In Fear For His Life, Florida Homeowner Shoots Intruder

posted on March 3, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

When checking on your empty rental property, you don’t want to hear a television playing inside. 

So a Florida homeowner entered his property cautiously Tuesday afternoon, finding it vandalized as he walked toward the sound in the back bedroom. According to Jacksonville police, that’s where he found 19-year-old Anthony Deshawn Burnem. 

The property owner told News4Jax, “I took out my gun and I said, ‘Just don't move.’ I was trying to call 911 with the one hand with my phone, it wouldn’t do it.” At that point, fearing for his life because he didn’t know if there was an accomplice in the house, he shot the intruder. The owner held the suspect until police arrived and Burnem was transported to the hospital. A neighbor had noticed the intruder earlier, saying, “He had been walking around and knocking on different doors, and my daughter had been here. It's scary.” Investigators say Burnem has similar trespassing arrests on his record.

Latest

NRA member illustration
NRA member illustration

Parting Shot | There is a Time to Rejoice

When fighting for your constitutional rights, it can be tough to know when—if ever—to sit back for a moment and favorably review the scene.

Hawaii’s Concealed Carry is a Fraud

Hawaii’s legislative response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision has created a concealed-carry permitting system that is, by design, practically impossible for a law-abiding citizen to navigate without committing a felony.

President Trump Signs Legislation to Support Medal of Honor Recipients

In an Oval Office ceremony, President Donald Trump signed the Medal of Honor Act into law. This legislation increases the monthly special pension for living Medal of Honor recipients.

Dispelling Anti-Gun Disinformation | Here Are 10 Lies About Guns And Crime The Trump Administration Has Exposed

Crime is a major problem in the United States, 66% of Americans believe, with 81% saying it is a major problem in large cities, according to an August 2025 poll by the Associated Press/NORC [previously the National Opinion Research Center].

The Greatest Second Amendment Victory in a Century

On July 4, 2025, Americans celebrated not only our nation’s independence, but also the restoration of our constitutional Second Amendment rights becoming unconstrained by burdensome and arbitrary fees.

Opening Salvo | More Evidence That Gun-Control Groups are Freaking Out

With the Trump administration’s law-and-order push showing America’s crime problem is clearly not the fault of lawfully armed citizens, gun-control groups are freaking out.

Interests



Get the best of America's 1st Freedom delivered to your inbox.