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Originally Posted by Letum
Would it be legal if they are trespassing on your property and stealing (water)?
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There is a lot more responsibility for a citizen with a gun than is commonly understood.
Shooting someone is only justified in cases where the life of the shooter or someone else's (dependent on the state) life is in direct danger.
The exact details vary from state to state and in come cases county to county. This is why it is so important to know the laws in YOUR state/county.
Generally speaking you can't shoot someone committing a crime where a court could not levy a death sentence.
This is why you can shoot someone who is trying to murder you (murder can have a sentence of death) while you can't shoot someone for stealing your car (GTA does not normally carry a possibility of a death sentence).
This is why that shooting case in Texas a few months ago infuriated many responsible gun owners (including me).
Remember, if you shoot someone it is up to YOU to prove your innocence. There is no presumption of innocence when a citizen chooses to shoot someone.
There are some anti-gun people out there who believe that every gun owner is just waiting to wade in guns a blazin at the slightest provocation.
This has not been my experience. Responsible gun owners live in a sort of "fear" that one day they may be forced to use their weapon, but they are not eager to do so.
Even justifiable shootings tear families apart and ruin lives.
I can highly recommend the book: "In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection" by Massad F. Ayoob for a no BS explanation of firearms for self defense.