Problem is, he only had to "defend his family" because he decided to defend his property first and like a lot of the cowboys in this thread, it appears, his first reaction was to use a gun to do so.
If he had stayed in his house and called police, as the police would undoubtedly advise, no-one would be dead.
Only misses us by about 800 miles, but thanks for thinking of us poor, destitute North Coasters...