You never need a gun, until you do. If you don’t have a gun when you need a gun, there’s a good chance never need anything ever again.

Fortunately for this prior-service Marine, he had a gun, which stopped this four-man home invasion crew in its tracks:

Four teenagers were in custody Monday in connection with an attempted home invasion in Hewitt that was thwarted when the former Marine whose home the teens targeted opened fire through the front door at the would-be intruders.

Chris Barrientos, 18, was arrested on Friday and was charged with aggravated robbery.

He remained jailed Monday on that charge and two unrelated complaints.

His bonds total $45,000.

Three other teens, two 16-year-olds and at 15-year-old, are in juvenile custody.

Their names were not released.

The 15-year-old and one of the 16-year-olds were arrested Friday.

Officers arrested the last of the four, a 16-year-old, Monday at University High School in Waco, Hewitt police Chief Jim Devlin said.

Information from an inmate in the McLennan County Jail led to the arrests.

“Based on those interviews and some of the physical evidence that we recovered, these individuals are going to be our suspects in this home invasion,” he said Monday.

The attempted break-in was reported just after 1:45 a.m. on Aug. 7 at a home in the 300 block of 2nd Street.

Home owner Eric Walters admits that he made a mistake when he opened the door for a stranger at 1:45 AM in the morning, but he was smart enough to be armed when he did so. Having that gun in his possession was the difference from being bum-rushed and overwhelmed in his home, and thwarting the attack before they could breach the door.

Be smart, be trained, and be armed.