I don't exactly trust myself with a gun in the house. Mental reasons.
full stop. don't get a gun if you can't trust yourself with the responsibility. while things do appear to be dying down (depending where you live), it's always prudent to be prepared for an emergency. a riot is little different from any other natural disaster (fire, flood, hurricane, et c) and you do yourself and your loved ones a disservice by not having a plan in case of that emergency.
for people like this i generally recommend one (or more) of the following options:
1. relocate to a more peaceful area. don't be in a position where your (lack of) preparation would be tested. if this is not possible, arrange for a lengthy car trip or something. if this is also not possible, see option 2.
2. arrange with a trusted relative or friend to meet and have a serious discussion on your concerns about your safety and the safety of people that rely on you in the event of disaster. hopefully this friend is in a position to assist in some manner, whether that be regular wellness checks, visiting/relocating to be within "reach", et c. reach out to trusted neighbors and coworkers. you don't know unless you ask, but be sure that you are not exposing yourself to risk by asking out of desperation.
3. if you can't relocate and you have no trustworthy people that can reasonably assist you (even if it's merely providing a second pair of hands to evacuate or a shelter to be able to retreat to), then assess your situation and:
3a.secure your schedule (make sure it's known to at least one trusted person). be sure they have contact details for you, where you might likely end up (hospital, friend's house, local women's shelter, whatever might apply). many people that are caught "in the crossfire" generally are caught when traveling between locations.
3b. secure a means of reliable transportation and communication. maybe this is time to have a spare battery to charge from. maybe this is time to verify the condition of your vehicle.
3c. secure and verify your endpoints and safehouse. this means to be aware of and assess entry points to your building/home/apartment, and to be aware of expected noises and general comings and goings of people. this allows you to determine if someone doesn't belong or if it is unusually quiet or loud, et c. if you have a shared corridor (apartment building for example) make sure you're aware of at least two exits. this is valuable in case of fire, but it's also valuable in case you need to either barricade yourself inside or escape from an assault. be aware of points of egress - broken windows, tricky doors, thin or crappy walls, et c.
3d. for points of entrance, make sure you have the ability to cleanly and easily determine the identity of someone that comes in. this may involve moving furniture around to avoid blindspots. remember,
you know your house better than any assaulter. you know where furniture is, you know that the chine cabinet has a bad leg, you know that the couch has a low table immediately to the left, et c. consider that a stranger will not know this and make sure that your furniture is arranged in a way that you're familiar with and would not prevent you from either escaping, or moving it into a barricade position. consider verifying lightbulbs, or putting a flashlight or two on opposite sides of the house so they are closer to reach. consider buying or making a few simple wedges that you can jam between a door and the floor - these can be obnoxiously difficult to force open and can buy you a minute or two if needed. cheap "chains" for security are easily broken open if someone knows how to kick in a door. a door wedge and a heavy piece of furniture are cheap and easy barricades.
3e. determine the condition of, and who has ready access to your building and your secured areas. maybe you have a general building key, maybe you have to buzz people in. if you're in a typical suburban home, you might have a couple sliding glass doors that can use a dowel in the tracks and tape on the glass to prevent easy break-ins. consider some sheets of plywood to guard windows and just have them stacked where you can move them into position (you should have this in case of high winds and stuff anyway).
4. lastly as an element of last resort, consider determining an escape plan for any available exit and where to meet up if separated. this may involve hopping fences, going through yards, or just running down the street. consider a melee weapon that you have some confidence in using such as a baseball bat or something. when your life and your family's lives are on the line, there is no room for hesitation. a solid hit to the head with any lever (crowbar, rebar, pipe, et c) exponentially increases the force of the blow and can be quickly lethal. in such a situation make sure you have room to swing (have enough fighting room, do not do this indoors if you are not experienced in something like this) and make sure you cannot be forced to engage on the attacker's terms. do not back yourself into a corner (have an ability to retreat if needed) and make sure that the fight is on your terms or is tilted heavily in your favor.
5. do not depend on the mercy of an angry mob. if you are fighting at all, you are fighting because if you do not, you will die. ergo, you must fight to live and if your attackers dies, then so be it. this is not a sport, there are no fair fights in the real world.
) so I haven't tried it yet.
