Manchester, KY

 2/19/25 NBC News:

A 14-year-old Kentucky boy shot and killed two men attempting to steal firearms from a safe within a home early Sunday morning, police said.

Clay County 911 received a call at approximately 4:24 a.m. regarding a shooting incident in Manchester. Upon responding, Manchester Police found two individuals had been shot and requested assistance from Kentucky State Police, according to a news release from KSP.

Investigators found that the teen, who is a resident of the home, discovered the two men inside and saw them holding firearms, KSP said.

"The juvenile, acting in self-defense, retrieved a handgun and shot both men before escaping through a bedroom window," according to KSP.

Channelview, TX

9/10/22 KTRK:

CHANNELVIEW, Texas (KTRK) -- Two armed men were shot and killed by a 17-year-old while they attempted a home invasion, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

On Friday at about 10:40 p.m., deputies with the Harris County Sheriff's Office responded to an in-progress shooting call in the 16000 block of 1st Street.

ABC13 obtained surveillance footage showing four suspects arriving and parking next door to the home.

Nearly two minutes later, two suspects are seen running back to the car before driving off.

Upon arrival, deputies said they located two men with apparent gunshot wounds on the lawn along the side of a residence.

The two other suspects were found on the lawn along the house and were pronounced dead, according to Gonzalez.

A woman, a 12-year-old boy, and two 17-year-old men were inside the home during the attempted home invasion but were not injured, Gonzalez said.

Deputies said one of the 17-year-olds retrieved a shotgun and discharged it several times, striking the two intruders. 

Goldsboro, NC

 2/13/21 Channel 11:

12-year-old shoots, kills home intruder after 73-year-old woman shot during Goldsboro robbery, police say

GOLDSBORO, N.C. (WTVD) -- Goldsboro police are investigating after a 12-year-old shot at two intruders who forced their way into an apartment and shot a woman overnight.

Around 1 a.m., officers responded to a shooting report near 402 S. William Street. Officers then found a resident, a 73-year-old woman, with an apparent gunshot wound. Shortly after, a man was found at the intersection of William Street and Elm Street with a gunshot wound....

The investigation revealed two masked people forced their way into the residence, demanded money and shot the 73-year-old woman in the leg. During the robbery, a 12-year-old shot the intruders with a firearm in self-defense, causing them to flee. Evidence suggests Herring was one of the two masked intruders and was shot during the robbery.

"They came in the house, I open the door, I open it, and they came in there... One guy had a gun. They just put me down on the ground..." The [73-year-old woman] was in the kitchen, I don't know why they shot her," said the son of the woman, Randolph Bunn. He also happens to be the great-uncle of the child who fired the gun. 

Cobb County, GA

3/23/20 Fox 5 Atlanta:

MARIETTA, Ga. - Police are investigating after a Cobb County resident stopped three burglars in their tracks, killing one of them.
According to investigators, late Sunday night at least three people tried to break into a home on Olive Spring Road. officers say a 17-year-old resident opened fire on the intruders.

Blaine, KY

8/7/19 WSAZ:

BLAINE, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A 14-year-old girl fired a 9mm pistol at someone looking to break into her home, according to the Lawrence County Constable Association and confirmed by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.

On Sunday, two men in a white sedan pulled up to a home in Blaine. One got out of the car and repeatedly tried to gain entry by trying to kick in the doors.

Inside the home were three teenage girls, who responded by calling 911. They were home alone at the time, with their father at work and their mother at the store.

At one point, the man who was trying to break in circled around to the backyard and was prepared to bust open a window with a shovel.

When this was about to happen, the man and his driver began to start arguing. During that argument, the youngest of the teenage girls in the home, only 14 years old, had found and loaded the 9mm pistol.

Once she noticed the argument between the man with the shovel and the driver, she fired the gun in their general direction and they left.

Talladega, AL

4/29/16 WPTV:

TALLADEGA, Ala. - (WVTM/NBC) - An 11-year-old boy who shot a home intruder in Alabama said the would-be burglar “cried like a baby.”

The child, Chris Gaither, was home alone on Wednesday morning when he heard a noise and discovered someone had broken into his house.

"I told him I was going to kill him if he didn't get out of my house," said Chris.

He said even though he was scared, he grabbed a 9mm handgun.

"When he was coming down the stairs, that's when he told me he was going to kill me," said Chris.

North Las Vegas, NV

From 10/30/15 Fox channel 5:

NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV (FOX5) -
A North Las Vegas teen is being hailed a hero after scaring home invaders away with a rifle and protecting his young brother and sister in the process.

The break-in occurred in the middle of the day at a home located near Ann Road and Aliante Parkway.
It was a call that Kiewa Mason said he’d hoped to never get from his son.

“I said, ‘Is everything OK? And he said, ‘No, someone has broken into our house,’” Mason said.
Kiewa Mason’s 14-year-old son Andrew Mason was home with his brother and sister, both 6 years old.
“I went upstairs and grabbed my brother and told him to hide in the closet. I grabbed a cell phone off my dad’s dresser, grabbed my rifle and hid in the closet with my brother,” Andrew Mason said....

Andrew Mason said he came face to face with one of the home invaders.
 “I had my gun loaded and ready to shoot, but when he saw me he just took off running,” he said.

Read more: http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/29848005/nlv-teen-credited-with-scaring-off-home-invaders#ixzz3vSgXuxpf

Billings, MT: Something is Missing From This News Account

From 08/10/15 KTVQ:

BILLINGS -
A coroner's inquest jury on Wednesday determined a Billings teen acted in self-defense when he shot and killed his friend.

The Yellowstone County Attorney's Office called for the inquest, with was held held in Yellowstone County District Court.

According to police,17-year-old Seth Culver shot 15-year-old MacKeon Schulte when he and a friend threw pebbles at Culver's window on May 17.

The seven-person jury took about an hour to reach a verdict after hearing testimony throughout the day.

Lt. Bill Jones, Yellowstone County Coroner, read the verdict that was a justifiable homicide and not by criminal means.

 I am not going to question the inquest's verdict, but there must be more to this than throwing pebbles.

Teen weekend killing ruled justifiable homicide

From Feb. 11, 2015 Louisville Courier-Journal:

The teenager who gunned down a Western High School student in a car near Shively Saturday evening was acting in self-defense, Louisville Metro Police said.

Anthony Smith Jr., 18, was one of five people killed in the city in less than a week, in a bloody beginning to 2015.

Smith's killing, ruled a justifiable homicide, will not be counted among the city's murders, which stands at 14 so far this year, including a young man found shot to death on North 26^th Street early Wednesday morning.

Why Leaving Your Kids in Possession of Guns is a Bad Idea

From Nov. 10, 2015 WCSC:

LADSON, SC (WCSC) -
Authorities say one burglary suspect is dead and another arrested after a 13-year-old boy opened fire at a home in Ladson on Tuesday.

The Charleston County Coroner's Office identified the deceased suspect as 31-year-old Lamar Brown of Summerville who died at Trident Hospital at 2:32 p.m. from gunshot wounds.

Investigators with the Charleston County Sheriff's Office arrested 28-year-old Ira J. Bennett of North Charleston and charged him with first-degree burglary and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.

Around 1:53 p.m., deputies responded to a home on Elderwood Drive in the Woodside community for a report of shots fired.

An incident report states the 13-year-old was asked to come out of the home. Deputies say the boy then exited the home without incident.

Deputies spoke to the teenager who said he was home alone when a vehicle pulled up behind his home.

The boy said one of the two suspects attempted to get into the home, at which time the teen said he feared for his safety, got his mother's gun and began firing at the suspect.

"He saw a subject out back trying to get inside so he fired his mother's gun through the door and the subject reportedly fired back," CCSO officials said.

According to authorities, the juvenile fired several more times as the vehicle drove away.
Several neighbors reported to detectives that they heard gunshots, and saw a grey small car pull out near the home and speed away.

CCSO officials say a grey Chevy Sonic arrived at Trident Hospital with several gunshot holes.
An affidavit states the passenger in the car had three gunshot wounds, and was rushed to ER in critical condition.

Read more: http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/30483472/ccso-one-person-dead-after-13-year-old-opens-fire-at-suspected-burglar#ixzz3t5yHD7A8

Teenaged Son Protects Mom From Ex-Husband

Dover, Delaware

From the October 29, 2009 Wilmington (Del.) News-Journal:

One of the teenage sons of a Dover woman being assaulted by her ex-husband grabbed a shotgun and fired into the air to get his father to stop the attack, Dover police said.

The victim's estranged husband, Jeremy S. Stanislow, 32, of the 1100 block of Smyrna Clayton Blvd. in Smyrna, was charged with three counts of assault, four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and disorderly conduct.

He was later released on $3,000 bail.

Dover police Lt. Steve Getek said officers Tuesday night were sent to the first block of Forest Creek Drive about 7 p.m. to investigate a domestic incident.

The victim told officers that she and her estranged husband argued over custody issues because he wanted to take their youngest child with him for the evening.

The argument turned physical and Stanislow shoved the victim off the steps and started assaulting her, Getek said.

When the woman's 16-year-old son saw his father attacking his mother he picked up a board and hit Stanislow in the back, according to court records.

Then, when the woman tried to stop Stanislow from beating up on his son, he turned and began punching her until she blacked out, police said in court records.

At this point, the woman's 14-year-old son came out of the house holding a shotgun, pointed it in the air and fired in an effort to get his father to stop attacking his mother, police said.

Stanislow then ran.

13-Year-Old Shoots Father In Defense Of Mother

Bromley, Alabama

From the October 15, 2009 Alabama Press-Register:

BROMLEY, Ala. -- A 13-year-old boy shot his father Tuesday night to protect his mother from harm, authorities said Wednesday.

Joseph "Simp" Pruitt, 46, was shot in the arm and side after threatening his wife with a 9 mm pistol, according to Baldwin County Sheriff Huey "Hoss" Mack Jr.

Pruitt remained in critical condition at the University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile, a hospital spokesman said Wednesday.

"We believe Mr. Pruitt was attempting to shoot Mrs. Pruitt," Mack said. "Their 13-year-old son became aware of this and retrieved a 20-gauge shotgun."

No one involved in the incident has been arrested, he said.

Deputies were called to a Williams Road address in the Bromley community about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. Mack said the 911 call came from inside the residence, though operators received several calls from neighbors who heard gunshots.

Pruitt was conscious when emergency responders arrived, he said.

Georgia: 11 year old shoots at home invader

Albany, Georgia

From WALB of October 5, 2009

11 year old shoots at home invader

An 11 year old Albany boy fired a shot during a home invasion last night.

The boy shot a .357 magnum at a gunman who came into his house.

The 11-year old told Police about 7:15 Wednesday night that several juveniles kicked in the back door at his home in the 200 block of Tremont Avenue.

He said a boy with a pistol came into the house and pointed the gun at him.

That's when the 11-year old fired the .357. He said that scared the home invader off.

The Gang Unit is investigating because they think it could be gang related. They are not releasing the 11-year old's name for his protection.

Ten Year Old Shoots Home Invaders

Port Allen, Louisiana

From July 17, 2009 WAFB channel 9:

PORT ALLEN, LA (WAFB) - A ten-year-old boy left home alone with his sister used his mother's gun to shoot an intruder in the face, police said.

Late Tuesday, West Baton Rouge Parish sheriff's deputies received a call to a Port Allen apartment complex after several shots rang out from inside one of the apartments. "You are out here trying to work and for someone to come and do that and invade your home is very hard," the children's mother said. She asked to not be identified.

Deputies say Dean Favron and Roderick Porter knocked several times on the apartment door. The two young children, a ten-year-old boy and eight-year-old girl, stood on the other side, terrified. "He told his sister to be quiet and seconds later, they started kicking on the door and finally kicked the door in," said Sheriff Mike Cazes. The two children ran to their mother's bedroom closet.

In a panic, the ten-year-old grabbed his mother's gun for protection. "He did what I told him to do. I never told him to get the gun, but thank God he did," she said. Once the two suspects opened the door, threatening the kids, deputies say the boy fired a bullet into the lip of Roderick Porter. The two men were taken to the hospital by a third suspect, who is a 15-year-old juvenile. Once they got to the hospital, they were later arrested. "It's just hard. I don't understand why they would do that. I know they have little brothers and sisters and they wouldn't want anyone to break into their house," said the mother.

Sacramento Teenager Protects His Mother

Sacramento County, California

From the May 21, 2009 Sacramento Bee:

A 17-year-old boy stands accused of killing a man Tuesday morning, though detectives now believe the shooting was justified, authorities said Wednesday.

Sacramento County sheriff's deputies arrested the boy, whose name has not been released because he is a juvenile, late Tuesday night on suspicion of murder, said sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran.

Detectives made the arrest based on information they had gathered about the fatal shooting that morning of 30-year-old James Davis on the 2800 block of La Quinta Drive, Curran said.

But after interviewing the boy, Curran said, detectives learned that he had acted in self-defense – and in defense of his mother, Davis' girlfriend, who had been "beaten severely" before the fatal confrontation.

The boy was booked into juvenile hall on a murder charge but later released – though the murder charge still stands, Curran said. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case and will decide if it was justifiable homicide.

Deputies were called to La Quinta Drive, near Folsom Boulevard in south Sacramento about 5 a.m. after reports of gunshots and a woman screaming. They found Davis' body on the sidewalk, and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. The Sheriff's Department is not releasing the woman's name because she is not a suspect and is a victim of domestic violence.

Curran said the victim and his girlfriend had had a "violent fight," witnessed by the 17-year-old boy, who followed Davis outside and shot him, Curran said. ...

Davis had a history of domestic violence in Sacramento County, according to Superior Court records. Most recently, he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor domestic violence in September 2004 and was sentenced to 365 days in jail.

Kansas: Son Shoots Ex-Stepdad To Protect Her, Mom Says

Leavenworth, Kansas

From KCTV5 of November 21, 2008

Son Shoots Ex-Stepdad To Protect Her, Mom Says

A teen took aim with a gun, his mother said, but it was the shooting victim who was in trouble with the law Friday night.

The teenager's mother, who was caught in the middle, said her son pulled the trigger and shot her ex-husband to save her.

She agreed to talk anonymously to help other women who may be stuck in a domestic violence situation.

The woman's 16-year-old son shot her ex-husband Friday morning on the front lawn of their Leavenworth home, but she said he did it to protect her.

"He started ranting and raving, and I told him he needed to leave and go home, and he got mad," the woman said.

The woman said her ex-husband had been abusive many times before, so she divorced him two years ago.

But at 2:30 a.m., he suddenly barged into her home. She said he pulled out a knife and dragged her into the front yard, and that was when she said her son grabbed a gun from the house and pulled the trigger, hitting his ex-stepfather in the stomach.

"He's a very quiet kid, and he's not the type to do anything like that, but he had had enough," she said.

Her wounded ex-husband jumped into his truck. Instead of heading to either of the two hospitals in Leavenworth, he drove himself all the way to Kansas City, Kan., to Providence Medical Center, where police said he lied about what happened.

"He indicated that he had been shot somewhere else besides Leavenworth," said Chief Pat Kitchens, of the Leavenworth Police Department.

The mother said she was glad her ex-husband survived so her son wouldn't have to deal with that burden for the rest of his life. And she is focused on helping her son and daughter heal from such a traumatic ordeal.

"My kids have been through a lot, you know? They're going through counseling and that's something that's very highly recommended because when you've got family violence, it's not easy, especially on the kids," she said.

Police said the teen was not arrested. He will likely not face any charges because what he did was in self-defense to protect himself and his mother.

In the meantime, the ex-husband is recovering in the hospital. From there, he will be moved to the jail to face possible charges of burglary, kidnapping and assault.

Ohio: Teen shoots burglar

Astabula, Ohio

From the Star Beacon of November 24, 2008

Teen shoots burglar

A 15-year-old shot a burglar late Friday night after the burglar and two cohorts broke into the teen’s West Side home, police said Monday.

The teenager and his 14-year-old brother were home alone when three men came to the house, police said. The teens recognized two out three of the men, according to their mother, who spoke with the Star Beacon Monday.

The identities of the teens is not being disclosed because they are juveniles. The identity of their mother is not being disclosed to protect the teens.

When the boys refused to let the men in the house, one of the men took the butt of a shotgun and smashed the window out of the front door, police said.

That’s when the older boy ran upstairs to retrieve his father’s handgun, his mother said.

In the meantime, the intruders told the younger teen they would kill both of them if he didn’t open the door, the mother said.

“They held a gun to his head,” she said.

Sgt. John Koski said the 15-year-old came down the stairs and shot one of the intruders in the leg. The men then took off.

“The bullet went in the leg and out through his buttocks,” the mother said.

The teens’ parents soon returned home from the store and a relative’s house, and police were called to the scene, the mother said.

In the meantime, police received a call from Ashtabula County Medical Center that a 21-year-old city man showed up with a gunshot wound to the leg, Koski said.

“He said a kid accidentally shot him,” he said. “The wound was in the exact place the 15-year-old said he shot the intruder.”

Police arrested and charged the 21-year-old man with aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony; attempted felonious assault and having a weapon under disability, Koski said, noting the suspect is a known felon.

The suspect’s name is being withheld until his arraignment.

As of Monday afternoon, police were securing warrants for the other two suspects, Koski said.

Wisconsin: 8th Grader stops invader with BB gun

Madison, Wisconsin

From WKOW of October 10, 2008

8th Grader stops invader with BB gun

13 year old Jack Theisen had to make a quick decision when two would-be robbers were in the process of coming through an unlocked, basement door, and Theisen was home alone.

Theisen grabbed his Red Ryder model BB gun and shot the first invader in the shoulder, scaring off both men.

"He's resilient," Jack Theisen's father, Mike Theisen told 27 News.

Mike Theisen said his son, an eighth grade student at St. James Catholic School, has taken a hunter safety course and is proficient and safe with guns.

Theisen said his son spotted the two men as they cased the front of the house on Sherman Avenue, perhaps believing the house was empty since most of the lights were out around 8 p.m. Oct. 9. Theisen said Jack Theisen then watched the men make their way to the home's side entrance.

Theisen said he rushed home from his nearby restaurant after his son called and told him of the emergency.

"I did have a conversation with him that calling 911 would have been the more appropriate thing to do than be a hero," Theisen told 27 News. "But he's just that kind of a kid. He's responsible and wise for his age."

Theisen said Jack Theisen's contingency plan was to run from the men and on to the home's second story roof through a secluded door.

Police officials said they are looking for the two home invasion suspects, who they describe as white men around eighteen years old, with one of the men about 6'0'' and 200 pounds.

Theisen said another home invasion in his lakeside neighborhood took place in the spring. Theisen said his family had not rehearsed a plan of action in the event of a burglary or robbery attempt at their home.

Theisen said while he has mixed emotions over his son confronting intruders, he said he is proud of him. "He's got guts."

North Carolina: Teenager fends off would-be robbers

Charlotte, North Carolina

From News 14 of July 21, 2008

Teenager fends off would-be robbers

Two suspects are on the run after a teenager in the house they were robbing turned one of the criminals' guns against them.

At about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, police said two robbers broke into Danielle Gardin's home in north Charlotte.

"One guy opened up the garage, let the van in and then they started going upstairs," Gardin said.

Gardin wasn't home, but her 14-year-old son Dante was. He had locked the door to his room at the top of the stairs, called 911 and hid in the closet.

"One of the guys kicked the door in, and then he started going through Dante's stuff," Gardin said.

The teenager had armed himself with a pocket knife. And with the stranger in his room distracted, Dante attacked.

"That's when he came out of the closet and that's when he stabbed the guy in the stomach," Gardin said.

While the two struggled in the room, the robber's gun fell to the floor. Dante picked it up and aimed it at the would-be criminal.

The man then took off down the stairs then sped away with his accomplice in the getaway van, damaging part of Gardin's garage in the process.

"I watch the news all the time and see this on the news all the time," Gardin said. "You just never think that it's going to happen to you, but, hey, you can't ever rule yourself out."

Hours after the ordeal, the damage to the home was already being repaired. And Gardin said she knows it could have been much worse.

"I was scared not knowing if he was OK," she said. "Just to know that he is OK, mentally and physically, was just the most important part for me."

Police said both suspects are black males with dreadlocks. One of the suspects was wearing a long-sleeved black T-shirt and jeans. The other was wearing a blue polo shirt with white stripes.

Texas: 14-Year-Old Shoots, Kills Teenage Neighbor

Fort Worth, Texas

From NBC5i of May 28, 2008

14-Year-Old Shoots, Kills Teenage Neighbor

Police said a 14-year-old boy who was stabbed by a visiting teen in his south Fort Worth home shot and killed the boy on Wednesday.

Investigators said the 14-year-old told police Danny Allen, 13, was visiting his house on Buffalo Springs Drive near Interstate 35 when he began stabbing him at about 5:30 p.m.

According to police, the two teenagers struggled before the 14-year-old grabbed his father's gun and shot Allen.

Neighbor Charles McDonald found the 14-year-old outside his house covered in blood.

"Blake come running out the door and run across the street, and I got him stopped," McDonald said. "He was bleeding all over; (his) head and shoulders were completely saturated in blood."

McDonald said he tried to keep the teenager calm.

The 14-year-old was taken to the hospital. His family told NBC 5 the boy was out of surgery and in stable condition on Wednesday night.

When asked if he thought his 14-year-old neighbor did the right thing, McDonald said the boy "probably" did.

"I don't know the circumstances. Probably. I would say so. He's not the kind to go around beating people up," McDonald said.

Police said they do not expect to file charges in the case.