Man Mistakes Brother For Intruder, Shoots Him

[HiredGoon]

http://www.wpxi.com/news/16271556/de...=burg&psp=news

Bold is mine, below. Both interesting phrases in this story

UPDATED: 9:18 am EDT May 15, 2008

PITTSBURGH -- A Manchester man is being treated at Allegheny General Hospital Thursday morning for a gunshot wound suffered when his brother mistook him for an intruder overnight at their home on Pennsylvania Avenue in Manchester.

According to Zone 1 police, the victim -- in his mid 20s -- didn’t want to wake up anyone in the house shortly after 2 a.m. So he tried to enter their house in the 1400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue through a basement window.

His brother -- in his mid 30s -- heard a noise, got his registered .45-caliber pistol and fired a shot at who he thought was an intruder.

He hit his brother in the left arm before he realized who he was. The victim was rushed to the hospital. Officials said his injury is not life-threatening.

Police confiscated the weapon and said it’s doubtful any charges will be filed.

[stevieb92]

I heard this too. <shaking head>

Why come through a basement window in the wee hours of the am when you are not expected in your brothers house? Sounds fishy.

[General Geoff]

Well, both sides of this situation weren't acting very intelligently. Trying to enter a house through a basement window, regardless of who you are, screams "BURGLAR." Also, firing a shot into a person who hasn't been positively IDed is breaking two of the four rules.


I'm gonna say 90% the fault of the guy who pulled the trigger, 10% the fault of the guy entering through the basement window.

[noofus]

I'm gonna say 90% the fault of the guy who pulled the trigger, 10% the fault of the guy entering through the basement window.

I would say its 50/50.

What moron enters a house, unannounced through a window in the middle of the night? Doubly moronic if the guy knew his brother kept a gun for home defense (the article does not state this is the case)

If this were my house the alarm would have been blaring, thus getting my adrenaline pumping.

At the same time, the guy with the gun should have also had a good flashlight and taken the 1/2 second needed to ID the intruder and see if he had a weapon.

[ThomasJ]

What's up with this confiscating weapons nonsense going on in PA?

[PA CERTIFIED AGENT]

At the same time, the guy with the gun should have also had a good flashlight and taken the 1/2 second needed to ID the intruder and see if he had a weapon.


I agree you are suppose to see a weapon before you fire a shot. You just don't fire into the dark.

[PA CERTIFIED AGENT]

What's up with this confiscating weapons nonsense going on in PA?

LOL. Well in Philly they say its so they can run ballistics to the gun. BULLSHIT!!!

[BearTitan]

It doesn't say that he lived with the brother. He was probably breaking into his brother's house, which would axplain why he didn't come in through the door. Now the question is, was he breaking in because he needed a place to crash or was he breaking in to steal his brother's stuff.

Either way, we was breaking in.

I agree that the shooter acted hastily and should have properly identified his target prior to shooting.

[HiredGoon]

Yeah, a lotta blame to go around on both guys here.
The brother entering the window should have yelled..."Don't shoot me, bro"!

Also, if the gun was "registered" (appeared in illegal gun registry) ...then why confiscate it? Or do they mean the guy had a LTCF?

[GunLawyer001]

It sounds like the brother WAS an intruder, just one that happened to be the homeowner's brother.

Happens all the time in the larger urban areas. Perps steal ID's from their brothers or cousins or friends, and give it to police when caught committing crimes, which screws the innocent brother or cousin or friend. People steal drugs from their relatives, they steal cash and medicine from grandma, they steal guns and tools and cars and sell them for drug money.

Entire families lack ethics or any sense of right & wrong. I can tell you this, nobody in my family would even consider breaking into my house without permission, but then again nobody in my family would steal from me.