A female homeowner in Anderson, Ind., called 911 in the early morning hours of Sept. 29 to report that she had shot an intruder. Her neighbor’s home security cameras captured a man wearing a mask parking in front of the home and looking through the front windows. The cameras also captured the sound of the masked man breaking in through the door, demanding money but also claiming to be the police. The homeowner was able to retreat to an upstairs bedroom, arming herself for protection from the intruder. When the man reached the bedroom, she shot him and ran to a neighbor’s house to make the 911 call. Upon arrival, officers found the 40-year-old suspect dead in the upstairs bedroom. (fox59.com, Indianapolis, Ind., 9/29/21)
Early in the morning on Sept. 15, employees of a Subway in Southeastern Albuquerque, N.M., were preparing the restaurant for opening when an armed man entered and attempted to rob one of the employees. Another employee, who was in a back room at the time, heard the commotion and came to the aid of the coworker. The armed employee shot the suspect, killing him, according to Albuquerque police. (foxcarolina.com; Greenville, S.C.; 9/15/21)
Around 5 a.m. on Oct. 12, an unknown man allegedly entered a residence in Perry Township, Ohio, and began assaulting the residents. One of the occupants was able to retrieve a firearm during the assault and shot the suspect four times before he fled in a vehicle. Officers later found him walking down a road and took him to a nearby hospital for treatment for his gunshot wounds. The homeowners were also taken to the hospital for evaluation. Once the intruder was released from the hospital, he was booked on suspicion of aggravated burglary and felonious assault. (daytondailynews.com; Dayton, Ohio; 10/13/21)
A man in Jefferson County, Mo., awoke to someone knocking on his door. The homeowner asked who was there, but did not recognize the responding voice. The person on his porch started shaking the door handle, trying to gain entry. The homeowner armed himself with his revolver and opened the door to find two masked men standing on his porch, according to court documents. One of the men allegedly reached inside the door and sprayed mace. The homeowner fired at the men, closed and locked his door, then called 911 to report the incident. A 36-year-old man was found dead on the porch. During the initial interview at the property, deputies noticed a suspicious vehicle driving away. They stopped the vehicle and found that the occupants had different stories of why they were in the area. This is when one of the deputies noticed that the passenger’s shirt had a red substance on it that was thought to be blood, connecting them to the attempted forced entry. Both occupants were arrested on outstanding warrants. The passenger is now facing second-degree murder charges since a death occurred during the attempted burglary, as well as first-degree burglary and third-degree assault. The homeowner was not arrested or charged. (stltoday.com and fox2now.com; St. Louis, Mo.; 9/16/21)
A little after 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 13, an unknown man reportedly broke into an Atlanta, Ga., home through a window and then armed himself with two large kitchen knives. The suspect then tried to stab a wheelchair-bound resident. Another resident heard the commotion and retrieved a firearm. The armed homeowner shot the intruder in the stomach and arm, and he fled. Officers found the 36-year-old wounded suspect nearby and rushed him to a local hospital where he underwent surgery and was listed in stable condition. Authorities indicated the man would be charged with burglary once he was released from the hospital. (fox5atlanta.com, Atlanta, Ga., 10/14/21)
A couple sleeping upstairs in their Newport Beach, Calif., home heard unusual noises coming from their front door. The male homeowner armed himself and went to investigate. He found a man on the stairs, yelled at him to identify himself, and warned him not to come further up the stairs. The intruder did not answer except to charge toward the homeowner, who fired a single shot, striking the assailant in the chest, killing him. An investigation after the incident revealed that the intruder had been a resident in a local detox center and had claimed to be hearing and seeing "demons." The home he broke into was only a few doors down from the detox center. The homeowner defending himself and his wife has been cleared of all charges. (Orange County Register; Anaheim, Calif.; 10/11/21)
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