Imagine being home, in the middle of the night, and facing three armed intruders breaking down your door. That’s exactly what happened to one homeowner, but the bad guys got more than they bargained for. They were sent scattering like cockroaches, and luckily for us, it was all caught on video.
An unnamed man and woman were home when a frightening incident began to unfold right outside their door at 2 a.m. on a Thursday morning in the city of Auburn, near Seattle, Washington. According to Fox News, after initially being alerted by their dog, the homeowners soon realized that three armed intruders were outside, but thanks to their beloved pet, they had just enough time to prepare before the men busted through their door.
According to Washington State police, who released video footage that was captured by a home’s security camera during the attempted home invasion, three masked men, armed with pistols, approached the front door of the residence and began trying to kick it in. “Seattle Police!” one of them yelled as they violently kicked at the door, trying to ram it open, The Blaze reported. However, the homeowner didn’t make it easy for them.
“Luckily enough, [the homeowners] had a dead-bolted door that was hard for [the three armed intruders] to get into, so them kicking and not getting in right away really allowed the homeowners time to react,” Auburn Police spokesperson Kolby Crossley explained. That, combined with their dog alerting them to the disturbance as soon as it kicked off—no pun intended—allowed the homeowner enough time to prepare for the worst, and they were ready the moment the door flew open.
As seen in the footage, the very second the door was busted down, the homeowner reacted. Much to the masked men’s surprise, the glass window on the outside door shattered as gunshots were fired at the three armed intruders who broke down the door, and very quickly, the bad guys were sent scattering. They scurried off the porch, not able to get away from the house fast enough, as a hail of gunshots continued to rain down on them.
“The homeowner was armed and quickly started firing shots at the intruders through the door. After multiple shots were fired, the three suspects fled,” read a statement released by the Auburn Police Department as their detectives worked hard to identify the three suspects involved in the case.
According to the unnamed residents who fell victim to the attempted home invasion, the suspects returned fire at their home as they fled, littering their door, siding, and windows with bullet holes. They also knocked down some fencing as they made their hasty escape. Additionally, a bullet also entered the home of a neighbor, who was awakened by the sounds of gunfire.
“We heard a bullet go through our window, and our alarm started going off, and then I just heard an exchange of gunfire—just a bunch of bullets,” the neighbor, who did not want to be identified, recalled. “After that, it sounded like a war zone. It literally was just a barrage of bullets,” he added, according to NBC King5.
The neighbor went on to say that the incident was shocking because the neighborhood is rather secluded. “You assume you’re safe. You assume it wouldn’t happen to you, and even though it didn’t happen directly to me, it’s close enough where we saw the impact in our living room,” he said, referring to the bullet that entered his home.
Auburn police were alarmed that the suspects pretended to be officers as a way to get into their home and issued a warning to the public. “They try to give you that false sense of security before they try and get into your home, but in this sense, they started kicking almost simultaneously, and in that situation, just try to put it together that this is not the police that are trying to kick in your door,” Kolby Crossley, a public information officer for Auburn police, explained.
According to the police, no one was injured despite the numerous shots fired. The homeowners were grateful no one was hurt but wondered what could have happened if they didn’t protect themselves. Indeed, if it weren’t for the many precautions that were taken by the homeowners, this story might have had a much different ending, and for that reason, this is an important story to share as it teaches many valuable lessons on securing one’s home and defending it.
First, as previously mentioned, police praised the use of a deadbolt lock, which slowed the home intruders’ entrance as law enforcement encouraged others to “Just make sure you’re locking up every night. You’re setting an alarm.” In addition, the home was equipped with motion-sensor lighting and security cameras. “Having that security footage is just massive,” police added.
An apparent “watchdog,” who alerted the residents when danger first darkened their doorstep, also played a huge role in keeping this family safe, but perhaps most importantly, the homeowner had a gun, giving him the ability to defend himself, his loved ones, and his home from the three masked men who appeared intent on doing harm. Thankfully, the three armed intruders didn’t get that chance, as gunfire sent them scurrying away like cockroaches before they were able to make victims out of innocent people.
