Take two

New American, The, March 17, 2008 by Kurt Williamsen

In the late hours of January 23 and the early hours of January 24, two burglars were shot in Memphis, Tennessee, prompting an outburst of glee by some of the city's residents.

News Channel 3 reported that the first burglary and shooting took place when a man backed his car through the front door of a feed store. An employee was in the store at the time, and he told the driver to stop where he was. When the driver got out of the car, the employee shot him in the leg. The wounded criminal's accomplice then drove the wounded man to the hospital, where the police caught up.

In the second incident, according to MyEyeWitnessNews.com, a homeowner heard a noise in his garage about 2 a.m. and went to investigate. When he did, an intruder wielding a weedwhacker attacked him. The homeowner shot and killed the burglar.

When an article about the shootings was posted online, the public commentary made clear that the locals are fed up with crime. The first comment pretty much sums up the others: "Score 2 for the good guys? I feel no sympathy for the criminals. If you break into my house, you can expect the same." In-depth coverage makes clear why the residents feel the way they do. MyEyeWitnessNews.com learned that in the area of the second shooting "around the 800 block of Avalon ... there have been 18 home burglaries reported to police in the past month. There have also been 55 assaults, 24 car burglaries, and 12 robberies."