Oh...so you're kind of wasting time AND money.

In somewhat surprising news, a Walla Walla store owner who shot and killed a burglar in the street outside his store got a ruling of 'justifiable homicide' during an inquest this week. 

For the record, I don't disagree with the ruling, I'm just very pleasantly surprised by it.  Back in May, someone made the mistake of trying to break into a store at 2:30 in the morning by breaking the front window.  The bad guy was then greeted by a shotgun, at which point he decided he wasn't that interested in misbehaving.  He attempted to leave, but that didn't save him, as the store owner shot him out in the street. 

Due to the somewhat unusual nature of this story, there have been more details hitting the paper than in a normal defensive shooting.  These are gleaned from a few different articles, so you'll just have to trust me. 

We know the store owner was using a 12ga shotgun.  According to testimony, he fired 5 rounds, and each round had 26 or 27 pellets.  The bad guy was hit by 49 pellets, mostly in the back as he was going away from the store at an angle.  Further details show that range on the shots was most likely 117 feet, and that the shots were fired from inside the store, out through the broken window. 

It's got to be that last detail that is saving the store owner for now.  He didn't actually chase the guy out into the street to pursue. 

As for the shooting efficiency...26 or 27 pellets means it likely a 2 3/4inch 12ga round with #4 Buck in it.  I'm gonna use 27 rounds for my math, since that's what all the #4 I've bought before has, so a total of  135 pellets down range.  49/135 = 36.3% hit rate at 40 yards. 

That's actually better than I would have anticipated at 40 yards.  The one thing missing from the equation is what length barrel with which choke. 

It does make me feel a little better about the 4 Buck I've got for my 20ga. 

What I don't feel so good about is the fact that the findings of this inquest are non-binding.  The Walla Walla County Prosecutors office could STILL decide to press charges....soooo...why did we have this inquest?  Just so the Prosecutors Office can eliminate any criticism against themselves for whichever decision they did or didn't make?