The owner of a liquor store near San Jacinto, Texas, was sleeping in the back of his shop early in the morning on Mar. 8 when he heard an unexpected noise. Reports are unclear about exactly when the store owner saw the intruder, with some indication he woke up to see the man there and some that he saw the intruder in the storeroom after he woke and began checking the store. Once caught in the act, however, the robber apparently lunged at the owner, who fired one 9 mm round at him in self-defense. The assailant was taken to the hospital but pronounced deceased there. The investigation was still ongoing. (bluebonnetnews.com, Liberty, Texas, 3/8/23)
Two armed men allegedly broke down the front door of a home at about 2 a.m. on Mar. 17 in Springfield, Ore. The resident, however, responded to the break-in with his firearm and fired multiple shots at the intruders. The suspects fled in a vehicle but were quickly taken into custody; both were transported to the hospital for treatment of multiple gunshot wounds. Once released from the hospital, they face charges of robbery, burglary and unlawful use of a weapon. (ktvl.com, Medford, Ore., 3/17/23)
In the early morning hours of Mar. 18, police in Garland, Texas, responded to reports of a home invasion at an apartment complex. The resident told officers that a group of men forced their way into his home, presumably in a burglary attempt, and began shooting at him, but he was able to return fire, striking two of the intruders. Paramedics were not able to save the wounded 27- and 28-year-old suspects. Upon further investigation, the police discovered that two other men were involved in the break-in. On Mar. 23, a third suspect was arrested and held on a $1 million bond. Police were searching for and offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of the fourth suspect, a 22-year-old man from Dallas. These two were to be charged with capital murder because they are accused of attempting to commit a felony which resulted in a death. (wfaa.com, Dallas, Texas, 3/18/23; fox4news.com, Dallas, Texas, 3/18/23; and nbcdfw.com, Fort Worth, Texas, 4/4/23)
