Such was the case early Thursday morning in Mascotte, Florida. Police were called to a residence just after 6:00 a.m. for an alleged home invasion involving a 16-year-old male.
Mascotte Police Department officers responded to the criminal act in progress.
The young suspect was reportedly shot by the homeowner and is currently hospitalized at the Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition. Investigators believe the alleged home invader attempted to break into another residence before targeting the second location in Lake County.
Authorities received a call from a different home shortly before the violent encounter.
Police report the occupants of the second residence escaped uninjured and are cooperating with the investigation.
The suspect is only 16, and it is certain that everyone involved wants him to recover and straighten out his life. To be clear, no one celebrates such a tragic end even to a criminal act in which others were threatened.
But it is an absolute certainty that good people have the right to defend themselves against a home invasion. They do not have the opportunity to quiz the perpetrator on how old they are, the weapons they are likely carrying or their ultimate intentions.
These people are put in a harrowing situation where a split-second decision must be made. That choice will nearly always be to take whatever action is necessary to remove the threat and defend themselves and their loved ones.
It is the only proper path to take, and unfortunately it often leads to tragic consequences. But the right to defend oneself must always be respected, and those who would prey on the innocent must realize the danger they place themselves in.
