Preparedness
Unloaded Gun Saves Couple from Camouflaged Intruder’s Terrifying Attack
A chilling episode unfolded in the stillness of North Carolina when a couple’s quiet evening was interrupted by a camouflaged intruder wielding a firearm on their back porch. In a rather strange twist of fate, the man identified as Tyler Messer, appeared to fire a gun that had not been loaded, as revealed in surveillance footage shared by the couple with local news and law enforcement.
Messer, caught in the act, was seen peering through the rifle’s sights, his attention divided between the couple who were inside their residence at the time.
Preston McHone, one half of the distressed couple, recounted his experience to WLOS, stating, “As I’m folding one towel, I have my phone lying in front of me and I see an alert that there’s some motion on the back, so, I just turn around and yell, ‘Billy, there’s somebody at our back door with a gun,’”.
The situation took a sudden turn around 11 p.m. when Messer, still on the porch, operated his rifle’s action. The video’s audio clearly picked up the sound of the gun failing to discharge any projectiles, suggesting an empty chamber. However, whether this was a misfire or simply an unloaded gun is still undetermined, with different interpretations being drawn by local news outlets.
Messer, seemingly befuddled by his gun’s failure, took a moment to examine his weapon before hastily departing from the scene.
The suspect’s intentions remain obscure. Notes from law enforcement have described Messer as being “mentally ill,” adding an unsettling layer to an already distressing episode. According to the McDowell County Magistrate Bail Explanation Form, Messer had declared to his family that it was his mission to “rid the world of sin”.
Elucidating on the terrifying incident, McHone said, “As he pulls the trigger, he turns and, in that short turn, he’s realizing it didn’t go off because he’s supposed to, at that point, have shot [my partner] and would be turning towards me. He didn’t follow through because he missed one step, and that was loading his weapon”.
In the aftermath, the couple remained hidden within their home until the police arrived. The incident was not the first encounter with Messer, who had allegedly visited the couple’s home thrice in the past year, purportedly searching for his father. Messer’s association with the couple remained a mystery to them.
The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office charged Messer with assault by pointing a gun, first-degree trespassing, and stalking, accompanied by a bail of $200,000. Two days later, the charges against the 29-year-old Messer were elevated to include attempted murder.
Watch a local news report about the incident below:
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