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govnor wrote:Now, had it been a 14 year old kid then I wouldn't shoot unless there was an obvious threat such as a gun pointed at me. Guy in his mid twenties should know better. I say take him down. If you're worried about lawsuits then you could always just clean up the mess and bury him in the back pasture

A 14-year-old kid will kill you just as quickly as a 20-something, if not quicker. Although most kids I've taught are great, every so often I get a sociopath.

I wouldn't bury someone in the back yard. There's no need to do that, and you're in big doo-doo if your new lawn fertilizer is ever discovered. You're okay calling the cops on this. He was on your property stealing, then threatened you with a screwdriver.

double post deleted.

My general feel for your ranch, based on reading what you wrote, was that you wouldn't assume there was a problem until you actually see the perp.

If I were in your shoes, I would have also gone into my metal building to turn off the lights, irritated that my family members think money grows on trees. I probably would not have assumed it to be anything more than carelessness of my relatives.

Once I saw a trespasser/thief in the act, I would have definitely drawn my weapon and worked my way to a secure location.

You didn't bring up this point, but there is also no way to know that he isn't working alone. I don't want his buddy coming up behind me while I'm having a conversation with the primary thug as to why he's in my shed with his dirty little paws on my tools. Based on what you're telling us, the thief was acting alone, but there's no way to know this when the situation is suddenly upon you.

If he were to drop the screwdriver and head for the door yelling, "AHHHHHHHHH! Chick with a gun!" I would probably let him go, then call the sheriff while watching my property from a house window.

If he advanced toward me, then he chose poorly. I'll protect myself. I made that choice long ago.

He either leaves or I shoot. I'm not doing Mexican stand-off on my own property while I wait for his buddy to bail him out.