interior door under these circumstances. The front or back doors are a different matter but a closet door with an un-announced intruder? At my house the guy would have had a belly full of 00 buck.
Too bad the girl didn’t aim a little higher.
These were the cards as they were dealt. If the girl had lost the card came she would have even more issues down the line.
Granted it was a bad situation but it had the best possible outcome.
I agree with your assessment. I had a good friend shot in the shoulder with a 357 Mag through his own front door. The shooter was his wife. She thought an intruder was about to enter. My friend survived and oddly, so did his marriage.
“An armed society is a polite society.” ~Robert A. Heinlein. Saved the state the cost of a trial. My solution to death-row prison over crowding is simple: Everyone who can get a DNA test to evaluate their guilt gets one. If you are proven innocent, and sign a waiver, you get a new suit, $1000 and go free. Those who prove guilty are hung, then and there. Should open up a lot of space. Oh, and we make Sheriff Joe head of all the prisons.
What's on his rap sheet and how many times has he done this but not been caught?
Aim a little higher or lower or both.
Agree...Once an intruder is inside ones “castle” and within striking distance, that intruder is considered a “hostile”.
Yes, the burglar knew she was in the house, after they were both at the back door.
The 911 dispatcher couldn’t believe she fired the weapon.
I’ll bet if we hear the rest of the tape, she tells the girl to put the weapon down.
Dispatchers hate it when you take care of your own problems.
We’re expected to be victims and hope the cops to find your murderer.
The story just says “the gun,” without saying what kind. If it was a shotgun, then it wasn’t ideal shooting through the door—less of a problem with a bullet.
BUT. I think she did the right thing. The home invader might have had a gun too. She knew where he was, but he didn’t yet know where she was, before the door opened all the way. Nice as it might have been to kill the guy and save the taxpayers the expense of putting him up and then eventually letting him out again, the most important thing was for her to act with least risk to her own life and safety.
Be that as it may, I say, good for her, and good for her mother for giving her the right advice.
Awesome story, brave girl... so happy it turned out well and sub-human was caught.
Compared to some of the other things wives do, getting a gunshot wound is nothing.
I’m a 27 year marriage survivor and still happily married.
I would think the 12-y.o. child’s reasoning that Mom told her exactly what to do, then getting it done, and then Mom (and Dad?) following up with “ya’ done good, girl”, and then some quality family time at the practice range would take care of any attacks of conscience, even for a child.
"That's OK, honey! I shoulda called first to see if you needed anything on my way home."
"When every second counts, cops are just minutes away!"
Why shouldn’t the marriage survive? She was probably following her husband’s instructions. I would probably rework the rules of engagement though.
If the Republicans capture the senate, senator Chuck Grassley will be in charge of the Judiciary committee, and he will be key in getting the death penalty back on track, by limiting federal appeals after conviction.
He could also move all death penalty appeals to the top of the appellate docket, as well as limit appeal delays to months instead of years.
Importantly, he could stop federal judges from trying to micromanage executions, declaring the states to be “competent” in carrying out the death penalty.
I see what you’re saying but I also tend to think she now understands something many adult women don’t:
I don’t have to be a victim. I don’t have to be at someone else’s mercy. That’s a big deal for women.
The girl had never fired a gun before. She is fortunate that her parents supplied her with a gun having a “point and shoot” interface. There wasn’t time to figure out how the safety works or find the key for a gun lock.
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