I'm well aware how rifles work versus handguns.
I was making a whole poke fun of the OP's claim of basically super duper powerful and ultra scary AR15 "assault rifle" being used as a self defense weapon that is so powerful it might as well be a nuclear bomb. Well okay I'm exaggerating a tiny bit, but I've heard almost the same literal bullshit from others who are that scared of AR15s like they are some crazy weapon of mass destruction.
--SNIP--
The AR15 is just the current target of hate for those who abhor firearms and would love to see them all prohibited. When I was younger it was all about banning cheap, compact handguns, which I'm sure you know are the actual preferred weapon of most criminals. Rifles of any caliber are far less likely to be used in a crime. The AR15 is easy to demonize because it looks militaristic and "scary" to the uninformed and has been used in some high profile shootings. Ballistics, calibers, bullet weight, muzzle velocity, stopping power, all that is only of concern to gun "nuts". Normal folks only need to understand gun=bad, especially the black ones with pistol grips and removable magazines.
Speaking on the gun control debate in general, IMHO, It comes down to the degree of our belief in personal responsibility. Most of us understand that hurting another individual is a personal decision for which the criminal and not the gun is responsible. The anti-gunner would rather blame the weapon, and since there is no legitimate use for one, see it banned wholesale. They don't really believe in personal responsibility for one's actions, because if evil of that caliber (pun intended) could lurk in the soul of a criminal, might it not lurk deep down in their very own soul as well? No, no, no, it must be the guns fault. Mankind has evolved beyond violence. Violence is never the answer under any circumstance. Mankind is a noble, peaceful creature by nature, right? We just have to pass another law and (somehow) get rid of the corrupting influence of guns then everything will be fine.
I've got news for those misguided folks: there absolutely is evil out there. Violent criminals embrace their animal nature and will use violence to get what they want and hurt you and yours. No security system, locked door, gun control, warning shots, shooting to wound or anything else is going to keep you absolutely safe. When our laws and other peaceful means of stopping violent criminals have failed us, we need good people armed and willing to use force to keep our society safe. Yes, that is very scary concept to accept because it means bad circumstances may one day force any of us to stand up and fight back with violence. If you find yourself in that unfortunate situation I guarantee you will want a gun in your hand to protect yourself.
Good folks should be armed and ready to fight back, and not handicapped by ridiculous concerns over hurting the criminal, especially if it is at the possible expense of the victim. That kid did good when he stood up to protect his home, family and himself. I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision to take those lives, but he did what felt he had to. To not shoot would have put those he loved and everything he had at the mercy of armed thugs. We need to stop stigmatizing such actions and second guessing how he could have avoided the fight those armed thugs started when they kicked in the door to his home.