What seemed to be a normal package delivery turned extremely violent after the fake delivery man stepped back, then let 3 of his buddies barge into the home with knives and guns.
They yell, “Where’s the safe?” as they make their way in, slashing at those in the way.
An 11-year-old boy at the home, said to be sitting on the couch at the time playing video games, was shot during the ordeal.
His father — thought to be flooring firm boss Ray Hawkins, 45 — is understood to have opened the door at 9.30pm on Friday thinking that a parcel was being delivered.
The masked gang — one possibly wearing a courier uniform — burst in, slashing his head with a machete, shouting: “Where’s the safe?”
His son was in another room playing a computer game but was blasted in the arm when the raiders went in searching for cash.
There were also reports a knife was held to a woman’s throat — believed to be Ray’s wife Laura.
The gang are still on the loose, despite a police helicopter searching through the night. A source close to the family told The Sun on Sunday: “They had a knock at the door saying it was a delivery.
via thesun.co.uk
Security footage from a Ring doorbell was released, and shows 10 minutes of absolute chaos going on in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
The video is embedded below. While it isn’t extremely graphic, discretion is still advised.
The father is said to have suffered non-life threatening injuries, while the boy suffered the same, but were characterized as life-altering injuries.
The first thing that stood out to me is the fact that someone was ‘delivering’ a package at 9:30pm. That’s far too late to see a package delivery in the US, and I would assume the same to be true for other parts of the world. In any case, I never answer the door when a package is being delivered. Unless it needs a signature, they can ring the doorbell and leave the package. And be on their way.
The incident happened in London, a location on the planet where it’s nearly impossible for citizens to own firearms in order to defend themselves and their homes.
Security cameras are extremely useful for all households, and have come down in price over the last few years. If you don’t already have a home security surveillance setup, now is the time to do it. You can find some great deals on Amazon, and a sound setup should be on everyone’s list of must-haves.
I personally have multiple Arlo cameras, and they’re amazing to say the least. When movement or sound occurs, I’m alerted immediately on my phone along with a screenshot.
This is a sad story, but one to learn from.
The points:
- Have a security camera system set up
- Know who is at your door
- Don’t open your door for them
- Have a defensive strategy while inside your home
I hope that the family is able to recover from this terrifying incident, and put additional measures in place to safeguard themselves and their home in the future.
