Friday's Shooting of a Burglar in Loganville Has Local Residents Flocking to Gun Stores

This article originated on Loganville-Grayson Patch

The gun business has been booming in Walton County ever since a mother shot a burglar on Jan. 4 when he broke into her home with a crowbar.

According to a story on CBS Atlanta, the Trading Place Pawn in Monroe, a store that specializes in gun sales and boasts an indoor gun range, has seen a spike in business. Law enforcement officers also report fielding calls from concerned residents in the neighborhoods surrounding the Henderson Ridge subdivision where the home invasion occurred. The 37-year-old woman, who has declined to be interviewed, shot 37-year-old Paul Slater after he found her and her children hiding in a closet. Slater remains in a Gwinnett County hospital, reportedly on a ventilator. Officials from Walton County Sheriff's Office don't expect any charges to be filed against the mother.

The AJC is reporting that Slater had already cased another home before breaking into the home where he eventually was shot by the mother hiding in a crawl space closet with her two children. In both instances, the potential victims were reported to be woman working out their homes. Sheriff Joe Chapman reportedly told the AJC that he thought Slater might have originally thought nobody was home because the car was in the garage, but it is possible he heard the voices and tracked the family down.

Walton County officials said the case is still under investigation. They reportedly don't believe that there was any prior relationship between the burglar and the Loganville woman who shot him. Slater reportedly told Walton County officials on the way to the hospital that he was there to steal.

You may also want to read the other stories on Loganville-Grayson Patch.

• Loganville Mother Shoots Burglar Several Times
• WCSO Don't Anticipate Charging Woman Who Shot Burglar