Video of a violent home invasion in east Harris County has been retweeted and shared thousands of times. A mother's cries to protect her kids as four armed gunmen storm into the house has outraged the public and sparked debate about what to do if you find yourself in the same situation.
"I was proud of the mom, she brought her kids together and tried to keep them from interrupting these guys because you saw what happened when she tried to run to the door, I was like holy smokes that little girl is going to get shot," said Jim Napolitano, security expert and chief of police in Montgomery.
Napolitano also has years of experience in the Secret Service protecting several U.S. presidents. He watched the surveillance tape to analyze what if anything this family could have done differently.
"They got into the house immediately," said Napolitano. "Once they're on top of you like that you have to comply."
Detectives with @HCSOTexas want your help identifying the armed men who terrorized a family during a violent home invasion in east Harris County. They pistol whipped a pregnant women and held children at gunpoint. See the whole video live tonight on @KHOU at 6 #khou11 pic.twitter.com/GAaRw33MBg
He says this family did everything right. They focused on surviving. On Twitter, viewers have suggested "this would have been different if the family was armed". This family was armed, but made the decision not to grab their gun and open fire.
"Once people start shooting all those kids are in jeopardy," said Napolitano.
Napolitano says home invasions like these are always fluid. Children in the room change everything. Families always have to judge carefully what to do before fighting back.
"I can tell you what I would do until that weapon is in your face," said Napolitano. "It's a completely different situation when you're looking down the barrel of a gun."
The Harris County Sheriff's Office is still working the case. If you have any information that can help, call them right away.