Why guns matter for defensive use: "Boy, 14, kills intruder after gang of FOUR men try to break into"

What else could a 14 year old boy do to stop four grown men? Why is it that defensive gun uses in America seem to get more coverage in British papers than in the US? From the UK Daily Mail:

Yet another teen has used deadly force to protect his home from intruders.
Police in North Carolina revealed a 14-year-old boy shot dead an intruder attempting to break into his home while he and his sister were alone.
The teen opened fire with a shotgun while his 17-year-old sister hid in a closet as a gang of men attempted to smash their way into their home.
The incident took place two days before 18-year-old Sarah McKinley shot and killed an intruder breaking into her home in Oklahoma
While on the phone with 911, the young mother shot and killed one of the intruders with a 12-gauge shotgun after he forced his way inside her home.The teen, who was told to do what she could to protect her three-month-old baby, has been flooded with messages of praise from well wishers.
In the North Carolina incident, police said the 14-year-old and his sister were at home in the rural town of Henderson when four men tried to break into the house. . . .