I think there was a case in Phoenix a decade or so ago where a guy’s small warehouse was repeatedly getting broken into. He set up a shotgun triggered by the door opening and, sure enough, the bad guy entered, and his head was filled with buckshot.
The building owner went to prison.
If you are going to do something like that you need to pre-prepare for a place to get rid of the body and evidence (blood).
“If you are going to do something like that you need to pre-prepare for a place to get rid of the body and evidence (blood).”
The guy may have a cell phone on him that tracks his whereabouts constantly. He may have an accomplice who can testify (and will, to plea down a felony murder charge to something less onerous) as to what happened. Also, if there is even a slight suspicion that there is a crime scene on YOUR property, then you will not only NOT get away with your cover-up, but will have extra time tacked on to your prison sentence for obstruction of justice (and, likely, lying to the police).
Just don’t do anything as stupid as this. The earliest cases on this in this country were in the early 1800s, and there is not a recorded case of the result being any different than the owner of the property being civilly and criminally liable for the results of setting up a spring gun.
Now, catch the SOB in a net that holds him nicely about 10-15 feet off of the ground for the police to come and collect - that’d be just fine.
Pressurized paint is not a shotgun. Kudos to the landowner for innovation. Even a paintball GUN "should" be perfectly OK.