Keep a night lite in the bathroom dark everywhere else or doors closed in lighted rooms. Small light in the kitchen and lit up like a field full of nightnunters outside. Close one eye to protect Nv while moving through a lit room and keep your head on a swivel. Use the weapons light intermittently while traversing a dark area especially corners slow is smooth, smooth is fast keep your light off until ready to engage then light them up like ole toe buck did.

Have your 12 gauge pump shotgun next to the bed with buckshot shells in magazine and a spotlight. Step outside pump a round in chamber, shoot a couple times in the air in the dark, shine line some and shoot another round or two. If you see a non-threatening target act like you are shooting it, but aim in the air if they seem to be armed it all changes. Another option is to maybe get a yard dog.

THE thing that I know is that I would never go outside at night and expose myself to attack thus leaving my family susceptible to being attacked. I'd be very well armed inside and 911 could handle the outside. Daytime would be different.

Told my wife a while back, next time there’s a light left on in the house, that light goes inoperable. Next time one of those damn scentsy candle things stays on at night, cord gets cut. I’ve explained to her and my son too many times that you can’t see what’s going on outside at night with lights on inside.

We had a situation a few months ago with a doorbell ring at 2:00 in the morning on a Wednesday. A couple Lights were on in the house so my only option was to fling the door open with taclight and pistol blazing in the dudes face. I had no idea if it was a neighbor in need or a thug up to no good. Turned out it was a meth head looking for my neighbor. Evidently my neighbor had helped this guy out a couple years ago and let him do some handy man work. Spoke to my neighbor later that morning and he told me the guy was asking for money. 2 nights later, doorbell rang at 1:30 in the morning. No lights on this time so I could see. SAME SUMBITCH AGAIN! He’s at the wrong house again. Didn’t quite go the way he’d hoped this time. My neighbor apologized 100 times then contacted the guys brother and explained the consequences for strike 3.

Moral of the story, I don’t like interior lights on at night for a reason and now my family understands.

My 100# chocolate Lab patrols the outside. But if she indicated that she needs me, I'll go outside.

Armed and inside with no lights, and cameras and lights outside.

You definitely did the right thing by having the lighting installed
As for me I keep beside my bed a modified Rem model 10 loaded with 7.5's for any home entry situation
Going outside alone at night is asking for trouble (too many variables) especially if your family is alone inside
Let the law take care of anything outside at night and you take care of your family inside

Any chance your 13 yr olds friends could have been coming to get him? Seeing as they are known to be in the area overnight.

I just had Vivint Security installed yesterday. Not because I am scared, but because I like having eyes on me when I am there, and when I am not there.

https://www.vivint.com/

If you would like to check it out.

I have two cameras, a door bell camera all record in 1080 HD

I have a high capacity mossberg loaded with #5 and my wife is very proficient with it. Sometimes I think frighteningly proficient.
I'll admit going outside alone can be intimidating when you don't know who you're up against. Fortunately they probably don't know who they're up against either, and the situation may require it. Remember, when seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.

^^^

I went to sneak a girl out the house one time in high school and tapper on her parents window by mistake.

1 quietly investigate inside of house with the Malinois.
2 turn the wiwes 95 pound big bad ass dog outside
3 quietly investigate outside of house with no light, then with light.
4 armed intruder gets his ass shot.

NOT for the weak of heart and I have years and years of experience operating at night against armed folks...and no nerves left. I live behind a locked gate and there are no 13 year olds roaming near me.

I'll say this for the folks talking about going outside and checking things out. A guy that went to our church when I was a kid woke up to his dogs barking one night and walked outside to investigate with his shotgun. Apparently two perps were hiding behind trees in his yard and we he walked off the porch they shot him dead right there. You're at a huge tactical disadvantage walking out into the darkness when you don't know who is out there or where they are.

No way I would go outside with a light on.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^hence the big bad ass dog first. I don't advocate MOST folks going outside but I have been there and have the t shirt.

A lot of good responses so far. I’m in the process of getting a home built out in a rural area outside of Columbia. One of the first things I’m planning on doing is getting security floods installed on each corner of the house and wired to a switch in the master bedroom. I want to be able to quickly flip a switch and light up the perimeter of the house to evaluate any potential threat outside. Everyone’s situation is different but I’d be very cautious about going outside at night if you don’t have to. One of my Mom’s coworkers husband recently got attacked when he stepped outside to investigate some commotion in his shop that is exterior to the house. He went out the back door and was hit with a blunt object right as he stepped out the door. Thankfully all he ended up with is a concussion and some stitches but that could have ended a whole lot worse. Not only was he knocked out by the bad guy but his wife wasn’t even aware anything had happened until he regained consciousness and staggered inside. Having exterior lighting that eliminates any hiding spots from potential threats to me is one of the easiest ways to deter someone that’s up to no good. Should someone try to breach their way into your home then it’s time to grab your weapon and neutralize the threat. At that point you have to assume that their intentions are to do physical harm to you or your family.

Exterior cameras...ASAP.

Keep in mind when things go tap tap tap on your window at that hour and wake you from sleep, the person doing the tap tap tapping is fully awake, alert, probably on drugs and you are disoriented from just waking up.

I woke up to my Jack Russells going nuts at 1:30 AM a few years back and figured they were barking at our cat who was wanting back in the house. Turns out they were barking at the guy standing inside my driver's side door going through my truck and stealing the pistol that I had left in there like an idiot. So I saw the guy, but was in no condition to react if he would have came at me. He froze when the door opened and then took off running across the backyard. I immediately closed my door, locked it, ran to my phone and called my neighbor the city police chief. He met me outside within 10 mins with bulletproof vest on and both of us carrying pistols. He ended up catching the crackhead later the next morning trying to sell a gps unit in the grocery store. He pressed go home on the unit and it took him 2 houses up from ours. He eventually got my pistol back later that night.

Said all that to say, I know how it feels to be woken up like that and I was not awake and alert enough to be the best I could be in the situation. I felt like I made the right choice in hindsight, but hate to know what would have happened had he been standing at the back door. It changed my outlook and my home security setup for the better.

Solar powered motion sensor LED lights. Put them anywhere: on house, in trees, etc.

Lights off inside the house at night. Not only does an interior light hinder seeing whats going on outside, if you walk between the light source and a window you movements have now been illuminated to someone outside. I ain't going outside, I'm staying in and defending my family. We have recently installed some additional exterior lighting but I'm still not happy with it. I also need to up my game on home defense weapons. A 28" barrel 870 is a little cumbersome to try and sweep the house with. Our next hose will be laid out differently just because of these situations, namely all bedrooms will be on the same end of the house. I hate knowing that all entry points to my house are between my daughter and I.