If you were to wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of someone breaking into your home, you’d likely want something close at hand for defense. Alberto Casola, a Columbia County, Fla., resident, had just the thing—a bedside pistol.
Casola, 63, grabbed his gun and headed downstairs to find a man inside his living room. He shot at the man, who dropped a knife and then soon fled, leaving behind a trail of blood.
After Casola called 911, police officers found 25-year-old Steven Craycraft in a yard a block away. Craycraft, who was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, had done work for Casola in the past, and police believe he intended to rob Casola. Without Casola’s go-to gun standing in the way, the robbery—or worse—might have been accomplished.
