BIB - and to add to that, OP admitted he had 'many' thoughts, despite telling Nel he didn't have time to 'think'. Nel took him step by step through the events, and at every stage, OP gave reasons for his actions, the most telling one being that he foresaw firing a warning shot could injure him. Quite clear thinking for someone who couldn't 'think' because he was so scared. Not to mention that the door opened outwards, so he could easily have positioned himself in such a way that as soon as the 'intruder' came out, he could have shot. Of course, even though he yelled 'get the .... out of my house' - he never gave the 'intruder' a chance to do exactly that. He simply shot and killed, when he was under no threat, and knew he was under no threat. The 'intruder' would have been more at risk coming blindly through a door which opened outwards and not having a clue where the killer was standing!
Placing oneself into the mind of the hypothetical intruder in OP's version is very revealing :
- Frightened he fled into the toilet cubicle
- If he was not working alone, he must suspect his accomplice(s) also fled leaving him alone to fend for himself
- He must strongly suspect the home owner is armed (this is SA after all and the home owner is confronting him)
- He heard the home owner shout for Reeva to call the police
- Estate security and police will probably arrive shortly
If he's armed, the intruder could attempt to shoot blindly into the bathroom through the toilet door but :
- The odds of hitting and killing the home owner are slim at best
- The odds of the home owner returning fire are high
- The odds of the home owner hitting and killing him in that narrow enclosed space are high
The intruder could break the toilet window and jump but the high probabilities of sustaining injuries which would prevent him from fleeing successfully renders this course of action pointless.
Placing oneself into OP's mind is also very revealing :
- he's very familiar with the layout of his home/bathroom/toilet… the intruder(s) aren't
- he's armed with a loaded, cocked, safety off, gun in his hands at the ready
- he knows the only 2 possible locations where the intruders can appear are the bathroom window (on a ladder*) and the toilet cubicle (behind a closed door**)
- he knows the intruder(s) can't see him and therefore can't possibly know where he is
- he believes Reeva has called the police which are on they're way
He has the advantage, the upper hand on the intruders.
* Only 1 intruder could appear at the window… this intruder would have to climb to reach the window, meaning he would have to use at least one hand on the ladder… if this intruder was armed and wished to shoot at OP, he would first have to raise himself on the ladder peaking his head in the window's opening which would be
suicidal... then point, aim and shoot one-handed with the gun next to his face.
Shooting blindly into the bathroom is not an option for the intruder on the ladder as one of his accomplice is in the bathroom
** The intruder would have to turn the handle to open the toilet door… OP would see the toilet door handle move or even the toilet door begin to open long before the intruder could possibly see, point, aim and shoot at OP… again
suicidal