Yes, I was following, if we heard him work the action outside, then they could have as well. I know at least one of them heard the action the second time. The third discharge is the one that would indicate at least one of them was running.
If they were rushing him, one of them would have likely got to him. 15 feet can be closed very quickly. He said, “I am not going to let them get away” and he didn’t. As I said before, a sane and sober man is not going to rush a riot gun. If there are more than one, they are going to get you at 15 feet. But, it’s roulette, neither of them knows which one will catch the blast and I am thinking neither is going to be eager to find out.
They may have been neither sane nor sober. But from the defender's point of view, it really doesn't matter if they were or they weren't. Actions, not state of mind, is what counts in such a situation.