FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A defensive gun use stopped an attempted armed robbery at an Airbnb. A man staying at the rental home shot one of two alleged intruders after they entered while he was inside, according to Fort Lauderdale police.
The September 24 break-in happened around 6 p.m. at a home in the 800 block of Northwest 19th Avenue. Investigators said the men entered while the guest was inside, and an altercation followed. The guest fired, striking 18-year-old Dareon Pubien in the upper torso. Pubien fled on foot; officers found him nearby and took him to a hospital for surgery. Police said Friday that he was in critical but stable condition.
Police also arrested 25-year-old Sean Thompson, whom they identified as an accomplice. Both men face charges of attempted felony murder and home invasion with a firearm, according to local reports. Pubien was still hospitalized when those reports were published; police said he would be taken to jail after his release. Detectives are investigating the guest’s shooting as self-defense.
A Defensive Gun Use While Renting
The man did not own the house. He was staying there when the intruders came in. A law-abiding American gun owner does not surrender the right to defend his life when he checks into a short-term rental. An armed robbery is not a threat that can wait for police to arrive, regardless of whether the deed bears his name or someone else’s.
Florida’s home-protection statute expressly covers a person in a dwelling or residence where he has a right to be. It defines a residence to include a dwelling where someone lives temporarily or visits as an invited guest. Under the statute’s conditions, a person may use deadly force when he reasonably believes it necessary to prevent imminent death, great bodily harm, or a forcible felony. The law also sets out a presumption of reasonable fear when someone unlawfully and forcibly enters a dwelling and the defender knows or has reason to know that is happening.
The Fort Lauderdale incident puts that right in concrete terms. A guest confronted by armed men inside the place he is staying cannot count on someone else arriving in time to end the threat. In this case, the armed guest was able to fight back.
What Investigators Have Said
Fort Lauderdale police described the incident as an attempted robbery and are investigating the shooting as self-defense. The department had not announced a final finding in the local reports published Friday. Investigators were also working to determine whether the Airbnb was targeted or the invasion was random.
A neighbor told local reporters he heard multiple shots, but that account does not establish how many rounds the guest fired or whether anyone else fired. Police have not publicly identified the guest or specified what firearm he used.
The reported sequence needs no embellishment: Men police say were armed entered an occupied rental to commit a robbery; the guest fought back with a firearm; one alleged intruder was wounded; and two suspects face serious charges. This private citizen did not have to submit to an armed home invasion because he happened to be away from his own house.
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About Duncan Johnson:
Duncan Johnson is a lifelong firearms enthusiast and unwavering defender of the Second Amendment—where “shall not be infringed” means exactly what it says. A graduate of George Mason University, he enjoys competing in local USPSA and multi-gun competitions whenever he’s not covering the latest in gun rights and firearm policy. Duncan is a regular contributor and editor-in-chief for AmmoLand News and is responsible for AmmoLand’s daily gun-rights reporting and industry coverage.
