WEAKLEY COUNTY, TENNESSEE — When Stephen Delauter, 45, parked his vehicle nearly a half mile from where his estranged wife resided and proceeded to the home armed with a semi-automatic rifle and a knife, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out this was going to go one of two ways. The first way is likely how he intended it to be, bursting in and violently killing his wife, who had a protective order against him. The second way was leaving in a body bag. Thankfully, it went that way.
According to FOX 6 News, investigators didn’t have to look hard to find all the tell-tale signs that Delauter was setting up to violently murder his estranged wife. After pleading guilty to domestic violence back in September, he was issued a protective order against him which legally prohibited him from being anywhere near his wife.
Thankfully, that woman was armed.
There’s no way she could have predicted he’d show up at night and try his hand in the wetworks business, but she obviously had a fair suspicion that her life may be in danger. She had a gun and when he kicked open the door and proceeded to fire off shots, she got it and used it to shoot him dead.
That worked out.
Of course, when he broke in, she was taken by surprise. He initially attacked her with a knife. When she managed to evade his attack and retreat to the bedroom, he proceeded to fire rounds. That’s when she got her gun and defended herself.
It could have gone much worse, much faster.
That’s why we keep promoting this crazy idea of keeping a gun on you even when you’re in the home. In a future article, we’ll go further into discussing one instructor’s strategy for staging firearms at strategic locations. Our personal stance is that it’s better to have it on you.
This may be inconvenient at times or just plain impractical. You work with your particular situation how you see best. But when push comes to shove (or shoves in through your front door) you’ll know for a fact you wish you had that gun on you and not several rooms away.
Let’s be safe out there. If you think someone is a real threat, get that protective order. And, if you haven’t already, get the gun that you intend to use to defend your life. Train with it. Carry it everywhere. Pursue a concealed carry permit and keep it on you no matter where you go.
It’s your life. You’re worth it.