A TRAGEDY AVERTED through the skillful and appropriate use of arms:

It happened Monday afternoon at a home in the 4200 block of Ocean Drive. A 14-year-old boy shot and killed a man who broke into his family’s home Monday and threatened to kill him and his mother, Police Chief Bryan Smith said.

Smith said the man, confronted a woman as she was carrying groceries into her home shortly before 1 p.m. The man forced her inside and tied her and her son up. Smith said the woman was able to loosen the binding and free her son, who got his father’s revolver from a security box beneath a bed.

As the man tried to break into the room where the two were and threatened to kill them both, the teen fired a shot through the door and hit the intruder in the head, Smith said.

Not only was this tragedy averted, but if the guy had gotten away with it he almost certainly would have killed others. Not now.

UPDATE: Naturally, the boy is still getting some criticism:

This is really not excusable behavior. You aim for the center of mass, child: center of mass – especially if you’re shooting through a door. Save head shots for the Playstation.

If you make the shot, it’s not bad shooting.