GOOD: One invader dead, another on the run. BAD: Overpenetration

[Sleipnir]

This was on the local news tonight:

The Good:

The suspects opened fire and the 24-year-old's father fired back. Police say he shot and killed one of the home invaders, Tracy White, but the second got away.

The Bad:

Fulton County Corporal Kay Lester says a 71-year-old neighbor was struck to the left thigh by a stray bullet. He was transported to Grady with non-life threatening injuries.

The man's wife says he was asleep and the bullet came through the brick wall, through the living room, down the hallway, and into the bedroom.

One Man Dead in Fulton County Home Invasion

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[jumpwing]

Holy cow, what the hell was the dad using, an .88 Magnum??

[ksholder]

I did not see any evidence that this was over-penetration. The article notes a stray bullet, but does not indicate it's source. It could have been from the perp's gun or the dad's gun and it may have been been over-penetration, we just don't know from the article. Given that it went through a brick wall and at least one door, I would tend to doubt it hit anybody first. I do wonder what caliber it was to do all that.

[Sticks]

Probably left a bruise. I'm also betting "Brick Wall" was cinder block, stucco, or pseudo brick siding on a wood framed house.

Hopefully more details will come out later.

Had an RSO at my last IDPA match get hit in the head by a bullet. The news would have reported "Man shot in the head during pistol competition" - Reality: Man hit by falling bullet that ricocheted off target stand from adjoining shooting bay. No blood, no welt, just stung pretty bad.

Had an annoying little man that was a new shooter that started sprouting off about how unsafe the steel target stands were and should be changed or removed before someone got killed by another ricochet.

[dtox]

When I read "overpenetration", I assumed that the bullet went through someone first. Like Ksholder said, I don't see any evidence of that.

The reality is, in a gun fight, not all bullets hit the perp. People miss under high stress. Even shooting the slowest, fattest .45 hollow points doesn't ensure that you will not hit an innocent bystander with a missed shot.

[Fitch]

When I read "overpenetration", I assumed that the bullet went through someone first. Like Ksholder said, I don't see any evidence of that.

The reality is, in a gun fight, not all bullets hit the perp. People miss under high stress.

That's more true than most folks realize. I found a report on the WEB titled "Officer Involved Shootings: What We Didn't Know Has Hurt Us" by Thomas Aveni of The Police Policy Studies Council.": http://www.theppsc.org/Staff_Views/Aveni/OIS.pdf

The data used in the study is from police department records. In it (on page 4) is a rather revealing table (based on NYPD records) that says the hit probability as a percentage of shots fired ranges from 9% (worse than 1 in 10) to 25% (1 in 4). 69% of these encounters were at distances of 0 - 2 yards. Under stress some folks will miss with 9 our of 10 shots at ranges of six feet or less. The report is very interesting reading.

It says there are a whole lot of bullets that hit something besides the intended target - the surprising part, after reading the report, is that there aren't more reports of damage by shots that miss the target.

Even shooting the slowest, fattest .45 hollow points doesn't ensure that you will not hit an innocent bystander with a missed shot.

Yup. Shot placement is the most important factor. Given there is no handgun caliber that will result in guarenteed one shot stops, nothing is more important than actually hitting the target in a vital area.

That's why I carry the defensive caliber I shoot the best (9mm) in the gun (Glock 26) I shoot the best at close range.

Fitch

[Old School]

Holy cow, what the hell was the dad using, an .88 Magnum??

[ep1953]

I say give dad an A-. Too bad he didn't take out the second scum bag.