but if they were asleep how would a gun have helped them survive?
If the pistol had been in their nightstand, where I keep mine at night, one of them could have easily taken it out, and shot at the intruder. And even if they didn't kill him, they would have slowed him down or something, possibly saving one or both of their lives. And when the guy kicked the door in, I'm quite sure they would have been awake. I can find links to pages describing all of the events and people I'm writing about if you want.
Imagine this situation:
Someone breaks into your home with a pump action shotgun or other weapon, intent on killing you. Here are your options:
A) You have a pistol and can shoot back, and can possibly save your own life in the process.
B) You are unarmed, and are totally at the mercy of the person who broke in.
I'd rather be in category A.