Unknown Sound at 0120 in the morning

[EBC]

Okay, Do you all thing I handled this right?

Back Ground info: I live in a 3 level house where I have the second and third floors, in an area that a lot of people think is very bad but when looking at the town crime reports only seems to have to same problems as the rest of any other town. From my bedroom windows I can not see the area where we park. -Weather- Tonight we are getting some light snow.

0120 in the morning I wake up to a sound (sounded like someone trying to be quiet with keys), Sitting up in bed I notice my one male (sleeping between my feet most nights) is standing looking at the bedroom doorway. after looking at the clock and seeing that is still about 20 mins to early for my wife to be home for work (works second shift (1645 till 0115)) I start thinking that some has broken in to the house. I climbed out of bed to my gun safe and pulled out my .45 and a bright LED flashlight. Knowing that my kids are the most imported think I have in the house so I set up in an over watch at the top of the stairs. after 4 mins (from my position I can see my wife's alarm clock) I start to move down stairs to see what the noise was. at the bottom of the stairs I check the first door-out of the apartment finding it still locked at the deadbolt. I look over at the kitchen door and see my wife's car keys hanging in her spot. I start to relax a bit but am still on guard due to the fact that it has been about 4 mins since I heard any sound and and no more lights are on in the house (we leave a light on in the kitchen). I start checking the dinning room to see what is going on. As I am looking in to the living room I see a little movement and hear some one getting off the couch. My wife then walk's in the the dinning room as if nothing is wrong looking at me holding the flashlight and firearm shocked that I am there. I drop my sidearm and ask her why she is home so early. (took an EO due the snow and the fact that I had to work and didn't want me to be late.) (of course I am now that I typed this all out).

Thank you for check of my actions.


EBC

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[MadMac]

Sounds very likely what I would do. That said, if you have a spouse or family member on shift work, the likelihood it's them and not some violent intruder are rather high. In your case, a jingly key sound at 1:20 am would be far from an ulinkely occurrence it seems.

My wife and I live alone in a large house now that the kids are gone. On occasional weekends, we'll babysit our granddaughter while my daughter and her spouse go to a party or a club until the wee hours. (Son-in-law is a teetotaler, so he drives my kiddo home.) On those nights, I keep my HD pistol locked in my bedroom gunsafe, to make sure I have to enter the code and am wide awake before picking it up. I sleep pretty hard, and even though I want to protect our precious granddaughter, I certainly don't want to make any mistakes after I hear keys jingling and a door opening during the night.

[Bill MO]

Sounds like a good job to me

For me this is the reason you need to use a light in a house search. I would work in the dark but identify the target before you shoot. Leave the light on only long enough to identify they shut it off to shoot and move with the shut off. If the BG target does shoot he'll shoot where the light was most likely. But KNOW what and who you are shooting.

[suntzu]

My wife is a nurse and use to work shifts. Plus I was in the army and would come home at different times. If I heard keys jingling I doubt I would have been that cautious. Burglars seldom use keys.You said it was only about 20 minutes early for your wife to get home early. My wife or I would get home early sometimes. And same thing, we would crash on the couch. My first instinct would have been to call her cell phone. If you heard it then you would know it was her. But, you were there, your call, and you get to write about it.

[adric22]

If I heard keys jingling I doubt I would have been that cautious. Burglars seldom use keys..

You took the words right out of my mouth. Unless the burglar is a "friend" of yours or somehow got your keys or a copy of them, it is highly unlikely they would open they would gain entry to your home in that manner. Typically it is busting the door down, or breaking out a window. Every so often the news will run some story about how easy it is for criminals to do "lock bumping" or "lock picking" and I always laugh. Criminals aren't that smart. And the only reason for doing something like that would be if you wanted to enter a home and leave without anyone knowing you were there. 99% of them just want to get in, grab some stuff, and get out.

[tookerw1040]

You took the words right out of my mouth. Unless the burglar is a "friend" of yours or somehow got your keys or a copy of them, it is highly unlikely they would open they would gain entry to your home in that manner. Typically it is busting the door down, or breaking out a window. Every so often the news will run some story about how easy it is for criminals to do "lock bumping" or "lock picking" and I always laugh. Criminals aren't that smart. And the only reason for doing something like that would be if you wanted to enter a home and leave without anyone knowing you were there. 99% of them just want to get in, grab some stuff, and get out.

Unless the perp is holding a gun or knife to hey inside the resident. This ya going on a lot lately before and after work, especially in hours of darkness. I say great job to the op.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk

[suntzu]

Unless the perp is holding a gun or knife to hey inside the resident. This ya going on a lot lately before and after work, especially in hours of darkness. I say great job to the op.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk

So you will be cautious and suspicious everytime somebody is opening your door unless it is a specified time? My wife, son, and I come and go all during the day and night.

[jerp]

So you will be cautious and suspicious everytime somebody is opening your door unless it is a specified time? My wife, son, and I come and go all during the day and night.

There have been reports of BG's watching women go up to their houses and right when they unlock the door, SURPRISE! ITS A BG! So IMO he did good. Heck i live in a duplex, and down stairs are two women, defenseless. 6months before i moved in, was the third time in less then a year the house was robbed. Twice by weapon. So i am constantly on high alert at night. We have a security plan. The door to my upper unit is locked up and they know where the secret key is, plus there is a loud (by loud i mean 130Db) that they will use to let me know if something is wrong. I have tried to tell them about getting things for defense but they barely make enough to pay the bills and eat. So im it. None the less, OP good job, crime can happen at any time, anywhere, to anyone.

[suntzu]

There have been reports of BG's watching women go up to their houses and right when they unlock the door, SURPRISE! ITS A BG! So IMO he did good. Heck i live in a duplex, and down stairs are two women, defenseless. 6months before i moved in, was the third time in less then a year the house was robbed. Twice by weapon. So i am constantly on high alert at night. We have a security plan. The door to my upper unit is locked up and they know where the secret key is, plus there is a loud (by loud i mean 130Db) that they will use to let me know if something is wrong. I have tried to tell them about getting things for defense but they barely make enough to pay the bills and eat. So im it. None the less, OP good job, crime can happen at any time, anywhere, to anyone.

I want to be clear on this. I wasn't being rude or questioning a judgement. As far as the OP I was responding to the facts on hand and his reactions to it. There is no mention of BG's forcing there way in with the lady and her key. Yes, I know that happens. But it was not mentioned. IF that was a concern of his him and his wife should have a plan where when she is coming home at night she alerts him. Besides, if she were to come home on time and somebody did force there way in with her, he WOULD not have been cautious because she came home on time. He said he got cautious because she was NOT suppose be home then.
Anyway, I don't like to what if, and suppose. I will respond with what is written or respond with a question for my clarity. It is never intended to be rude.

[JDE101]

I think the OP did just fine, assuming he at no time pointed his firearm at his wife. You need to always be sure and identify your "target". A quick "sweep" with the light, turn it off, and move. That is why I prefer a seperate hand held light over a weapon mounted light--you don't need to point your gun where your light is pointing. Although hearing "keys" would indicate it is "probably" your wife coming home early, it is still worth investigating--especially if there are children in the home to protect as well as yourself. Just my .02.

[Ishmael]

If you or your wife is going to get attacked at your door, it's going to be when you're arriving, not when you are leaving. (Unless you have ticked off men in suits who drive black Suburbans, of course.) It will be the result of an opportunistic tail. Definitely something to think about. On the other hand, the overall odds of it happening are tiny.

[jerp]

I want to be clear on this. I wasn't being rude or questioning a judgement. As far as the OP I was responding to the facts on hand and his reactions to it. There is no mention of BG's forcing there way in with the lady and her key. Yes, I know that happens. But it was not mentioned. IF that was a concern of his him and his wife should have a plan where when she is coming home at night she alerts him. Besides, if she were to come home on time and somebody did force there way in with her, he WOULD not have been cautious because she came home on time. He said he got cautious because she was NOT suppose be home then.
Anyway, I don't like to what if, and suppose. I will respond with what is written or respond with a question for my clarity. It is never intended to be rude.

I noticed this is a sort of defensive post, i in no way intended to offend you. The "BG seldom use keys" part raised a point from another thred. I quoted you because of that part. I agree, with you though grab gun and light, and call her cell. Gun part was me. But i did not mean for an attack on your post. However you bring a vaild point, what if the BG did "ambush" her when she opened the door, while returning home at the normal time?

[bullshark]

20 minutes too early? The problem I see is that you are expecting someone to enter late at night. Anything could have happened. If it was your child prowling around then in the dark you might have looked over them (literally) and tripped on them. You didn't say you did a head count before setting out, so I'm just sayin' this JIC.

What I would do:

• Secure/headcount your children first.
• Then from a secure, covered position, call out: "Is that you, honey?"
• If no answer, stay in secure, covered position, call 911 and announce that even if you don't have a phone.

If the BG comes for you, too bad for him; you have the advantaged position. If he leaves, good riddance. If he doesn't, the cops will take care of it. Even if you have a right to it, you don't want a shooting over a TV set. Insurance claims are much less hassle and not nearly so messy.

If you thought it was a BG, then walking around looking for him is not the right option, IMO. You don't know where he is, and he does so he has the drop on you by default. You're sleepy. He's not. He'll drop you from a concealed position. He knows you're coming from a stairwell.

Get a security/alarm system so you'll know if someone has come in through a window downstairs. Shut Fido out of the bedroom so he can do his job.

You probably won't like my reply. Sorry about that, no disrespect intended, just making observations because you asked.

[Mike1956]

Too much tension for my tastes. "Honey, is that you?" is my approach.

[TaterSalad]

Even if you have a right to it, you don't want a shooting over a TV set. Insurance claims are much less hassle and not nearly so messy.

And how do you know they only wanted the TV? How do you know they are not armed? If you don't show a display of force, what is to discourage them from returning if they think you are a soft target? How do you let all the other criminals know not to mess around in your neighborhood if you and your neighbors don't take a stand?

Two years ago, about 3 miles from where I live a mother was trying to wake her 13 yrd daughter for school. The girl didn't wake... Unfortunately, an intruder had broken in during the night, raped and strangled the girl in her own bed. The individual responsible was caught, an illegal alien that lived in the apt. upstairs. (Arlington, Tx)

If I catch an intruder in my home, I don't remember who originally said it, but "God have mercy on them, because I sure as hell won't".