What Would You Prefer?

I have been thinking of this topic for the last several days, ever since I heard of the murder of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor. I always start to think of this whenever anyone dies in an untimely manner or by a act of random violence. I begin to wonder, "Did this person ask for this?" Hear me when I say this. I don't know if Sean Taylor was asking for it or not. The police in the situation are saying that this was somewhat random and that Mr. Taylor was not singled out. However, it is well known that Taylor had a checkered past. He had a history of involvement with unsavory characters and a history of trouble with weapons.
Here's where my wondering comes in:
Do I want to think the best of the person and just assume that this was a random act and that Taylor was the victim of some thugs looking to rob a rich man and he was shot because he happened to be home when they broke in? If I think that, then I feel a little vulnerable myself. If that could happen to a totally innocent victim, then who's to say that it couldn't happen to me or my family?
Or...
Do I want to believe that this man who has had a history of violence and questionable behavior got mixed up with the wrong people and it finally caught up with him? From all indications, he had recently straightened his life out and was making better choices. But if I find out that he was mixed up with some troublemakers, then that adds a little bit of sense to this tragedy. It is a shame that a young man like that had to die so young and with so much promise, but should it soothe my conscience knowing that for the most part this doesn't normally happen to innocent bystanders.
On the one hand I prefer to think the better of the man but I feel vulnerable to random violence.
On the other hand, a thug got mixed up with the wrong characters and he is not the innocent victim of random thugs.
What do you think?