Dad dies protecting daughter during home invasion

[Hum]

MIAMI (WSVN) -- Police are investigating a deadly home invasion after a father was fatally shot during a struggle with intruders.

The home invasion occurred Tuesday night on 43rd Street and Northwest 16th Avenue. Investigators said two armed men broke into the home and demanded money from Maurice Harris and his wife.

Harris told the robbers they had no money. The men then held his wife to the floor at gunpoint and started to walk towards their 11-year-old daughter's bedroom. Harris struggled with the suspects to keep them away from the room, and then he was shot. "The only thing they were saying was, 'Money, we want money,' and we kept on telling them we don't have any money," said Harris' wife, Shakila Stuart.

Harris was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he died.

"[The robbers] will stop at nothing to get what they want. The motive is clearly a robbery, it is a home invasion robbery. The sanity of their home was violated and it can't get much worse than this," said Miami Police Department Detective Confessor Gonzalez.

Streeter said the crooks held Harris' wife at gunpoint during the invasion. "She said that someone took the gun and put it to her head and had them hostage there," she said.

Officials are urging anyone with information on the shooters' whereabouts to notify authorities. They describe the suspects as two black males.

If you have any information on this deadly home invasion, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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[mudslag]

Very sad for that family.... I can't even remember the last time I had cash on hand, most people I know keep very little cash anymore.

[SierraSonic]

If only this family has some sort of device in which they could of used to defend themselves with.

Such a sad situation. I feel for this family. I hope these robbers get as much attention as a certain person who shot some cops families in LA did. But they most likely wont.

[Buttus]

LOL at "the sanity of their home" sanctity.... sanctity.... *sigh*

well, Miami is a great place to be FROM!

[Growled Member]

The situation might have been different if the couple had been armed.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

The situation might have been different if the couple had been armed.

Florida is a right to carry state I believe.

[Shiranui]

Had it never occurred to them to get a job, if they needed cash that badly?

Selling their guns would probably generate more money than a random break-in.

Unless my wife has a secret stash, I would be surprised if we had more than $200 in cash at home at the moment.

Miami Police Department Detective Confessor Gonzalez[/color]' timestamp='1360800534' post='595520270']

"The sanity[sic] of their home was violated and it can't get much worse than this,"

I'm assuming he meant "sanctity".

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Had it never occurred to them to get a job, if they needed cash that badly?

Selling their guns would probably generate more money than a random break-in.

Unless my wife has a secret stash, I would be surprised if we had more than $200 in cash at home at the moment.

I'm assuming he meant "sanctity".

These type of people don't work. They are probably all drugged up just looking for some quick cash to buy dope.

[Growled Member]

^ So what can you do with these types of people?

[Hum]

^ Deport them to a deserted island.

[DarkyDan]

The situation might have been different if the couple had been armed.

Why would you have a gun within arms reach in the safety of your own home though? You'd have it responsibly locked in a cupboard so in the case of a home invasion they would have their gun on you before you could get anywhere near your own.

It's all so pointless, the right to bear arms... this coming from an Australian mind you.

[Growled Member]

^ Deport them to a deserted island.

Will the UK do? :p

[DocM]

Will the UK do? :p

I have a first candidate: a Detroit home invader that last week busted in on an 80+ year old woman, shot her 9 times then split with minor items. Somehow she lived. He was caught, and likely did many other invasions before this one.

A while back one 17 year old Detroiter was tracked back to 8 home invasions, and a single gang to "dozens," estimated by cops at >60.

These are a whole other breed of criminal than what the UK, Oz, Europe etc. are used to, and they don't give a f**k about gun control laws (black market, just like drugs), mandatory sentence enhancements for a gun crime or anything else. They are, for lack of a better term, rabid animals and should be treated as such.

[Sandor]

The situation might have been different if the couple had been armed.

Yea all the bleeding hearts would be on complaining about how he'd have used "excessive force" in killing robbers.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Why would you have a gun within arms reach in the safety of your own home though? You'd have it responsibly locked in a cupboard so in the case of a home invasion they would have their gun on you before you could get anywhere near your own.

It's all so pointless, the right to bear arms... this coming from an Australian mind you.

Sorry but my weapon is at arms reach, not locked away as you said, it would be pointless to own a weapon if you lock it up.

[DocM]

Yea all the bleeding hearts would be on complaining about how he'd have used "excessive force" in killing robbers.

Exactly - all the usual neowin suspects would be bemoaning his fate while avoiding the discussion of what damages he'd done or preventing them.

[Buttus]

These are a whole other breed of criminal than what the UK, Oz, Europe etc. are used to, and they don't give a f**k about gun control laws (black market, just like drugs), mandatory sentence enhancements for a gun crime or anything else. They are, for lack of a better term, rabid animals and should be treated as such.

this times infinity!

[chrisj1968]

it's obamas world. no guns.. daddy and mommie die because what have we pro 2nd amendment people been saying all along

(All together now)) because the criminals don't obey guns laws.....

[Rippleman]

If only this family has some sort of device in which they could of used to defend themselves with.

Such a sad situation. I feel for this family. I hope these robbers get as much attention as a certain person who shot some cops families in LA did. But they most likely wont.

i think in this case it would have ended with a blood bath with the whole family shot.

because the criminals don't obey guns laws.....

why have any laws then?

[Growled Member]

why have any laws then?

Good question. I'm beginning to think laws are pretty useless.

[DarkyDan]

Sorry but my weapon is at arms reach, not locked away as you said, it would be pointless to own a weapon if you lock it up.

If you are living with only Adults I guess that's all well and good, but probably a bad thing if you have children who could chance upon it.

[exotoxic]

The situation might have been different if the couple had been armed.

No because if you were responsible (they have a kid) you would have it locked up in a safe place, giving you no change to get it out in such an event as this.

[trag3dy]

If you are living with only Adults I guess that's all well and good, but probably a bad thing if you have children who could chance upon it.

No because if you were responsible (they have a kid) you would have it locked up in a safe place, giving you no change to get it out in such an event as this.

That's why you teach kids about guns and gun safety from a young age. My entire family including aunts, uncles, cousins have been around guns since before I can even remember and had 0 gun related incidents in our family. I know that must come as a complete shocker to some but it's entirely possible to be around guns and not kill some one/thing with them, even as a child.

[ILikeTobacco]

Maybe we should pass a law to stop this? Had we had a law, this would had never happened.

[stokhli]

Why would you have a gun within arms reach in the safety of your own home though? You'd have it responsibly locked in a cupboard so in the case of a home invasion they would have their gun on you before you could get anywhere near your own.

It's all so pointless, the right to bear arms... this coming from an Australian mind you.

No because if you were responsible (they have a kid) you would have it locked up in a safe place, giving you no change to get it out in such an event as this.

Growing up, my father taught me about guns and gun safety. We would go to the shooting range or hunting and after I would help him take the guns apart and clean them. Most of the guns were locked away in a safe but I knew where he kep the key and I knew where he had a few pistols stored around the house in the event of a home invasion. When he started teaching me and would let me actually handle the firearms he made it very clear that I was to only ever be around them under his direct supervision. If he was to ever catch me just looking at them when he wasn't there I knew I would be in serious trouble.

Proper gun safety and knowledge have stuck with me to this day. I'm not afraid of guns but if I'm around people acting in a way that I find irresponsible I ask them to stop and if they won't I will then leave the area. My friends just don't understand and it's most likely because they didn't have a parent that raised them around guns and teach them basic gun safety.

The main problem we have isn't how guns are stored but it's how we teach our kids about guns. Kids grow up with toy guns, action figures with toy guns, action movies, tv, video games, and the like but then are taught in school and from the media that guns are evil and if they are to ever see one they should run away and call the police. They are getting mixed signals about guns without someone actually taking the time to sit them down and teach them how to safely handle them if they are to ever see one. I grew up with all the same experience with toy guns and the like but I also grew up safely handling guns and the whole mystery surrounding guns was no more. I knew where they were but I also knew they weren't toys and I was to never even look at them without my father there.

tldr:

Get rid of the mystery surrounding guns by teaching kids basic gun safety and a lot of these accidents won't happen. Telling kids no and hiding them will only make kids more curious and want to "play" with them without appropriate supervision if they were to ever find one.