A young driver was following a friend in another vehicle in Port Orange, Fla., near 8 p.m. on Oct 26, when they found themselves being followed by an irate man in a truck, who was swerving toward their vehicles. One of the young drivers called his father to tell him he was being followed, and when they got back to the house, the irate man pulled in and began yelling and threatening them. The father came outside armed with a rifle and told the suspect to leave, whereupon he reversed his truck for a moment, but he then sped forward toward the father and another person standing nearby. The father fired several shots into the truck as it raced toward them, striking the assailant and killing him. A Rottweiler dog in the truck was also struck, unfortunately, but was expected to recover. Home-security camera footage reportedly backs up the armed citizen’s account of events, but the investigation remained open. (volusiasheriff.gov, DeLand, Fla., 10/27/24)
On Halloween, near dinnertime, a 47-year-old man allegedly broke into a home in Iberia Parish, La., and stabbed one person inside, then went to the house next door and stabbed another person. In the second house, however, the homeowner shot the suspect in the chest, ending the attack. Both stabbing victims and the alleged intruder were taken to the hospital for treatment and the investigation was ongoing. The suspect faces two counts of home invasion and two counts of first-degree murder charges. (klfy.com, Lafayette, La., 11/1/24)
