Texans have long enjoyed a reputation for being quite able to defend themselves, their families and their neighbors. And as you might expect, residents of Houston are no exception to that rule.
Following are six examples of times when Houston residents used their firearms to protect themselves and others from violent criminals.
Quinton Wood was asleep just before 10 a.m. when he heard the doorbell ring, followed by loud knocking. Wood said he was not expecting any visitors and did not recognize the black Ford Mustang parked in front of his home, so he retrieved his firearm as a precaution. When a 25-year-old stranger entered the home, Wood confronted him. Wood claimed the intruder continued toward him despite his warnings: “… all I know is, I’m telling him [to] get down, stop. It went bad. He kept coming toward me and didn’t want to stop,” he said. Wood fired once, striking the intruder in the chest. Police arrived shortly thereafter, and the suspect was taken to a local hospital. He is reportedly expected to make a full recovery. Wood was not injured during the incident. (KHOU.com, Houston, Texas, 8/26/14)
A 28-year-old Marine veteran was eating lunch at a shopping center around 12:30 p.m. when he noticed suspicious behavior from two men outside a video game store. He saw them slip bandanas over their faces before retrieving something from the trunk of their vehicle. They were then seen entering the store. Minutes later, one of them ran out carrying several video game systems. The other suspect remained inside the store and was demanding cash from customers. The veteran, licensed to carry a concealed handgun, asked a bystander to call 911 before crouching behind his pickup and drawing his firearm. The two robbers spotted him there, which resulted in an exchanged of gunfire. One suspect died of multiple gunshot wounds, while the second suspect fled. No other injuries were reported. (Houston Chronicle, Houston, Texas, 5/30/14)
After a day’s work at First National Bank, a woman found herself at gunpoint in her own home. Her husband was being held by the two intruders as well. The assailants abducted the couple and forced them to drive back to the bank and take an undisclosed amount of money, then ordered them to continue driving. It was then that the husband grabbed a gun kept in the vehicle and fired at the suspects before calling 911. Police arrived to find both suspects lying on the ground near the vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds. They were taken to the hospital, where one suspect was pronounced dead. (Times Record News, Houston Texas, 8/4/13)
A 23-year-old woman was parked at a gas station when she received sexual advances from a man she did not know. The woman asked him repeatedly to leave her alone. Surveillance video from the gas station shows the man approaching and the pair arguing. The woman then pulled a rifle from the trunk of the car. Video shows the assailant flashing a knife and trying to hit the woman before she fired. The suspect’s wounds proved fatal. (USA Today, Houston, Texas, 7/22/12)
A resident told police he was upstairs around 2 p.m. when he heard three men kick in the front door and enter his home. The intruders attacked the resident and placed him in an upstairs closet while they ransacked the home. What the intruders didn’t know was that this particular closet was where the resident kept his gun. When he thought the intruders were gone, the resident left the closet armed with the firearm. Downstairs, he encountered one of the men and the two exchanged gunfire. The intruder was struck in the shoulder and leg. He fled, but collapsed a few blocks away. The other two intruders fled as well. The resident was not injured. A neighbor commented on the incident, saying, “What happened today is exactly what guns are supposed to do—to protect your home and defend your life and your family.” (Houston Chronicle, Houston, Texas, 5/15/13)
A robber armed with a handgun entered a cell phone store in Houston, Texas, and attempted to rob the owner. The owner responded by retrieving a gun and firing at the criminal, striking him twice and causing him to flee to a nearby getaway car. The robber died after the getaway driver took him to a hospital in Pearland, Texas. The getaway driver is in custody. (Houston Chronicle, Houston, Texas, 11/14/12; KTRK, Houston, Texas, 11/15/12)
