A Texas woman killed an intruder who broke into her San Antonio home Thursday night.
Police said the shooting took place at about 10 p.m., according to KSAT-TV when the woman, who was in her 30s, was in the house with her three children and heard noises that sounded like someone entering her home.
Police said a man entered the house through a laundry room at the rear of the building. He then tried to break into the door leading to the main portion of the house where the woman and her children were located.
When the woman saw the man, she shot him twice in the chest, according to KABB-TV.
The man died on his way to the hospital, police said.
KABB reported that the homeowner would not face charges under what is called the castle doctrine, which permits individuals to use the force required for protection when defending themselves at their home or place of work.
As of Friday morning, police had not released the identities of the man who was killed or the woman who shot him.
The website of attorney James Luster summarizes the castle doctrine, which can vary by state.
“The doctrine is not a single law, but a concept of self-defense that individual states may limit or expand as they see fit. In many states, a version of the castle doctrine has been adopted to allow the justified use of force against an intruder in your home or workplace, even if you have a way to get away from the situation, commonly called a ‘duty to retreat.’ Other laws, called ‘stand-your-ground’ laws, cover situations [wherein] an individual is threatened with force, usually somewhere other than their home or workplace,” the site said.
“Using the concept of the castle doctrine, Texas has created some of the strongest self-defense and defense of property laws in the country. There is no single law that lays out the castle doctrine. Instead, it is included in the law in several provisions of the Penal Code that govern self-defense and the lawful use of force. The laws allow the justified use of force to protect yourself, others, and even property in certain situations,” the site said.
Across America, homeowners rely upon that doctrine and the Second Amendment for protection, as noted by Amy Swearer in an Op-Ed for the Heritage Foundation.
“The right to keep and bear arms is based on the natural, immutable right to defend oneself and one’s liberties from crime and tyranny,” she wrote.
“Unfortunately, too many well-intentioned people today advocate severely restricting the ability of law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and others with the most effective firearms.
“They believe that Americans rarely use firearms to protect their rights and liberties, and they think commonly proposed gun control laws will meaningfully address gun-related violence. But the reality is quite different,” she wrote.
“Americans use guns in self-defense on far more occasions than criminals use them to commit crimes. Yet those defensive gun uses rarely receive the amount of attention given to criminal gun uses,” she said, calling everyday Americans who defend their homes “underreported good guys using a gun.”
“Most lawful gun owners understand the gravity of taking another human life, even in lawful self-defense.
“They pray the day never comes when they must rely on their Second Amendment rights to protect themselves or others because it will likely be the hardest moment of their lives,” she wrote.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
