Second Amendment and self-defense experts regularly caution that warning shots are a bad idea, that bullets land somewhere, and that there is no way to predict what the outcome will be.
Then there are legal ramifications, which vary according to locale and may not be favorable to a homeowner or paid protector defending life and property.
A California security guard working to protect a $4 million mansion in Los Angeles County is in trouble after firing multiple rounds into the air during an alleged burglary attempt early Monday evening. The residents were not home.
Suspects dashed away, leaving evidence along their path
Two defenders found several suspects in the home at around 9:20 p.m., and one guard decided that random firing into the air would be effective. The intruders ran, dropping much of their high-end loot as they scrambled away, but that’s far from the end of the tale.
When investigators found a trail of items dropped as the suspects fled, including designer belts and a pink purse, they turned their attention to the guard who discharged his weapon into the air.
Authorities detained the man for illegally firing his gun to scare off the intruders, who fled in what was described as a dark sedan. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told reporters that it is illegal to shoot a weapon without facing a lethal threat.
Security guard’s only possible infraction should be foolishly firing in the air
Numerous states treat a burglar’s presence in a home as automatically triggering a life-threatening event, not so much in California, where laws are systematically tilted toward protecting violent criminals over law-abiding citizens.
There was no immediate word on whether the security guard faces imminent charges, but that’s not the entirety of the story.
Warning shots, lawful or not, are inherently dangerous, and experts consistently warn that they are a bad idea.
Again, rounds fired into the air do not travel into outer space, and bullets discharged into walls, floors, or the ground have the potential to end up virtually anywhere–including striking innocent bystanders.
The presence and display of the firearm should have been enough to chase off the suspects; if one of them proved also to be armed, that completely flips the script and removes much legal responsibility from the defender.
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