So shooting at burglar or somebody attacking you without a gun will cause you major troubles if the attacker should die. IANAL, and it varies by jurisdiction,

So shooting at burglar or somebody attacking you without a gun will cause you major troubles if the attacker should die. IANAL, and it varies by jurisdiction, but I believe the general standard for using deadly force is .. 'Not allowed to use deadly force against any person except as necessary in self-defense or the defense of another when they have reason to believe they or another are in danger of death or grievous bodily harm' Paraphrasing from memory. In other words, I can employ deadly force against an attacker if I believe he could kill me. Doesn't matter if he's armed with a club, a knife, or a bazooka. I can't shoot a guy if he's running away. This seems prudent, but that (he smiled) might be a cultural thing. Where I grew up they used to say 'God made man, Sam Colt made them equal' and I guess I still believe it.