Meet 11-year-old Chris Gaither, an Alabama pre-teen who may be about to become the biggest name in pro-gun propaganda since Charlton Heston. That’s because the child you see before you just protected “a hamper” in his home from an intruder who’s “robbed his house before” according to WVTM 13.
Gaither, who was home alone on Wednesday morning when the man broke in, told the intruder that he was going to kill him if he didn’t get out of his house. When the man didn’t listen–Gaither says that it’s because the intruder didn’t take his 9mm seriously–the way-too-calm-for-this kid unleashed hell into the back of the man’s leg, shooting him through the hamper he’d stolen and injuring him so he couldn’t get away. “He was crying like a little baby,” Gaither told WVTM before adding that he hoped the burglar had learned his lesson.
While we may applaud Gaither for his quick thinking, it’s important to note that situations in which a child has access to a loaded gun rarely have an ending that ends up with the kid in question being lauded on television. Earlier this week, a toddler accidentally shot his mother to death while she was driving and a four-year-old shot his pro-gun mom in the back last month.
It’s great that Gaither’s safe and sound, but it’s also important to note that he was home alone with a loaded gun and shot at the man 12 times before eventually hitting him. That’s some cause for concern.