A home invader in Texas learned the “never bring a knife to a gunfight” rule the hard way.

A former Yates basketball star was shot to death Tuesday night, after he was discovered in a neighbor’s home armed with a knife.

Melvin Swift, a member of the Trinity Valley Community College basketball team, was shot in the 3200 block of Jorns, just a block from his family home.

Police say the family that lives on Jorns came home around 8pm. One of the young children found a a man in her room, allegedly holding a knife. The adults in the home, including a 21-year-old man, then confronted the burglar. That 21-year-old shot him in the leg.

Swift was then transported to Ben Taub Hospital, where he died.

Houston police have not identified Swift as the suspect, but family and friends confirmed it was the former Yates High School basketball star Swift was shot and killed last night at that location.

You’ll note that the home invader was shot in the leg, but still died. This is hardly surprising, as the legs have major veins and arteries, and you can easily bleed to death from injuries to these blood vessels. This should be viewed as a lesson to those who suggest that bad guys should be shot in their extremities by police or citizens as a less lethal alternative to center mass shots.

It’s also important to note that most defensive handgun cartridges feature bullets that are designed to penetrate 12″-18,” so that they can pass through arms and ribs and still hit vital organs and effect a stop. Most arms and legs are not nearly that thick. Put another way, firing at arms and legs of people who need to be shot may increase the risk of innocent people being hit by your errant or over-penetrating shots.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you must use deadly force to save your life or the life of another, you need to try to end the fight as quickly as possible.

Generally, the most effective and consistent way of doing that is a shot to the upper chest.