When you discover an armed intruder inside your home, your options are to fight or flee. A Texas father decided to fight, probably because the intruder was outside his daughter’s bedroom.

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Houston Police responded to a call around 2.40 a.m. on Saturday morning. When they arrived, officers found a man suffering from both gunshot and stab wounds. Police determined that the 30-something-year-old man had broke in through a downstairs window. The father found the man upstairs holding a gun. He fought with the intruder, eventually wrestling away the gun and shooting the suspect several times.

A neighbor heard the shots and came to investigate. The neighbor led the father’s four children outside before returning to help. He told police that he then reentered the house to find the suspect downstairs stabbing himself with a kitchen knife.

Emergency personnel transported the suspect to Southwest Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“This appears to be random,” said Detective Blake Roberts to the Houston Chronicle. “Of course, it’s still under investigation — we still have a lot of research to do on the male that broke into the house as far as his criminal history, his mental history and anything we can find in order to determine what would be the motive for this.”

Wherewithal Saved Texas Father

While a gun is a great equalizer, immediate action works almost as well. Most bad guys aren’t bad in the sense of Leroy Brown. They commit crimes, but that doesn’t mean they are tough or even willing to fight. For many, a gun is simply a prop to intimidate victims. So, a victim who is willing to act quickly with overpowering force has a good chance of defeating an armed assailant. Of course, a person must react violently without hesitation or its all for naught.

Those willing to try must also have an understanding of human nature and timing. Not every attacker is willing to pull the trigger, but some have very little regard for life and won’t hesitate to kill someone. Everything depends of the situation. If he or she wants you wallet, it might be better to give it over. But, if the attacker is outside your child’s room, quick action is the only option. At that point, timing is the biggest factor. It might be required to attack immediately, but often it is better wait until the opportune moment. The attacker’s attention jumps elsewhere, and you make a move.