A Calder man who was shot in his home after he startled a burglar is encouraging persons to take home security seriously.

Truck driver Nicholas Riffin was at home on Saturday around 2:20 am, when he got out of bed to get some water for his girlfriend.

When he got in the hallway of his home, he heard a noise in the kitchen, shouted “who’s there” after which he was shot, the bullet striking him about one inch away from his heart.

“I ain’t see the person because all the lights in the house were off,” Riffin told SEARCHLIGHT on Monday at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH).

He said his sister’s phone and digital tablet were stolen.

Over the weekend, footage from a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera mounted on a home in Calder was shared on social media. It showed a man with a revolver sneaking around on a property.

Riffin said he is not sure if it is the same man who shot him, but the video was recorded at his neighbor’s house. He said about five homes in the area reported suspicious activity over the last weekend.

“I feel scared. I wonder if I dreaming because Calder is such a peaceful place and nothing like this ever happen in Calder,” Riffin said while adding that no one has yet been detained.

He says that homeowners should invest in security cameras, sensor lights, burglar bars, “and make sure dogs are on the property” in efforts to protect themselves from incidents of this nature.

“I am not encouraging everybody to do this, but if you can get a license firearm, do it,” Riffin encouraged.