Skip to main content

Read & React: Maine Man Uses .22 for Defense in Home Invasion

Think a .22-caliber handgun is insufficient for home defense?  Don't tell that to 24-year-old Daniel Williams of Hermon, Maine, whose .22 proved more than adequate in fending off two men during a recent home invasion. 

According to the Bangor Daily News, on February 16, at approximately 9 a.m., Williams was awakened by a knock at the door of his apartment. When Williams answered the door, he saw a woman who he did not recognize. The woman told Williams that she knew the former residents of the apartment but Williams was suspicious of her claim because he, in fact, knew all of the recent former residents of the apartment.

As Williams' suspicion heightened, two men later identified as 30-year-old Robert Dellairo and 19-year-old Philip McIntyre forced open the door, knocking Williams to the ground. McIntyre rushed into the apartment and punched at Williams as Dellairo stood nearby, clutching a knife. As Williams attempted to fight off McIntyre, Dellairo swung the knife at him several times, resulting in a minor cut to William's abdomen. During the struggle, Williams wrested the knife from Dellairo.

Williams' roommate, 24-year-old Luis Ramos, ran out of his bedroom, armed with an electric guitar which he tried to use as a weapon against McIntyre and Dellairo. Unfortunately, one of the home invaders managed to gain possession of the guitar and used it to strike the back of William's head.

As McIntyre and Dellairo continued to batter Williams and Ramos, Williams broke free and ran to his bedroom, where he armed himself with a .22-caliber handgun equipped with a laser sight. Williams shot McIntyre in the leg then followed him, Dellairo, and the female out of the apartment.  While outside the apartment, Dellairo lunged at Williams with a knife. In response, Williams "fired off a couple surprised rounds," which struck Dellairo's hip. As the three fled, they entered a vehicle, possibly with a second female. Williams fired two rounds that impacted the vehicle's trunk in an effort to aid police in identifying the vehicle.

Police caught up with the female, McIntyre and Dellairo at St. Joseph Hospital, where McIntyre was arrested. Dellairo was transported to Eastern Maine Medical Center, where he died of his injuries. The investigation is ongoing and police have yet to release the names of the two females believed to be involved.

What's the moral to this story?  Aside from surmising that a .22-caliber pistol makes a better weapon than an electric guitar, we can deduce that any firearm is capable of turning the tide of a deadly encounter. Of course, without proper training and the will to win, your firearm, regardless of caliber, will be of little benefit. What are your thoughts?

photo of Richard Nance

Richard Nance

Richard Nance is the founder of Nance Training & Consulting. He is lifelong martial artist and retired police sergeant with 26 years of service. His assignments included patrol supervisor, firearms instructor, SWAT team leader, and defensive tactics program supervisor. In addition to providing firearms and combatives courses, Richard is the Gun Tech Editor of Guns&Ammo magazine and the Self-Defense Editor of Handguns Magazine. He co-hosts Handguns TV and hosts Guns&Ammo's new Personal Defense digital video series. Richard is also a regular contributor to Outdoor Sportsman Group's Special Interest Publications (SIP) division.

Full Bio +  |   See more articles from Richard Nance




Current Magazine Cover

Enjoy articles like this?

Subscribe to the magazine.

Get access to everything Guns & Ammo has to offer.
Subscribe to the Magazine

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

Silencer Central and Banish Suppressors Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox, as well as engineer Lukas VanLaecken, join Guns ...
How-To

Landlocked & Loaded

Silencer Central and Banish Suppressors Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox, as well as engineer Lukas VanLaecken, join Guns ...
Videos - News - Military & Law Enforcement

Fox News Contributor Joey Jones On Guns

Silencer Central and Banish Suppressors Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox, as well as engineer Lukas VanLaecken, join Guns ...
Historial

DAVID WESTERHOUT – OLYMPIAN

Silencer Central and Banish Suppressors Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox, as well as engineer Lukas VanLaecken, join Guns ...
Reviews

First Look: Springfield Armory Kuna

Silencer Central and Banish Suppressors Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox, as well as engineer Lukas VanLaecken, join Guns ...
Industry

June '25 Issue of Guns & Ammo Magazine

Silencer Central and Banish Suppressors Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox, as well as engineer Lukas VanLaecken, join Guns ...
Videos - News - 2nd Amendment

Colorado's Semiauto Ban

Silencer Central and Banish Suppressors Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox, as well as engineer Lukas VanLaecken, join Guns ...
Handguns

Kimber's Race Gun

Silencer Central and Banish Suppressors Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox, as well as engineer Lukas VanLaecken, join Guns ...
Handguns

Double-Stack Compact

Silencer Central and Banish Suppressors Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox, as well as engineer Lukas VanLaecken, join Guns ...
Handguns

May '25 Issue of Guns & Ammo Magazine

Silencer Central and Banish Suppressors Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox, as well as engineer Lukas VanLaecken, join Guns ...
Optics

Pulsar Thermal Technology - James Sellers, CEO of Sellmark Corp.

Silencer Central and Banish Suppressors Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox, as well as engineer Lukas VanLaecken, join Guns ...
Rifles

Building The Legend: Gunmaker D'Arcy Echols

Silencer Central and Banish Suppressors Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox, as well as engineer Lukas VanLaecken, join Guns ...
Suppressors

SILENCER CENTRAL - BANISH 9K

Guns and Ammo Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Get the Guns & Ammo App apple store google play store

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Guns & Ammo stories delivered right to your inbox every week.

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All Guns and Ammo subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now

Never Miss a Thing.

Get the Newsletter

Get the top Guns & Ammo stories delivered right to your inbox every week.

By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use