Posted 12:11 am Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Gun-Toting Homeowners Confronting Burglars
One Burgler Apprehended By Homeowner; Gunfire Exhanged With Another
By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer
Would-be burglars encountered gun-toting Tyler homeowners in separate incidents within a week -- one burglar was apprehended by the homeowner, and in the other case, a grandmother suffered a minor gunshot wound when gunfire was exchanged between the perpetrators and her son.
Staff Writer
Would-be burglars encountered gun-toting Tyler homeowners in separate incidents within a week -- one burglar was apprehended by the homeowner, and in the other case, a grandmother suffered a minor gunshot wound when gunfire was exchanged between the perpetrators and her son.
"When the bullets started flying, my boss man helped me out," the grandmother said as she pointed toward the heavens outside her home on Garden Valley Road.
The grandmother, who is not being identified, said the doctors at a local hospital said she was lucky, but she said luck had nothing to do with it.
"His power is higher than theirs," she said about the incident and her belief in God's power over man.
The woman said she and her son were watching television about 11:30 when they both saw three men prowling around on the porch.
She said she got up to go to the door and her son went to get a gun.
"He didn't get it to shoot anyone, but you have to protect yourself these days. He works hard every day and sometimes when you have food on your table, someone will come and try to take it," she said.
The woman said she opened the door just a crack and asked what the men wanted, and one replied they were looking for a friend.
"I asked one of them what was in his hand, and all of the sudden, he pushed the door open and started shooting. My son came running and began pushing the door closed on the man's arm," she said.
The three men left, and police were called to the scene to conduct an investigation.
When officers arrived, they found the grandmother with a gunshot behind her left ear and bullet holes riddling the front door, the entryway and some making their way through the house where several of the woman's grandchildren were sleeping.
The grandmother said she will be OK, but she did learn not to open the door late at night to strangers.
In an earlier incident, a Tyler businessman held a burglar at gunpoint early Sunday morning until police arrived and arrested 22-year-old Eric Gossett Jr.
The businessman had no comment about the burglary, but police said the two incidents show homeowners are protecting themselves if they are home during the burglary.
Martin said there have been several incidents over the past couple of years when homeowners have held burglars at gunpoint when they caught them in the house.
"If the person is home, it's not unlikely they will grab something to protect themselves," he said.
The grandmother said she thanked God for saving her life.
"He kept me safe because it wasn't my time to die," she said. Anyone with information about the Monday night burglary is asked to call the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000 or the Tyler-Smith County Crimestoppers at 903-597-2833.
