She had shotgun; she had ammunition,
But was put in an awful position;
So she called nine-one-one
Ere she fired her gun—
He was dead once she got her permission.
Headline: Okla. Woman Shoots, Kills Intruder: 911 Operators Say It’s OK to Shoot.
A young Oklahoma mother shot and killed an intruder to protect her 3-month-old baby on New Year’s Eve, less than a week after the baby’s father died of cancer.
I’ve lost friends to gun accidents, but there’s no way in hell I would oppose this woman’s actions.
“I wouldn’t have done it, but it was my son,” McKinley told ABC News Oklahoma City affiliate KOCO. “It’s not an easy decision to make, but it was either going to be him or my son. And it wasn’t going to be my son. There’s nothing more dangerous than a woman with a child.”
from the parts of the 911 call transcriptions i’ve seen, the 911 operator doesn’t appear to have actually given her “permission” to shoot; the news headlines appear to be exaggerating that part. what the operator did was more like not tell her to not shoot.
a regrettable event, but i certainly can’t and won’t blame her.
I wouldn’t oppose her actions, either. And I don’t oppose gun ownership in general, since it more often results in a reduction of the owner’s genetic contributions than an enhancement of them.
Evolution in action, I guess.
I have children so I know where she was coming from. When your children are under threat, there is no negotiation, simply remove the threat. I am more amazed at her forebearance.
I can only say that the matter has been said before.
I shall try to embed the address:
http://www.potw.org/archive/potw96.html
As an interesting aside, her husband was 40 years older than she is (she’s 18). Oklahoma is a very odd state.
@Dorothy,#3: That Kipling poem is one of my favorites, and was the first thing I thought of when I heard this story. I would have done the same thing this young woman did–I hope!–and I applaud her for having the courage to do it.
It has been said before, by those older than I: be it tiger, lion or bear, the wise hunter will leave the cubs alone.