Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
ANDERSON, S.C. (FOX CAROLINA) John Harkness can't do much. "I got a bad heart, I've had a heart operation, I'm on dialysis, I'm on oxygen," Harkness said. He says he goes to doctors' appointments and back to his Anderson home to rest. The door to his place of comfort though is now marked with bullets holes and it started with a knock at his door.
"They asked for my son," Harkness said.
He says he told the guy his son was not there.
"About five minutes later another knock came on my door and this other guy asked was my son here."
He says he's never seen the guys before.
"Ummmm something ain't right," Harkness said.
He says he grabbed his pistol and says that's when he saw two other guys walking toward the home.
"I told the other guy, 'Are those guys with you?' And he said no," Harkness explained.
However, he says one of the guys pushed his front door and tried to get inside as he pushed back.
"I couldn't hold it no more. So, I just shot twice through the door- pow, pow. And when I shot through the door I went around to my window and looked and I saw him lying on the ground," Harkness said.
He says he called 911 and the man he shot is 19-year-old Alija Moultrie-Fuller. Harkness says it's the first time he's ever fired a gun.
"I was scared, I was scared they were going to kill me," Harkness said."I didn't want to take anybody's life- you know."
He says he only bought the gun because he's had two break-ins within a year and a half.
"Never owned a gun, never wanted to own a gun, but I had to protect myself," Harkness said.
He says he wished things happened differently and send condolences to Moultrie-Fuller's family.
"I never want to hurt no mom, dad, sister or brother. I don't want to do stuff like that," Harkness said."Those guys couldn't come in here and killed me."
Now, he says his already frail heart is broken.