And when the shooting stopped, a man lay dying. Was it selfdefense or murder . It was worse than anything you would see in a movie. One blinding burst of violence. A nightmare with no end. Sometimes i cried for my dad. Every day i think about it. I think about it every single day. Im lester holt and this is dateline. Heres Keith Morrison with miles from nowhere. It was in the dark that the fear began. In the dark with the sounds of the black night around them that it grew and grew. Terrorized our family, our friends. Who was out there in the dark . Here, miles and miles into prime evil woods so far from safety, from civilized protection. They could just come on to our property and invade our lives. But on a summer night deep in the california sierra the terror came out of the dark, came after them, to take everything. The terrible, desperate chase. Its awful end. And now the question, what really happened out there in the dark . Stand up. I still feel like i need to go help him. It looked so innocent now, closed up, dead quiet, empty here at the end of the 100yard dirt track that snakes off this lonely country road deep in the Sierra Nevada. But this was not how it was or was ever meant to be. No. Before it happened, before that summer night in july, 2011, this was, well, let them tell it. A magical place. Awesome. Its fun. We would do a snowball fight. And then we would come inside and eat and have some hot coco a. These are the children. Darylin and georgia and little gregory. Mostly they lived in reno, nevada, but this at the end of a twohour drive into the woods was the applies they lived. Wed go on hikes and there was like a lake that was very close. Wed fish. Wed fish and go up there and fish and swim. It was awesome. Here they discovered a world far more magical than any city could ever be. It was their fathers cabin, really. Chad wallin reed. Chads grandparents built the cabin in the 70s when he was just a baby. My children were definitely, daddy, we love the place. Theyve all grown up, diapers, all the way through going up there, fishing, boating, you know, swimming. Mind you, this was truly remote. Their only electricity came from a generator. There was no cell phone service, no phone at all, which was just fine with chads wife, carrie. It was very enjoyable to be away from the phones and traffic and, you know, work. Yes. This is where chad taught his children how to exist in the natural world, how to catch a fish, swim in a mountain lake, feel safe in the dark. Hes an amazing father. He loves his children so much. Hes my best buddy. Hes really funny. Hes really loving. He likes people to laugh a lot. The children saw the world and certainly their retreat here in the country as a safe place for them just as it should be. And keeping it that way was chads particular preoccupation. Chad worried a lot about safety, about security, which may have come in part at least from his time in the military. He was, he said, an army ranger, one of the elite few. Like a lot of vets, he seemed to carry some baggage. There are just some things id rather not talk about and things that ive tried to get over. Carrie didnt pry. Let him deal with it his own way. Between himself and the lord. He loves this country, you know, he fought for his freedom. That means a lot to him. And now, between the children and whatever was out there in the woods, the nearest Sheriffs Office just an hours drive away. Had to be your own policeman. That was how you felt. Yes. We had to protect ourselves. There was nobody out there to protect us. Out here, that was no idle worry. Breakins are not uncommon in the isolated cabins out here in the wilderness. And there . The cabin has been broken in numerous times. One of the most recent ones Somebody Just pretty much ransacked the whole place. There is something very invasive about that, too, when somebody goes into property thats yours and takes something of yours. It is. Its not just invasive. It robs you of security. Security was why he gave carrie a revolver and taught her to use it and stocked the cabin with guns. One a lot like his military weapon. Security and pleasure. What is the attraction of those . I think just the fun of shooting them. Its just, you know, being able to put in a 30round magazine and set up a target and just go at it. Chad planted signs at the edge of his property, out by the road. Stern warnings to wouldbe vandals and thieves. And he watched vigilant, didnt rest easy, especially because one of those breakins had been just that very year. If he did fall asleep it was very lightly and every noise would wake you up. Very easily. Then the 4th of july weekend, 2011, they were joined by some friends who set up a little camp site on the property near the road. Just enjoying each others company, hanging out. Early on saturday morning at 2 00 a. M. Chad was jolted awake. All of a sudden i heard all this yelling and commotion and sounded like somebody was fighting. I looked out and i saw this spotlight being shined all over the place. I was like, what the heck is going on . Then i walk out and as im looking down, this car goes speeding away. Chad hopped in his truck, drove to the end of the driveway. Thats when i noticed one of the solar lights had been taken. A solar light, one of several attached to metal poles marking the edge of the property, a cheap item, but, still. Why would somebody want one of those . I dont know. When morning came, chad inspected his friends camp site near the bottom of the property. Are those foot prints of strangers around their trailer . It put us all on edge, you know, basically high alert. The commotion, the stolen light, the foot prints of people who had no business being there, the children picked up the anxiety. I remember asking my dad and mom, what are you going to do if they come back and what would happen if somebody got hurt . When its your children and theyre scared like that and insecure, you as a parent have failed, you know, and thats how i felt as a father, as a person that is supposed to protect your family. All they could do was offer words. Honey, if they come back daddy will protect you. Daddy will take care of it. A promise he intended to keep. When we come back, a father decides to confront the threat to his family head on. What happened the next night would change all of their lives forever. I picked up the pistol. It was in my cup holder, and pointed it out the window. Because an empty pan is a blank canvas. [ woman 2 ] to share a moment. [ man 1 ] to remember my grandmother. [ woman 3 ] to show my love. [ woman 4 ] because life needs flavor. 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Talk to farmers and get smarter about your insurance. We are farmers bum pa dum, bum bum bum bum saturday morning, july 4th weekend, 2011. Chad wallin reed and his family were on edge. Strangers had come very close, middle of the night, strangers who stole a solar light and may have been tramping around on their property. And suddenly the cabin felt more remote, the woods less like home, and the children . They asked, what if they come back and come all the way up to the cabin . What did you say . Daddy will protect us. Daddy wont let anything bad happen to you. It was scary. It was scary to me. Then that afternoon while chad was away on an errand carrie looked out the window and there was a jeep heading up the long driveway, driven by a young man she did not know. He sat there for a while and like he was looking around for something. I had the kids stay down, out of sight, so they wouldnt be seen. Was he lost, looking for help . She took no chances. She reached for the gun chad had taught her how to use. I had a revolver and i was headed toward the door. And then, whoever it was backed up and drove away. So what did that do to your level of anxiety that weekend . Oh, it was high. Ramped it up some more. Oh, yes. That evening, still on edge, carrie and the kids watched a movie and fell asleep on the couch. Chad sat outside with his visiting friends, who had set up camp on his property. We were just sitting there on the porch kicking back, relaxing, bsing. The story of what happened next is both complex and, as youll see, disputed, which is why we have shot our own video to help us illustrate events. It was 9 00 or 10 00 p. M. , said chad, when his friends noticed a car. And then it just shut off the headlights and pulled up on the driveway. What was going on . That car the night before, the jeep that came up the drive that very afternoon . And now strangers were out there again. I picked up the ar sitting next to me. His ar 15 bush master. He fired a warning shot. And then i just remember seeing some guy running away. But would the warning be enough . These had to be the same men who came the night before. Now here they were a second time. These guys were bad news. I was trying to catch up to these guys, you know, get them, catch them, get their license plate or get their information or something, you know, because it was apparent that this was more than just were here to play and joke around with you. Chad jumped in his truck and gave chase, barreling up the twisty Mountain Road at up to 50 miles an hour. As i was coming up behind them somebody leaned out the passenger side of the vehicle and was shining a million power spotlight. I mean, it was just blinding. And then the next thing i know as im looking up i see these three flashes and then i hear crack, crack, crack, crack. It was the sound of, you know, gun fire. A sound chad knew very well. Hed been in the army, remember. So what did you do . I picked up the pistol that was in my cup holder, chambered a round, and pointed it out the window and, you know, let off a few rounds. You hit anything . Not that i could tell, no. Someone in the car ahead threw solar lights out the window, then waved something. Like a piece of plastic. Something shiny flying out or hanging out a window. And we kept on proceeding. Back in the cabin, carrie lay tense on the couch, her three kids sleeping beside her. I was just like, in my mind thinking, where are you . Come home. You know, is everything okay . I hope everythings okay. Chad was still in hot pursuit. 7. 6 miles they went careening up the winding country road until the car took a quick turn on to a remote dirt road. Chad, right behind. They did some fish tails, you know, like they swerved the car and at one point the passenger door started to open up. I thought, you know, these guys are going to get out. Theyre going to come at me. The dirt road, emptied into a meadow. The car suddenly made a 180. It looked like they were coming straight at you. Yeah. It looked like an assault. Right. Were they going to shoot him . Ram him . What . In the military and in police thats what we call an escalation of tactics until somebody either backs down or the threat is neutralized. The other car kept coming. Chad grabbed the ar15. I just shoved it out the window and fired off. Where were they compared to you . They were coming this way . They were right right beside you. Right. Right. How many shots . I dont recall. You just let it go . Right. Chad watched his enemys driver side window blow out. Glass rained down on the meadow. The strangers car veered across the grass and came to rest on the dirt road. I drove over to him and i was yelling at them. I just remember this young voice saying, i give up. I give up. I give up. Were sorry. You know. Please dont kill me. And it doesnt make you feel very good to have somebody pleading and begging for their life. Chads protective fury lessened for a moment. And then . I remember him yelling, i have a 3monthold daughter. And all i could think of was my kids, thinking, youre yelling at me about your daughter and look what you just did . What about my kids . Did you ever consider my kids . Who were these men in the car . What did they want . Here in the dark, miles from nowhere, what had just happened . And what was about to . Coming up back home chad faces the reality of whats happened. I just remember this lost look on her face and i was just saying, im sorry. When dateline continues. [ female announcer ] we eased your back pain. Ready or not. [ female announcer ]. So you can be up there. Here i come [ female announcer ]. Down there, around there. And under there for him. Tylenol® provides strong pain relief and wont irritate your stomach the way aleve® or even advil® can. But for everything we do, we know you do so much more. Tylenol®. And then theres juicy chicken. 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Lewis. Where are you . Im by the dvds. Im by the candles. I think i see you. Nope. Wasnt you. Now im by the tls. On my way. kay, im here. Now im by the linens. [ male announcer ] in honor of all the important things you do on the new sprint network, we bring you one up. Upgrade to a new phone every year and get unlimited talk, text and data now just 65 a month. Late evening. A remote Mountain Meadow in his ar15 at the ready, chad reed approached the car full of some of the others were wounded also, right . At that point in time i didnt know. Nor did chad know any of the men in the car, who they were, why they had approached his home. But once he saw they no longer posed a threat, he said, he told the men hed do what he could to find help for them. I said, im going to go call the sheriff. He drove the seven and a half miles back to his cabin. As youre driving back, now trying to figure out what the hell youve done what was going on in your heart, mind, your soul . An assessment. Somebody was either dead or dying, something very serious has happened here. What steps do we go through . None of that drive was occupied with the oh, my god what the hell have i done . No, no. When he pulled into the driveway, chad was greeted by his friends. They had seen him race off into the night. Now he told them what happened. I said, i caught up to them. You know, they shot at me. I shot back. And i think i killed one of them. At first everybody was like, ah, you know. Just laughing and stuff like that. And i said, no, i think i killed one of them. Chads wife carrie, up in the cabin with the kids, couldnt tell what chad was saying outside. I thought it was much longer than it actually was for him to get out of the truck and come inside the cabin. Then he came inside. She was like, what happened . I said, i took off after them, and i think i killed one of them. He was so upset. He looked as if he continued to forecast that he would just not be able to maintain any composure whatsoever. And i just remember, i just remember her looking at me, and i couldnt tell what the look was about. Whether, you know, it was a relief from her or it was a who are you . Like an accusation, i guess. And, you know, i just remember this lost look on her face. Ive never, ever seen it my entire life. I was just saying, im sorry. Im sorry. But what should he do . Chad wasnt exactly sure. He turned to his friend, jason. I was thinking maybe i could go back and one of us could go make a phone call and one of us could go back and help. Jason was like, no. Going back would be a terrible idea. And he said, we need to go call 911. Remember, their cabin didnt have a telephone, so carrie got dressed and then she and chad and their friends drove the winding road down the mountain to the main highway, perhaps nine miles down, hunting for a spot with cell phone reception. We had to drive clear almost 3 4 of the way down to where i normally get reception and i called out and i got through and right as i was talking to the lady the call dropped. And then i had to drive down a little bit farther. We were able to make the call out there. Hello. How can i help you . Yes. I need to report a shooting. A shooting . Yes. Of course, you know, dispatch, whats your address . No address. Well where are you at . Im up by Antelope Lake. He was concerned, he said, about getting help to the wounded. In my mind, how are they going to find these individuals . How are they going to get there to help them . Theyre out in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road. This northern stretch of the Sierra Nevada is an upanddown road of mountain peaks and river gorges far from any towns. The few deputies on patrol are scattered over a vast wilderness. So its not all together surprising that one of the first to respond to chads 911 call turned out to be a game warden. What is surprising is who was riding with him. A photographer, of all people, one of the first to reach the scene of the shooting. And the images he captured . It was bad. Worse than anything youd see in a movie. Ill tell you that. Coming up caught on camera, the horrifying, real life scene that First Responders found. I just remember seeing his hand come up out of the grass and like, whoa. We got a hand. Was gone for so long. A wn. But hed wait for her forever and would always be there with the biggest welcome home. For a love this strong, dawn only feeds him iams. Compared to other leading brands, it has 50 more animal protein. To help keep rockys body as strong as a love that never fades. Iams. Keep love strong. Now you can keep love fun with new shakeables meaty treats. Hey glad yall made it. Sorry were late. Did you run into traffic . No, just had to stop by the house to grab a few things. You stopped by the house . Uhhuh. Yeah. Alright, whenever you get your stuff, run upsta