These posts are based on our Good Guy with a Gun calendar. Today’s post is significantly updated from the calendar version.
UPDATE: This post’s headline originally said New Mexico, but Spring Valley is in Nevada.
Around twenty to eight on a Thursday morning, a man and a woman in their 20s were at home when they heard glass breaking. It came from their front door and the windows next to it.
There was a man on the other side of the door; his hands were bleeding. They had apparently only just moved in, and they didn’t know who he was.
They called 911 and confronted him near the front of the house.
Lt. Jason Johansson of Las Vegas Metro’s homicide section laid out what happened next:
The male was acting extremely irrational and was not listening to what they were telling him. They continued telling him to leave the property, at which time he moved towards the doorway where they were at, where the homeowner felt the need to shoot the man.
The call was still open. The dispatcher heard the shot, and the callers said they’d just shot the man who’d tried to get into their house.
Officers found him in the driveway and gave him first aid. Medics took him to the hospital, where he died of a gunshot wound to the torso. He was 38-year-old Luis Sanchez-Bran.
Police didn’t know of any other break-ins on the street. Jennifer Sauberan, who’s lived in the neighborhood for decades, said, “I was shocked, because it’s a very quiet neighborhood.... I was just thinking, oh my God, what if I hadn’t come back the night before? It could have been my house.”
The residents were “extremely cooperative,” and Johansson said there were “elements of self defense.” He didn’t expect an arrest.
KSNV 3 spoke to a criminal defense and Nevada gun law attorney, Joseph Gersten. The basic thrust of it makes it clear that the couple wasn’t in legal peril.
You're allowed to stand your ground as long as you're not the original aggressor. Meaning you didn't bring the fight to wherever it is, you have a right to be present where the deadly force is used. So you’re not a trespasser or an unwelcome guest, something like that; and lastly you're not engaged in illegal conduct yourself.
He advises people to close their doors and call the police, which doesn’t quite fit the current case — the man was coming through the door and/or windows — but his general principle remains:
So, again if the danger comes to you, you’re doing good. If the danger is something that you go to; not so good. That is where the laws will sort of turn on you.
Sources
There was a lot of coverage on this story, including a lot of detail, community reaction, and a discussion of the law.
Primary
Here’s Lt. Johansson’s media briefing. There are several recordings of it on YouTube.
Local News
8 News Now (KLAS) ran two articles, the incident and neighbor reaction.
Las Vegas homeowner shoots, kills intruder, police say (Original incident)
Neighbors share concern after police say homeowner shoots intruder in southwest Las Vegas (Neighbors)
News 3 (KSNV) ran two articles, the incident and an interview with defense attorney Joseph Gersten regarding Nevada’s stand-your-ground law.
Homeowner shoots, kills alleged robbery suspect in Spring Valley (Original incident)
Attorney weighs in on Nevada’s stand your ground law after fatal shooting (Attorney interview)
The Las Vegas Review-Journal ran two articles, first the incident, then the coroner’s identification.
Police: Residents kill man suspected of trying to break into Las Vegas home (Original incident — paywalled, see archive link to bypass)
Man shot, killed after allegedly trying to break into Las Vegas home ID’d (Identification — paywalled, see archive link to bypass)
Other coverage:
LVMPD: Suspect breaking in to Spring Valley home shot, killed (FOX5)
Metro police investigating homicide after Spring Valley homeowner shoots, kills intruder (KTNV — includes full on-scene media briefing, 4:19)
2A / specialist media
911 Dispatcher Hears Gunshot on Phone as Homeowner Kills Alleged Intruder (AWR Hawkins at Breitbart)
Las Vegas Homeowners Shoot Intruder During Break-In Attempt (Brandon Curtis at Concealed Nation)
Las Vegas Homeowner Shoots & Kills Crazy Acting Intruder in Apparent Self-Defense ~ VIDEO (F. Riehl at AmmoLand)
Homeowner fatally shoots window-breaking male trying to get inside: ‘We never have anything ever happen in this neighborhood’ (Dave Urbanski at The Blaze)
Las Vegas Homeowner Shoots And Kills Intruder (Darwin Nercesian at The Truth About Guns)
Good explanation of stand your ground. I mean, where are you supposed to go if someone breaks into your house?!