Family got some real life training tonight

[rugerla1]

Let me see if I can keep this timeline straight and sensible for y'all to understand the scene:

 

At about 10 pm tonight, my daughter is in our bedroom watching tv. My wife and I are in the living room, she is on the couch and I am in the recliner. We were kind of watching tv in between me on the laptop, and her playing with the dogs. All of a sudden two LOUD bangs on the front door which is between us and no more than 8 feet away from either of us. I looked at her, she looked at me, and without hesitation she jumped up, ran to the bedroom and got my daughter in the closet where she keeps her pistol and got it out. She stayed put, and during that I had jumped straight up, left hand pulled my shirt up and right hand pulled the Glock out and I stepped 6 feet off sides of the door aiming at chest high. All of this took place in a matter of 5-10 seconds I guess. I noticed something bright through the front blinds as I screamed "WHO IS IT!?" 3 or more times and when nobody answered I knew it wasn't the police. I also am sure they would have announce themselves immediately after banging. I noticed that the bright light was flashing, so next thought process went to Police are outside, after a bad guy, he may have tried to break the door down. (My adrenaline is pumping again while typing this) After maybe 45 seconds to a minute went by with no response the light stopped. I hollered to my wife to stay put, with my flashlight in hand I went to the door thinking maybe the curly cue light bulb exploded and the sound wasn't as loud as we'd imagined? When I opened the door with my left foot against the bottom in case anyone tried to shove their way in, I opened the door a couple of inches and the light was still working but I smelled smoke. I shut the door to think for a second because it all didn't make sense? I opened it again and scanned the yard with the flashlight still on high alert, when I didn't see anyone I stepped outside and noticed the bottom of our threshhold was burning. My neighbor came running across the road and asked what happened. I said "I was getting ready to ask you if you knew?". He saw the "strobe" inside his house on the wall. I don't know who it was, assuming kids, but someone had put a strobe firework (I guess) at the bottom of the door and banged before running off, never heard a vehicle. Strangely enough, I have the brightest porch light on the block and it's wide open for anyone to see the whole porch at night. I wouldn't think it would be prime target for a joke, usually a dark one so they can be hidden. It burnt through to the wood but could have caught more of the vinyl on fire and done a lot more damage, so we're glad it didn't.

Several things ran through my head while outside staring at it. My wife, daughter, and I are constantly letting one of our 4 dogs outside usually up till 11 or 12 at night. They caught the opportunity in between those times that a dog would have been barking like crazy to alert us. But also on that point, what if one of us had opened the door at the time they were coming up? What would I have done if I'd opened the door and someone is standing there at night time with something lit in their hand? Well, I damn sure wouldn't have thought they were there to say hi! Could have been a very bad day for someone playing a prank! 

Anyone who knows me, knows how I am with security, and protecting my family, so it's nobody I know. I don't play like that with them, and they don't with me. I called the cops just to let them know what happened and they said they were going to send an officer out even though I didn't ask them to do that. I just wanted to make them aware in case it happened elsewhere in the neighborhood before a kid got shot over a prank. They thanked me for letting them know.

After all of that I sat down and talked with my wife and daughter. I told them I was very proud of what they did. I could sit here and make up practice scenarios all day long, but that was real life training to see if everyone knew what to do. I've talked with them about it enough, I guess it stuck in their heads and there was no time for discussion, they just did it. Do I have to tell y'all how good that made me feel that they immediately went to the safe spot and my wife armed herself till she heard from me? 

I am NOT happy this happened because of how it could have turned out, but suppose it had been someone there to bust in? I'm glad my wife and daughter knew what to do without me having to say anything because all I was concentrating on was holding my sights on the door because I had no idea what was happening. My daughter even asked me afterwards "Daddy, what if they knocked so we would open the door and then throw it at us?". She's right. It may have been. It was a heart pumping experience, but practice that they will never forget, nor will I. They both want to go practice shooting more now, even though this time it wasn't needed and didn't happen Thank God!

 

Just thought I'd share our experience.

Edited August 17, 2014 by rugerla1

[Glock30]

That's wild. Glad you guys are alright!!

[rugerla1]

That's wild. Glad you guys are alright!!

Thank you! So are we.

[Troutburger]

Glad everybody is ok

[jacob]

Man, that is crazy. As was stated, glad things are good. Definitely makes me want to keep training and have a good plan like yours in place. Sometimes I wonder why people have such a false sense of security, they seem to be the one who is caught of guard thinking that nothing bad can EVER happen to them because of where they live....

[Erik88]

Good on you for handling the situation well and having your family prepared for that situation as well. Preparation is key. We had a situation that was a lot less serious but still scary last year.

 

UPS knocked on my door around 9pm one night. When I got to the door they were gone and all I could see was the outline of what I thought was a person through the peep hole.

 

Long story short, I was convinced someone was on the other side but it turned out to only be the wreath my fiance had on the door.  :doh:

[RED333]

Talk about getting you heart pumping!!!

Glad it turned out as well as it did.

[tennessee01tacoma]

Glad everyone is OK. I have a somewhat similar story that happened this past week also. I was coming home from work just after 10pm and I had just started my hour long commute home when my wife calls panicking. She says she heard someone knock not loud but quietly almost as to see if anyone was home so she locks herself in the bedroom and calls me. She is upset so I calm her enough to start asking questions. Are the outside doors locked? Yes. OK good the only way for them to get to you is through 2 locked doors. So now can you hear anything like someone on the porch? No, but I swear I heard someone knock. So I say, Ok, the shotgun is in the closet its loaded all you have to do is disengage the safety and pull the trigger. You remember the button right beside the trigger is the safety. I get home and no signs of anything thankfully but now my wife is more aware and prepared if this happens again. Edited August 17, 2014 by tennessee01tacoma

[Guest TheDrip]

Me and my Inlaws ended up on opposite sides of this kind of situation. I got in from work about 4:30 yesterday afternoon. In the bathroom I hear the front door open  (always kept locked). Wife isn't due home until 6pm, and would open the door announcing herself.  Pants up without shaking it off first, pistol out and I start yelling "WHO IS IT WHO IS IT ANSWER ME WHO IS IT".

 

I get no answer and as I head toward the front door checking around each corner, I get to the door, can't see anyone in the carport, dogs are going nuts but hiding in another room.

 

I step out to start checking the yard, and my mother in law got a face full of Glock. My Father in law had opened the door then turned around to go get stuff out of the trunk. Mother in law told him to knock first or call out, he apparently didn't think that was necessary.

 

I shouldn't have ended up that close to someone I hadn't seen/identified on my trip through the house, so I definitely need to come up with a new approach to the side door. Also my in-laws learned to knock at my house.....

 

Later on Mother-in-law mentioned how she loved me for keeping her daughter safe.

Edited August 17, 2014 by TheDrip

[Wingshooter]

Wow, I bet that did get your heart pounding. Sounds like you and your family have a great plan in place. So glad it turned out well, and great job!


@ TheDrip, I know exactly what you're talking about with the in-laws. Mine will just walk right on in without knocking, too! What's that all about? I have warned that they shouldn't do that multiple times, but it doesn't seem to register. They have a key and will unlock the door. It happened again recently, so it's time for another talk. The problem is now I'm concerned that their walking in on me so often is starting to desensitize me to any real event. Maybe I'll just change the locks. Edited August 17, 2014 by Batman

[rugerla1]

Thanks y'all. As much as I tell myself it was just kids and random, it keeps playing out in my head. I guess they could have just been dumb enough to go to the only yard with not trees in the front yard or handrail to hide them with that 8 gazillion lumens front porch light, but usually it's the ones with no light on or something to hide behind so they can get in and out easier. Trying to just tell myself not to worry about it since we're safe since that's all that matters. Part of me wishes I'd opened the door sooner so maybe I could have seen more. But instinct told me that was not the smartest move in case someone was still standing there with really bad intentions. I still think I did the safest thing.

 

Glad y'alls close calls didn't end up bad either! Thanks for sharing them.

 

Batman,

I'm luck on the In-Laws part, they both have known me for 15 years and no how I am, because I'm the same way at their house lol.