An East Point homeowner said he was protecting his home and family when he shot and killed an intruder Tuesday morning, police said.
About 9:30 a.m. the homeowner heard “a commotion, retrieved a firearm and went to investigate,” said Lt. Cliff Chandler, spokesman for East Point police. The shooting happened in the 3600 block of Mount Vernon Drive.
The suspected would-be burglar was armed with a shovel and had broken through a patio door in an attempt to enter the home, Chandler said. As the prowler entered the dwelling, the homeowner fired one shot, striking the intruder, police said.
The homeowner told Channel 2 Action News that he was in the basement when he heard someone breaking in upstairs. He said the intruder approached him with the shovel and “I had to do what I had to do to protect my house and my family.”
“The perpetrator fled and collapsed in the front yard,” Chandler said.
The homeowner said he was traumatized by the experience and wishes young people made better choices.
“I just hate to see any young man really just wasting their lives,” he said.
The intruder, whose name is being withheld, was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.
“Even though it appears to be a case of self-defense, we will still conduct an investigation because this is still considered a homicide,” Chandler said.
“I’m sorry that it had to happen,” said a woman who identified herself as the homeowner’s fiancée. “Some mother has lost her child. I am terribly saddened by that.”
— Staff photographer Bob Andres contributed to this report.
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