Always shoot to kill.
Just don’t say that out loud. Even in Texas, after a self defense shooting, that little statement can still get you convicted, made the target of a wrongful death suit by an ambulance chaser, or both.
Remember the seven magic words:
“I was in fear for my life”
And the other seven magic words:
“I need to talk to my lawyer”
That is part of our home defense protocol. We secure ourselves behind a locked door; the wife calls 9/11 and says, "We are having a home invasion. We are in fear for our lives"; she stays on the phone while laying on the floor and I point the 12guage at the door.
Question: Good or bad idea to yell out to the intruders that the police are on the way? Yes, it let's them know where you are, but if just burglars, they may leave. Also, I know better than to go hunting around the house in the dark when awakened by intruders. They have the advantage of dealing with the dark - I just woke up or have been watching TV with lights on.