Today, Mood confronted crime he wanted to keep out of his neighborhood in his own backyard.
Shortly after 1 p.m. Monday afternoon, Chloe, his dog, began barking.
"That's when I looked into the backyard and saw a guy back there," he said. "I got my gun and told him to freeze."
Mood said the intruder was carrying a gun.
"When I told him to freeze, he kind of smiled," Mood said. He didn't see a second man who came up behind him.
Moments later, Mood was cut in the stomach by a knife. He was thrown to the ground, but pulled the trigger on his .38 and got a shot off.
"I know it hit him," he said of one of the suspects. "He went down and then limped off."
Both men got away, both described as Hispanic men in their late teens to early 20's. Mood's knife cut was said to be superficial. He was taken to a nearby hospital for an exam, and then released.
When asked if he would do it again, Mood quickly replied yes, but added, "I would have fired more shots."
His warning to the suspects, "they're looking for you."