Don't just SHOVEL!!!  You will need two or 3 sheets of plywood (depending upon how deep you're going to put him), a steel rake, [items I won't tell you about to settle ground properly over corpse]  some grass seed & fertilizer, landscaping blanket, and some stakes...  Lay these sheets of plywood on the ground/grass.  When digging put the dirt on the plywood...  Oh.  Nevermind, I guess I shouldn't divulge any specific instructions.  [BD]

[img]http://www-users.itlabs.umn.edu/~lehn0038/personal/img/Diggin03.JPG[/img]

ok lets recapp this scenerio....

unknown person in my house LATE at night, in the dark where i will likely not be able to determin 100% he is unarmed. In a small house where at best i will be 15-20ft away from him. 15' does not give me time to err on his behalf.

This means he bypassed the lock on my door and knowingly entered my house with intent to commit a criminal act.

BANG empty the damn mag and reload.

I have no idea why this person is in my home and frankly don't care. Makes no difference if he wants to steal my TV or kill my family. Either way i percieve him as a violent threat.

In this state this is more than enough justification for a shoot. if he survives he won't do it it again, if not.. one less dumbass in the world.

15-20 years ago kids could pull that crap and not worry too much about it. Today with reports of violent break ins and homicides those days are over. I would gladly drop one moron to protect my family. In that split second you'd have no way of knowing their intent, i assume it is hostile.

mike

I voted "yes, no questions", but I am referring to a combat situation. Luckily, where I live self/family defence is almost a non-existant statistic.

I would shoot anyone or anything that is a threat to my unit, or its mission.

I'd have the weapon out and have a predisposition to shoot. If he's in my house my assumption is that he intends me great bodily harm. Front sight, finger on trigger, slack taken up, I issue a command, and if he doesn't immediately comply the trigger breaks.

The problem with your scenario is the assumption, even if subconscious, that the kid is just on a prank.  I know, you said he was not visibly armed - yes, the sort of thigs lawyers say when they have days or weeks to analyze and argue a situation.

Guys, remember Viet Nam?  Those big-eyed, cute kids.  MAny had grenades under their rags.  Or the nursing women?

I will assume anyone, of any age or gender in my home uninvited, and especially at night, is NOT here to bring me chocolate ice cream.

While I would prefer to avoid messy situations (blood/guts and/or legal pains in the arse), I assume my preferences don't matter if little fucker (gender neutrual) number 1 is:
1)IN MY HOUSE
2)IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
3)WITHOUT MY PERMISSION OR A FREAKING INVITATION

If the situation permits, my wife dials 911 (phone on her side of bed) while I lock and load. While she is on the phone (so 911 operator can clearly hear), I verbally issue "Get the fuck out of my house NOW!" as many times as I can.

Somewhere in the process will also be "I have a gun and WILL shoot you".

Kid (I don't care if it is male, female, transgendered, or otherwise) has two choices. Choice number one moves his ass backwards towards the doorway and he can leave and live another day. Choice number two moves him in my direction towards me. Result of making this choice will be a couple of rounds sent his way. The decision will be all his as was entering my house in the first place.

Depending on the mood, I may issue "Get on the ground with your hands to your side" and I may attempt to hold him until local LEO arrives to cart him away.

My number one goal would be protection of my family. If he chooses to leave, then fine. Goal achieved. Subduing him would be all fine and cool, but not my top priority. Protecting my family and providing for their safety will be. Subduing him is a secondary goal and may not make the most sense.

Of course, this is the preferred situation. Most SHTF sceanarios are less than ideal. If I don't have the time/distance to make said decisions, then I will automatically 'fear for my safety' and the little fucker is getting fed lead for a midnight snack that night.

Will worry with sorting out the BS later.

I will countersue for cleaning up both the mess in my house as well as in my shorts as I will undoubtedly shit myself in the process.

Now, if junior has a friend (meaning more than one), that is a whole 'nother story. Fuck em if there is more than one.

Told to me once by the head of the security detail of Mayor Ed Koch of NYC:

You find someone in your house and kill him, and he's not armed?

Simple. Take a knife from your kitchen and put it in his hand. End of story.

If I find someone in my house, they have exactly [b]one[/b] chance to put there hands up and get face-down on the floor. If they so much as blink, the sucker's going down, PERMANENTLY.

My kind of guy.
CW