“I Felt, And Still Feel, No Remorse”: Everyday People Who Have Killed Somebody Are Sharing Their Stories, And It’s So Chilling

Stephanie Soteriou

Sat, May 2, 2026 at 10:31 AM UTC

11 min read

This article mentions ****** assault.

A Reddit user once asked: " Redditors who have legally killed someone, what is your story and does the experience still affect you today? " Here are some of the most chilling responses:

Some posts have been edited for length or clarity.

1. "A guy attacked me at a party, and I punched him in response. He fell to the ground and hit his head, that was it. No last words, no agony, no nothing. It happened so fast, it doesn't feel real. I was just defending myself, so I can't say I feel guilty, but it feels weird... I wasn't trying to kill him. I just responded to his attack out of reflex. I never thought something like that would happen... The guy's family tried to put me in jail, but luckily there were enough witnesses, and I was released. However, I moved out of town shortly after, afraid that his family would seek revenge." — ArnoTurin

2. "I ran over a pedestrian who jumped in front of my car. Still wake up sweating about it." — Nirataraa

3. "I paralyzed someone in a high school football scrimmage, and they later died (years later) from complications resulting from the paralysis. I became friends with the family, and they have emphasized over and over again that it was not my fault, but I still feel guilt, and it weighs on me." — th1s1smyus3rnam3_

4. "My dad died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, but in the hospital, my mom couldn't tell them that it was ok to disconnect his life support (ventilator, dialysis, fluids, so many * tubes). I had to. They removed the breathing tube, and the tough old * started breathing again on his own. It took about three hours before his body couldn't make it work... I know I didn't kill him, but I was the one who agreed to disconnect him from life support. He was gonna die anyway, but having had a tiny hand in the process haunted me for a few years afterward." — wuapinmon

5. "I struck and killed a 15-year-old girl whose mom had hit a dog in the night. I couldn't see anyone in the road because she was bent over the dog, and the car had bright lights shining at me. I slowed down and merged to avoid side-swiping anyone on the side, not seeing the girl. Killed her on impact. I still get paranoid when I see kids on the side of the road. Had nightmares for years after. All I could remember was running to the girl's body and doing compressions and seeing her lifeless eyes staring back, while her mom beat me in the back of the head, screaming 'murderer.' The FHP did an entire investigation and ruled I wasn't at fault. I still have guilt and doubt, always questioning myself if there was anything else I could have done to avoid it." – Amazing_Charity9600

6. "I shot a home invader 10 years ago, protecting my girlfriend and I who were living on our own not long after high school. I hit him in the chest after he broke and climbed in through a window and came into our bedroom. I don’t relish it, he had a family and kids; but I would make the same decisions again as who knows what would’ve happened had I not. It bothered me a lot more years ago, but I’ve long since come to terms with it. I had a hard time feeling comfortable in my own home again for a while, but it almost feels like it happened to a different person now." — Dark_Jewel72

7. "My brother was dying and I deliberately OD’d him on Dilaudid. The hospice nurse pretty much left me set up to do it. He was in so much pain. I think about it a lot, and I do believe I did the right thing. But sometimes I look at his daughter and the guilt comes at me." — Lazy-Thanks8244

8. "Stabbed my rapist in the spleen with a rainbow anodized Kershaw pocket knife my dad gave me for my 18th birthday. I felt, and still feel, no remorse." — PaleHorseBlackDog

9. "My ex-brother-in-law, who I was close to, died on my birthday from a pulmonary embolism. The night before, we had a small immediate family gathering at their house, just cake and ice cream. I was sitting across from the brother-in-law when he had stood up, grabbed his back with one hand and his chest with the other, and flopped back down in his chair. This was 14 years ago. I ran to the kitchen to call 911 on the house phone because I recognized the symptoms, and my ex ripped the phone out of my hands and very angrily told me we were not calling 911 because his mother had already had six heart attacks, and he claimed calling 911 would cause her another. I could have gone in the bathroom, outside, anywhere away from him to call 911 on my cellphone, but I didn't. He could've called, too."

<span> Hammarby Studios / Getty Images</span> — Hammarby Studios / Getty Images

10. "I had a friend. He was part of my early 20s party group. He was a really good guy, but the most annoying drunk I had ever met in my life. One day, nearly 20 years ago, we were all together drinking at my house, and he was acting like an idiot. Annoying everyone, being combative, crying, etc. Quite literally, far too drunk to function. He got a flirty text from a girl we all knew, asking him to come over. She lived about 15 miles away. He asked me what I thought, and being completely over his antics at that point, I encouraged him to head over there. He hopped in his truck, and took off. The next day, I got a text from a mutual friend. He had died. Veered off the road, rolled his truck, dead. We were all drunk. I wasn't in my right mind. But I told him to go. And he died."

"I carried his casket. I have never felt like a worse human being in my entire life. His mom confronted me about not taking his keys that night at the funeral, and all I could do was apologize. I am known among friends as someone with a zero tolerance policy for drunk driving, now. I take keys, I offer couches and guest rooms, etc. Never again. I have never stopped hating my drunk 22-year-old self that let that happen. It will forever haunt me. Friends don't let friends drive drunk." — cjmaddux

11. "I had to put my cousin down with a kitchen knife because he was trying to rape my little sister, and had nearly strangled me to death when I walked in and realized what was happening and tried to put a stop to it. I still see his face in my sleep, and a specific commercial jingle puts me into debilitating panic attacks because it was what was playing on the TV after the few seconds of struggling had ended. Don't tell me knives are all you need to defend yourself. I pray nobody ever has to experience what I experienced." — Efficient_Top4639

12. "Happened back in August 2014. I was driving home from my mom's house and approaching an intersection at a slow speed because the light was red. It turned green before I hit it, so I rolled through the intersection, and a drunk pedestrian had run out from the side of the road into my lane of traffic. I only hit him at like 15mph, and it wasn't a gory scene or anything, but he never regained consciousness and was removed from life support 10 days later and died. There was an extensive investigation into me; eventually I was told no charges would be filed. For a while, it really ****** me up, but after a few years, it stopped causing any real response when I'd think about it. I stopped driving for a long time after that, which really complicated my life too, but I'm back on the road now and just try to avoid pedestrian-heavy areas." — RealLanaDelBae

13. "I asked my best friend to spend my 16th birthday with me because my family kicked me out years prior, and nobody else showed up. He technically got killed by a drunk semi driver on his way over, but that weight still carries a bit since he was supposed to be with his family that night." — IDEFKWImDoing

14. "I survived human trafficking as a minor. I escaped by stabbing my abuser in the neck with a bit of metal that had broken off of some furniture one night while he was trying to assault me, and running for help. He bled out. I never faced any charges, as it was self-defense, but it took years for me to accept that I wasn’t some sort of monster for not regretting it." — TheWanderingMedic

15. "In 2007, I shot a suicide bomber in Iraq. It turned out the vest was fake, and the kid that wore it was mentally handicapped. It really tore me up for a long time and still does every now and then, even though I did everything 'right.'" — [deleted]

16. "When I was 13, I was helping my uncle change his brake pads. He told me repeatedly not to get inside his truck while it was on the jack because the jack was old. Well, I did, and the truck fell on him. I got my mom, and she had to see her brother crushed under a brake caliper because of me. My family blamed my uncle for using an old jack to try to spare me, but it has had a major effect on my mental health through the years because my mom and uncle were close." — UsefulChicken8642

17. "Some of us kids were playing with a ball when it went into the back yard of the meanest old man on the block. It was pretty late, so we decided to take a chance and went into the yard to get it, figuring he'd gone to bed and there were no lights on in the house. He must have been watching and waiting, as suddenly he fumed outside, wielding a shotgun and pointing it at us, threatening to shoot. A friend pushed him away defensively, and being frail, he fell backwards and hit his head on a step. He never regained consciousness and died a short time later. His wife told the police that he had fallen, and none of us were questioned. We were about 12 to 13 years old at the time. Every now and then, I think about it and wonder why he was so angry." — Substantial-Desk-707

18. "I shot and killed someone when I was a cop. I begged him to comply, he wouldn't. My partner tased him, but it had no effect; he continued to lunge at me with a kitchen knife. A week later, I had a dream where he apologized, and I apologized, and we hugged... It felt real. I think about him from time to time. I'm sorry, man." — Common_Reflection386

19. "Seven years ago, I asked my friend to attend a festival he was reluctant to go to, but agreed. At the end of it, he had an asthma attack and died in hospital, six days before his 16th birthday. I've never told anyone that I essentially caused his death, but it haunts me to this day." — 21stcenthrowaway

20. "Shot and killed an armed robber at a gas station in 2007. I was, and still am, a concealed carry holder. I was a regular at that gas station and friendly with the clerk who was involved. The aftermath and interviews were more stressful than the incident itself. I wouldn’t say it affects me in a negative way, but it puts things into perspective; the entire incident was over within 20 seconds. That’s it." — ChiWhiteSox24

A small convenience store with shelves stocked with household items, snacks, and a refrigerated case filled with various beverages — Mantosh / Getty Images

21. "I told the pilots and bombers where to drop the bombs. Still not sure how I feel about it." — Balls_Deepest_555

22. And finally: "I'm an ER doctor. It's the compassionate thing to do sometimes." — Ananvil

If you or someone you know has experienced assault, you can call the National Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest ** assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here .

The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.

Don't Miss:

“I Felt, And Still Feel, No Remorse”: Everyday People Who Have Killed Somebody Are Sharing Their Stories, And It’s So Chilling

A Reddit user once asked: " Redditors who have legally killed someone, what is your story and does the experience still affect you today? " Here are some of the most chilling responses:

2. "I ran over a pedestrian who jumped in front of my car. Still wake up sweating about it." — Nirataraa

7. "My brother was dying and I deliberately OD’d him on Dilaudid. The hospice nurse pretty much left me set up to do it. He was in so much pain. I think about it a lot, and I do believe I did the right thing. But sometimes I look at his daughter and the guilt comes at me." — Lazy-Thanks8244

8. "Stabbed my rapist in the spleen with a rainbow anodized Kershaw pocket knife my dad gave me for my 18th birthday. I felt, and still feel, no remorse." — PaleHorseBlackDog

15. "In 2007, I shot a suicide bomber in Iraq. It turned out the vest was fake, and the kid that wore it was mentally handicapped. It really tore me up for a long time and still does every now and then, even though I did everything 'right.'" — [deleted]

21. "I told the pilots and bombers where to drop the bombs. Still not sure how I feel about it." — Balls_Deepest_555

22. And finally: "I'm an ER doctor. It's the compassionate thing to do sometimes." — Ananvil

If you or someone you know has experienced assault, you can call the National Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest ** assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here .

The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.

More on this

Don't Miss:

A Reddit user once asked: " Redditors who have legally killed someone, what is your story and does the experience still affect you today? " Here are some of the most chilling responses:

2. "I ran over a pedestrian who jumped in front of my car. Still wake up sweating about it." — Nirataraa

7. "My brother was dying and I deliberately OD’d him on Dilaudid. The hospice nurse pretty much left me set up to do it. He was in so much pain. I think about it a lot, and I do believe I did the right thing. But sometimes I look at his daughter and the guilt comes at me." — Lazy-Thanks8244

8. "Stabbed my rapist in the spleen with a rainbow anodized Kershaw pocket knife my dad gave me for my 18th birthday. I felt, and still feel, no remorse." — PaleHorseBlackDog

15. "In 2007, I shot a suicide bomber in Iraq. It turned out the vest was fake, and the kid that wore it was mentally handicapped. It really tore me up for a long time and still does every now and then, even though I did everything 'right.'" — [deleted]

21. "I told the pilots and bombers where to drop the bombs. Still not sure how I feel about it." — Balls_Deepest_555

22. And finally: "I'm an ER doctor. It's the compassionate thing to do sometimes." — Ananvil

If you or someone you know has experienced ****** assault, you can call the National ****** Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest ****** assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here .

The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.

More on this

If you or someone you know has experienced assault, you can call the National Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest ** assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here .