Who lets an 8 year old get the door?

[Lohman446]

http://news.aol.com/article/9th-body-found-at-site-of-santa-killings/287323

A tragic as this was it should have been avoidable. I am of the beleif that one should look at things like this and understand where things went wrong, and how the most minor of details can help prevent this. I am not talking the full fledge home defense plan that I personally beleive everyone should have in place, I am talking the simple details.

DO NOT LET CHILDREN GET THE DOOR. It should not even be a question, doorbell rings, there's a knock, whatever, an able bodied adult (preferably one that is prepared) should get the door.

[Rudz]

I never let a child open the door, especially if the guest is unknown, but it was a holiday, and the family was probably expecting relatives, it was a very sad event, and the most traumatic part is the child survived, imagine how they will feel towards the holiday season now, after being shot piont blank in the face by someone dressed as santa clause, and to top it off, the shooter took the easy way out and commited suicide.

I have always had dogs to anounce any visitors, and at time they have to be let in locked gates, or led in due to the dogs preventing any unwanted guests. Always look thru a window/ door peep hole, espscially if no one is being expected.

[Avianrave]

http://news.aol.com/article/police-santa-gunman-planned-to-flee-to/287319?icid=sphere_newsaol_inpage

Seems he wasn't planning on suicide, but did it because of pain he was going through.

[Dark Side]

Damn. Why shoot the kid. The only thing she did wrong was answer the door.

Questions aside; she probably would have been shot anyhow the way things went down.

[MeÐiCX]

A prepared able bodied adult?

Seriously, who would ever expect something like that? Do you answer your door with the expectation that the guy on the other side has a loaded gun and bomb??

Not a damn thing you are going to do with a bullet in your head.

[Babylon 5]

You know what the sick thing is though? It was probly the only reason she survived was because she got hit with one bullet instead of the bullet flying onslaught that took place after the inital entry into the home. Then of course the homemade flame thrower then comes into play next.

It's just a bad situation all around.

I wish that girl a speedy recovery.

[Lohman446]

A prepared able bodied adult?

Seriously, who would ever expect something like that? Do you answer your door with the expectation that the guy on the other side has a loaded gun and bomb??

Not a damn thing you are going to do with a bullet in your head.

I always answer the door with a lot of caution, and if it had been an adult he would have at least had to raise his arms upward to fire into the head. I expect the poor child got hit in the head only because of height.

That being said, you are right to a big extent. Anyone having that large of an element surprise is going to likely be able to overtake the person at the door, especially if that well armed.

[Dark Side]

I always answer the door with a lot of caution, and if it had been an adult he would have at least had to raise his arms upward to fire into the head. I expect the poor child got hit in the head only because of height.

That being said, you are right to a big extent. Anyone having that large of an element surprise is going to likely be able to overtake the person at the door, especially if that well armed.

Anyone willing to shoot a kid in the head, is willing to kill an adult. By any means needed. Hopefully the kid lives to not remember the ordeal.

[MANN]

Seriously, who would ever expect something like that? Do you answer your door with the expectation that the guy on the other side has a loaded gun and bomb??


If I don't recognize the person through the peep hole/ front window I have a gun in my pocket.

on topic. I dont think a gun at the door would have helped. The element of suprise would have got anyone. Its sad to think that someone would do something like that especially to a kid.

[fire1811]

A prepared able bodied adult?

Seriously, who would ever expect something like that? Do you answer your door with the expectation that the guy on the other side has a loaded gun and bomb??

Not a damn thing you are going to do with a bullet in your head.

Call me crazy but I never answer the door without my Glock 21SF. Especially when I am not expecting anyone.

[Will Wood]

Crazy indeed, hopefully you never need it.
:shooting:

[skife]

sounds like that whore of an ex wife of his took him for all he had, plus more.

$1800 a month alamony?
honestly, $21,000 a year to do nothing at all?

sounds like alot of BS to me.

[fire1811]

Crazy indeed, hopefully you never need it.
:shooting:

More than likely not, but maybe just once I will.

[domeplz]

I always answer the door with a lot of caution
you are one paranoid mf

[Hexis]

In this day and age I would fully expect someone to call me from their cell before they knocked on my door if they came over. If I get an unannounced knock on the door the first thing I do is look for the UPS of FedEX truck. If I don't see that I get real cautious.

[lather]

If I don't recognize the person through the peep hole/ front window I have a gun in my pocket.

on topic. I dont think a gun at the door would have helped. The element of suprise would have got anyone. Its sad to think that someone would do something like that especially to a kid.

You are going about it wrong--Most homicides are where the victim knew the killer. Be extra safe--you should really make sure to be armed when friends and family knock on your door. Install a metal detector that will annunciate loudly-- alerting anyone inside well before Uncle Frank and Aunt Lillian approach the front door packing heat hoping to give you a dirt nap.

Tragic yes. It's equally tragic how a sensationalized media can manipulate the public and gets everyone paranoid and high strung.

To those extremely cautious few going to the front door armed. I hope:

1. You dont drive
2. You dont particpate in organized sports
3. Dont work in the construction industry
4. Dont go to the hospital for even minor surgury.
5, Dont smoke, drink alcohol or eat fatty foods.
6. Are not of Non-European ancestry earning less than $ 7,500 yearly income.

Back OT: I think a better question than "why let an 8 year old answer the door?" is "How could someone to kill a bunch of people, including a child?"

[MANN]

lol. hippies. :rolleyes:

If it was my ex-inlaws I would have 2 guns. :eek:

Have you ever wondered why people pray on gunless people?

Oh. keep hoping. It isn't working.

[Lohman446]

You are going about it wrong--Most homicides are where the victim knew the killer. Be extra safe--you should really make sure to be armed when friends and family knock on your door. Install a metal detector that will annunciate loudly-- alerting anyone inside well before Uncle Frank and Aunt Lillian approach the front door packing heat hoping to give you a dirt nap.

Tragic yes. It's equally tragic how a sensationalized media can manipulate the public and gets everyone paranoid and high strung.

To those extremely cautious few going to the front door armed. I hope:

1. You dont drive
2. You dont particpate in organized sports
3. Dont work in the construction industry
4. Dont go to the hospital for even minor surgury.
5, Dont smoke, drink alcohol or eat fatty foods.
6. Are not of Non-European ancestry earning less than $ 7,500 yearly income.

Back OT: I think a better question than "why let an 8 year old answer the door?" is "How could someone to kill a bunch of people, including a child?"

Why? Because I mitigate risks in those things that I do.

1) I drive, defensively and with great caution
2) I play sports, not organized anymore
3) Not in the construction industry
4) Have not been to the hospital in years (except for a collapsed lung).
5) Don't smoke. I don't do either of the others to excess
6) NOt an issue.

I do a lot of things that have inherent risk. I acknowledge and minimize those risks rather than pretending they do not exist.

And, the 8 year old answering the door I have control over, the psycho, not so much. I control the things I can.

[Silverback]

Well, he made out better than I did in either of my divorces. He still had $17,000.00 plus the money to buy the plane tickets. My ex's didn't leave me a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out. Ten years after my divorce I STILL couldn't put together $17,000.00 right now if my DAUGHTER'S life depended on it.

People have got to learn what is TRULY important, and revenge never settles anything...

[Pullman]

lol. hippies. :rolleyes:

If it was my ex-inlaws I would have 2 guns. :eek:

Have you ever wondered why people pray on gunless people?

Oh. keep hoping. It isn't working.

Ummm,

I don't have any problems with folks that want firearms having them (assuming they have gone through all the proper channels), but I am 4 months shy of 40, and have never been "preyed" on by anybody. Heck I even owned an assault rifle for a few years, but it never went anywhere except out of the closet and down to the gravel pit occasionally. Most of the time it seems like all guns in your home do is get ripped off by folks who are looking for cash and easily fenced items. That whole Santa Claus thing was messed up, but given the element of surprise I really doubt it would have gone down any other way. I do agree little kids shouldn't be answering doors.

[warbeak2099]

I think what's going on here is an attempt to answer how this could have been avoided because of how horrible it was. But basically the fact of the matter is that a deranged individual committed a horrible crime. I seriously doubt that the risk would have been mitigated had an adult answered the door. The only difference would have been someone else being shot in the face first. Blame or responsibility cannot be placed on anyone other than Mr. Pardo. And unfortunately, these people always seem to kill themselves after committing such crimes so society can't rip into them like they deserve.

[MANN]

I don't have any problems with folks that want firearms having them (assuming they have gone through all the proper channels), but I am 4 months shy of 40, and have never been "preyed" on by anybody.

Then consider yourself lucky. I have family that have been shot at & robbed. Sometimes you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. You never know.

I would rather be prepared myself.

[Pneumagger]

I carry wherever allowed. If I'm lounging around the house I might unholster it for a little more comfort.
If somebody knocks, I definitely grab my CCW piece.

[michbich]

It all depends where you live.

In my home town, no one locks anything. Car, house, whatever.

But when i lived in Ottawa, my appartment was locked 24/7. I do the same thing in québec now.

[Will Wood]

Where is your home town? ;)
:ninja:

[lather]

Why? Because I mitigate risks in those things that I do.

1) I drive, defensively and with great caution
2) I play sports, not organized anymore
3) Not in the construction industry
4) Have not been to the hospital in years (except for a collapsed lung).
5) Don't smoke. I don't do either of the others to excess
6) NOt an issue.

I do a lot of things that have inherent risk. I acknowledge and minimize those risks rather than pretending they do not exist.

And, the 8 year old answering the door I have control over, the psycho, not so much. I control the things I can.

I think a skittish, armed person answering the door doesnt mitigate risk whatsoever. If anything, it increases risk. If you feel its absolutly critical you need to be CCW in your own house when the doorbell rings--How about just not answering the door? That mitigates any inherent risk to the maximum.

[lather]

lol. hippies. :rolleyes:

If it was my ex-inlaws I would have 2 guns. :eek:

Have you ever wondered why people pray on gunless people?

Oh. keep hoping. It isn't working.

LOL I work in a coal fired power plant, commute with my Dodge Ram (Hemi of course) 60 miles each way, own a G31, a Remington 1100, and a 10/22 and thats the first time I've been called a hippie.

[Lohman446]

I think a skittish, armed person answering the door doesnt mitigate risk whatsoever. If anything, it increases risk. If you feel its absolutly critical you need to be CCW in your own house when the doorbell rings--How about just not answering the door? That mitigates any inherent risk to the maximum.

I refuse not to live life because of what could happen. But in accepting the risks of what could happen I also mitigate them. I've carried a gun a lot of time in a lot of places and never had any accident as a result, and I'm willing to bet I wouldn't.

Besides, I never said that the answer was only answering the door armed, I simply stated the fact that an eight year old should not be doing it.

Don't mistake preperation and acceptance as skittishness, its not. I am willing to bet anyone who knows me would vouch for that one.

PS: This was not a stranger... and and adult probably would not have simply opened the door. "Geez, its your ex dressed up like Santa" would probably be a clue to me to be extremely cautious

[Avianrave]

Actually, an adult probably wouldn't have lived while the kid would have, due to the angle the gun was fired at and how durable those little things are.


fired a shot into the face of an 8-year-old girl

The person would probably have to shoot downward to hit the kid, probably missing her brain. If he shot at an adult, it probably would have been lethal due to the angle.

Hell, the person shooting probably hesitated at first when the child answered the door. It's one thing to shoot an adult, but a child opening the door for Santa with a present would have at least given him a second thought.