Ex-Wife Uses Gun To Defend Self and Children From Drunk, Violent, Ex-Husband.

[GreenStormCloud]

http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=11460980

Deschutes County authorities say it appears Wednesday's deadly shooting looks to be justified self-defense.

Police say Patrick or "Shane" Hankins, as he's better known, broke into his ex-wife, Karen's, Redmond home.

One of her relatives says she fired a warning shot into the ceiling - then shot him in the arm. When he threatened to hit her in the head, Karen fired the fatal shot.

(Snip)

Family members say she shot him trying to defend herself and her children. That's how it appears to investigators as well, who say there's no evidence pointing to anything but a justified shooting in self-defense of Karen Hankins and her frightened children.

[bikingaz]

1. what would have happened if there was no gun?

just asking

[X_Digger]

2. She'd be battered, maybe dead?

He definitely looked to be in a spiral toward family annihilation. Lost his parents, lost his job, lost his family, and advanced on his wife after she'd shot him in the arm.. yah, don't think this would have ended well had she not been armed.

[GreenStormCloud]

3. He would have beat the crap out of her.

She may have died from the beating, or been permanently injured. Most men don't need a gun to beat up women, but women need them to defend against some men.

But many here would rather honor her as a dead victim than as a empowered woman who fought back and won.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

4. She would have continued to be abused.