TexasCHLforum.com

Skiprr wrote:

anygunanywhere wrote:Under what justification would you go to jail for shooting someone in the dark without a flashlight?

I think the point is that if you shoot in the dark without verifying your target, and it turns out to be a bad shoot (you hit your visiting mother-in-law, or the perennially drunken neighbor who's always getting houses mixed up), the "it was an accident; I couldn't see who it was because it was dark" excuse ain't gonna hold water.

I know this is the thought process behind this statement, but I have to disagree with it. I have seen cases in the news where the relative came in at night and was shot and the DA called it a tragic accident. The DA looked at it as "Was the shooting justified?" and not "Was the victim related?"

I think this is as much of a myth as the don't use reloads myth. At least in Texas, I would think there is no court case proving this warning to be valid.

Wouldn't it be nice to identify your niece before you shot her?

Cmon...shooting without identifying your target is like driving blindfolded man

Would you EVER forgive yourself for shooting your child by accident by NOT identifying your target?

I'm just saying

I am definitely not advocating shooting without knowing exactly what your target is and who. I am just saying that this part about going to jail for it is, IMHO, a myth.

A lot of this depends on ones living arrangements, family and social situation. Some one who has children, or adult relatives might have more need to positively identify who the home invader is than someone who lives alone or just with a spouse. I know at 2:00am where my wife is and that someone wondering in my house probably needs to be shot. I don't need any lights to tell me who this person is. I know my house better than the one prowling around, and wouldn't want to give away any clues as to where I am.