Zoey Ripple, CU grad shot in Boulder home intrusion, 'disappointed' charges will be filed

dailycamera.com ^ | 05/25/2012 | Mitchell Byars

[Uncle Chip]

Turning on the lights may have been useful for identifying the intruder, but would also illuminate THEM to a potentially-armed intruder.

Odds are that if they could see her enough in the dark to shoot her, then she could see them. If she meant them harm she could have done it in the dark as well as the light. In most cases the advantage of illumination goes to the one who controls the switch. In this case he would have the added advantage of the gun and the light switch.

If all papabears in history shot first in the dark and then identified their targets later, think of all the baby bears that would never have known Goldilocks. How Grimm would that be???

[TigersEye]

It's a very safe bet than an intruder that meant to do harm would have done so before the home owner awakened and failing to accomplish that would have definitely attacked the instant he/she was challenged. You would think a psychologist would know that much about people.

There's a lot of nonsense here about taking lengthy interviews being synonymous with identifying a target but no such comparison is realistic. Nor is the need to turn on any lights. I can identify persons in the dark of my own home and know it well enough that I can move quietly through it on the darkest of nights. If I thought I had an intruder in the house that's exactly what I would do. On the other hand a tac light, as mentioned up-thread, would absolutely blind whoever you shined it on. Painfully so if it's a good one.

But that's OK. People can do what they like. They usually do and there are a few living in Canyon City, CO who thought our Make-My-Day law here was a free pass to shoot anyone in their house. I bet they'd love to share their opinions about it with us but I don't think they get internet access unless they play real nice with their bunk-mates and wait staff. ;-)

[Rides_A_Red_Horse]

So would you have shot the Tibetan monk???

---

A Tibetan monk is only slightly less likely to suddenly appear in my home, unannounced, at 3 AM than a 10 year old.

Unless you have given house keys to friends/family, which I haven’t, or leave your home unsecured, which I don’t, you should not be awakened by any unexpected guest at 3 AM. That’s why neither the monk nor the child would be present.

You’re fond of “what if.” If you awoke at 3 AM, turned on your light, and Karla Leanne Homolka stood in your bedroom, would you shoot her?

[Rides_A_Red_Horse]

If she meant them harm she could have done it in the dark as well as the light. In most cases the advantage of illumination goes to the one who controls the switch. In this case he would have the added advantage of the gun and the light switch.

---

Most bedroom light switches are located next to the door. She was in the bedroom. So, who had the “advantage” of the light switch?

Would you suggest a victim of home invasion attempt to slip past a potential drug crazed Treyvon on the off chance the intruder just might be a drunken coed?

[Nifster]

the answer to your last question is an emphatic yes. Don;t come into my house uninvited. End of story

[Uncle Chip]

So even if you had identified the uninvited as a harmless little coed drunk out of her mind, you still would have shot her. Thanks for your honesty.

[ltc8k6]

In this case, it’s just he and his wife, and his wife is with him, so she is accounted for.

Obviously, if everyone in the house is not accounted for, you wouldn’t shoot first.

If you are an idiot, then you should sell your guns.

[Nifster]

Stay out of my house at 3 in the morning-— or any other time for that matter unless you are invited in. If I don;t know you and you are in my house, I consider myself at risk

[catnipman]

Oh, I agree, not keeping your doors lock is stupid as hell.

[GladesGuru]

I suppose the “Teachable Moment from Boulder” is: “Blond, drunk, and lost is no way to go through life.”

At least not a long life.

;-)

[reardensteel]

Strange responses. Maybe it’s because I have kids at home and adult kids, who turn up when least expected. Or, maybe it’s because I’ve made the mistake of accidentally walking into someone’s apartment in broad daylight thinking I was entering a friends - both of which looked exactly alike, were next door to each other, and had their front doors open. The guy inside was definitely not listening and wanted to shoot me, the only thing saving me being my fast feet.

I’m not saying this guy deserves legal action, only that he is really lucky to have shot an intruder he doesn’t know. In any case, I’ll bet he still regrets taking that shot in the dark and not seeing that he was facing nothing more than an unarmed, drunk girl he could have easily overpowered without risking lives.

I will never discharge a weapon unless I can see what I’m shooting at. My safety is important to me, but not important enough to risk the lifetime regret of shooting an innocent by taking shots in the dark. Way too many opportunities for a mistake. This is just plain old gun safety and common sense. I’m an avid shooter, 2nd amendment purist, all for the castle doctrine, and once wore a Marine uniform, so not new to firearm use.

[reardensteel]

They left their door unlocked, anyone could walk in, including a Monk or 10 year old who thinks he’s entering his own house. Yes, you have the right to shoot either of them, and the right to regret it for the rest of your days.

[Rides_A_Red_Horse]

Read my posts. A childhood in a major city coupled with 2+ decades of military service conditioned me to ensure my home is secure before sleeping.

[Balding_Eagle]

We haven’t locked our doors for years.

If you don’t want to be shot, don’t come in unannounced in the the middle of the night.

Having practiced the steps we would go through to make sure you don’t leave our house alive, I seriously doubt I’d have the slightest regret. I might even try and figure out some angle from which to sue your surviving family for what you did.

[1010RD]

With a shot of what? I don’t drink. Do you make virgin pina coladas? I’ll take a watermelon shot, hold the vodka.

[Uncle Chip]

You’re right. When you go to bed at night and regularly leave you’re doors open, you’re inviting visitors. Why else would you consciously leave you’re doors open at night??? To prove that you live in a safe neighborhood and anyone or anything that enters would mean you no harm???

And then someone comes in and without knowing who it is or why they are there or whether it might be some confused elderly neighbor with dementia, you just shoot them in the dark??? and then pat yourself on the back???

If you were fearful enough of nighttime visitors to just shoot them in the dark, then why weren’t you fearful enough to lock your doors before going to bed.

This homeowner is lucky. If Zoey had a good lawyer, she might be able to show that the homeowner, having left his door open, never warned her before shooting her, and that he turned on the lights and saw her just before he shot her. And having seen who it was, an unarmed diminutive drunken coed who couldn’t possibly have threatened him, he just shot her maliciously not defensively. Then talk about regrets for the homeowner.

[reardensteel]

Thank you. I was starting to think the whole world had lost their minds. One other point...there are VERY bright tactical flashlights...I keep one on my nightstand, it’s a great partner to the Glock 21 and blinds the intruder not the homeowner.