DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. — NASCAR legend Richard Childress is speaking out after three people attempted to break into his home in mid-December.

Childress spoke about the incident at an event on Tuesday.

“All I can say is thank God and our Second Amendment that I was able to have a firearm in my home to protect my wife and my family,” he said.

Niquan Victorin, Chantz Hines, and Armeka Spinks were arrested in late December and charged with one count each of attempted first-degree burglary and first-degree trespassing. They were later given additional charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary and possession of stolen firearms, according to a Davidson County Sheriff’s Office press release.

Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing, heard a crash at a door on the lower level of his Davidson County home at about 10:45 p.m. on Dec. 17.

Childress armed himself with a handgun and went to investigate. He fired shots at the armed suspects, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office said.

A window glass beside a doorknob on the lower level of the home was broken and the alarm was activated.

Investigators learned that the three guns matching the description of those used in the attempted burglary had been reported stolen to Winston-Salem police just days before on Dec. 15.

Three suspects were identified in that theft and after an investigation, it was learned that all three of those suspects matched the physical descriptions of the suspects in the Childress attempted burglary.

Investigators executed search warrants on two residences in Winston-Salem and evidence was found during the searches connecting the three suspects to both the Dec. 15 break-in and the attempted burglary at Childress’ home.