The St. Helena Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting of a 72-year-old man with his own gun by an intruder.
The elderly victim was transported to the hospital after being shot just after noon. Deputies aim to figure out whether the crime was part of either a home invasion or burglary.
After being shot inside his home, the man was transported to the hospital while fully alert, according to the SHPSO.
What the homeowner was doing while the intruder got into the home is unknown, but this can be something to think about for home defense weapon stowing.
How you store your weapon(s) for home defense is personal preference, but each way has its potential disadvantage with its level of access.
Having them at the bedside can leave one with quick accessibility but also allows others access to the gun. On the other hand, having them secure and locked away can be a problem if you need to get to it quickly.
With the victim’s age, the intruder could have also looked at him as an easy target, let alone in the middle of the day. Presumably, the weapon was not secure [enough] to prevent the owner from being shot with it himself.
This situation reinforces the matter of being alert enough at home, at least enough for one not to be shot with their own weapon.
As the SHPSHO still has the investigation ongoing, they urge anyone with knowledge of the case to contact them.
