Alcorn County, MS

5/23/17 WMC:

Investigators said Windham left an auction and followed a driver down Mississippi Highway 356. Later, Windam got out of her car carrying a weapon. When she got out of her car, the person she'd followed opened fire, killing her.

The shooter's identity has not been released because he is not facing charges.A witness, Sarah Huggins, said she found Windam in the ditch and immediately told her daughter to call 911.

Huggins described the scene as frightening.

"I was fearing for my life because the shooter was standing behind the door," Huggins said. "I didn't know if he had the gun and was fixing to shoot us or what."

Alcorn Sheriff Ben Caldwell said Windam and the shooter had collided before.

"This is an ongoing feud between these two families taking place over the last several years," Caldwell said.

Investigators said the shooter's actions were justified on the grounds of self-defense. 

Vicksburg, MS: Trespassers Will Be Shot, Survivors Will Be Shot Again

3/10/16 Vicksburg Post:

Eight days after he escaped from the Warren County Jail, Rafael McCloud’s luck ran out.

McCloud, 34, was found dead about 7 a.m. Thursday in the tub of a bathroom of a home he broke into, shot by the residents.

According to Vicksburg police, McCloud was holding the couple and their 5-year-old son in the bathroom, when he allowed the wife to leave. She returned with a handgun and  fired one shot, which she believed to hit McCloud. After she freed her husband, he took the gun and fired additional shots at McCloud. The family left the house and ran outside, where they flagged down a passing motorist and asked them to call 911

- See more at: http://m.vicksburgpost.com/2016/03/10/man-killed-following-home-invasion-believed-to-be-mccloud/#sthash.uUNGnhH0.dpuf

Eight days after he escaped from the Warren County Jail, Rafael McCloud’s luck ran out.

McCloud, 34, was found dead about 7 a.m. Thursday in the tub of a bathroom of a home he broke into, shot by the residents.

According to Vicksburg police, McCloud was holding the couple and their 5-year-old son in the bathroom, when he allowed the wife to leave. She returned with a handgun and  fired one shot, which she believed to hit McCloud. After she freed her husband, he took the gun and fired additional shots at McCloud. The family left the house and ran outside, where they flagged down a passing motorist and asked them to call 911.

- See more at: http://m.vicksburgpost.com/2016/03/10/man-killed-following-home-invasion-believed-to-be-mccloud/#sthash.uUNGnhH0.dpuf
 

Eight days after he escaped from the Warren County Jail, Rafael McCloud’s luck ran out.

McCloud, 34, was found dead about 7 a.m. Thursday in the tub of a bathroom of a home he broke into, shot by the residents.

According to Vicksburg police, McCloud was holding the couple and their 5-year-old son in the bathroom, when he allowed the wife to leave. She returned with a handgun and  fired one shot, which she believed to hit McCloud. After she freed her husband, he took the gun and fired additional shots at McCloud. The family left the house and ran outside, where they flagged down a passing motorist and asked them to call 911.

- See more at: http://m.vicksburgpost.com/2016/03/10/man-killed-following-home-invasion-believed-to-be-mccloud/#sthash.uUNGnhH0.dpuf

Eight days after he escaped from the Warren County Jail, Rafael McCloud’s luck ran out.

McCloud, 34, was found dead about 7 a.m. Thursday in the tub of a bathroom of a home he broke into, shot by the residents.

According to Vicksburg police, McCloud was holding the couple and their 5-year-old son in the bathroom, when he allowed the wife to leave. She returned with a handgun and  fired one shot, which she believed to hit McCloud. After she freed her husband, he took the gun and fired additional shots at McCloud. The family left the house and ran outside, where they flagged down a passing motorist and asked them to call 911

- See more at: http://m.vicksburgpost.com/2016/03/10/man-killed-following-home-invasion-believed-to-be-mccloud/#sthash.uUNGnhH0.dpuf

Eight days after he escaped from the Warren County Jail, Rafael McCloud’s luck ran out.

McCloud, 34, was found dead about 7 a.m. Thursday in the tub of a bathroom of a home he broke into, shot by the residents.

According to Vicksburg police, McCloud was holding the couple and their 5-year-old son in the bathroom, when he allowed the wife to leave. She returned with a handgun and  fired one shot, which she believed to hit McCloud. After she freed her husband, he took the gun and fired additional shots at McCloud. The family left the house and ran outside, where they flagged down a passing motorist and asked them to call 911

- See more at: http://m.vicksburgpost.com/2016/03/10/man-killed-following-home-invasion-believed-to-be-mccloud/#sthash.uUNGnhH0.dpuf

Eight days after he escaped from the Warren County Jail, Rafael McCloud’s luck ran out.

McCloud, 34, was found dead about 7 a.m. Thursday in the tub of a bathroom of a home he broke into, shot by the residents.

According to Vicksburg police, McCloud was holding the couple and their 5-year-old son in the bathroom, when he allowed the wife to leave. She returned with a handgun and  fired one shot, which she believed to hit McCloud. After she freed her husband, he took the gun and fired additional shots at McCloud. The family left the house and ran outside, where they flagged down a passing motorist and asked them to call 911

- See more at: http://m.vicksburgpost.com/2016/03/10/man-killed-following-home-invasion-believed-to-be-mccloud/#sthash.uUNGnhH0.dpuf

Eight days after he escaped from the Warren County Jail, Rafael McCloud’s luck ran out.

McCloud, 34, was found dead about 7 a.m. Thursday in the tub of a bathroom of a home he broke into, shot by the residents.

According to Vicksburg police, McCloud was holding the couple and their 5-year-old son in the bathroom, when he allowed the wife to leave. She returned with a handgun and  fired one shot, which she believed to hit McCloud. After she freed her husband, he took the gun and fired additional shots at McCloud. The family left the house and ran outside, where they flagged down a passing motorist and asked them to call 911

- See more at: http://m.vicksburgpost.com/2016/03/10/man-killed-following-home-invasion-believed-to-be-mccloud/#sthash.uUNGnhH0.dpuf

Jackson, MS

From 5/18/15 WLBT:

JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
A kidnapper is on the loose after a dramatic crime on Pinewood Drive in Northeast Jackson Saturday morning. His partner in crime was shot and killed in what police are calling justifiable homicide.
Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham Stewart identified the deceased suspect as 23-year-old Edwin Robinson of Jackson.

Police said around 6:30 a.m., a man who lives nearby was leaving his house, putting some items in his vehicle, when he was approached by two armed men. They forced him back into his home to get his wallet, then they forced him into his own Toyota truck to drive to an ATM and get money. They all ended up on Pinewood Drive, where the offenders planned to leave the victim.

We were told one of the kidnappers threatened to go back to the victim's house to harm his wife, and that's when the victim grabbed his own gun from the truck, and shot and killed one of the kidnappers. His body was found lying in a patch of grass on Pinewood Drive.

The other kidnapper is still at large. Authorities describe him as a black male, wearing a bandanna and a dark colored shirt at the time.  He ran from the scene on foot, but is believed to be in a tan colored SUV with no tags. 

Jackson, MS

From May 16, 2015 WJTV channel 12:

JACKSON, MS – A man has shot and killed a suspect in self-defense after being robbed and kidnapped at gunpoint.

According to Officer Colendula Green of the Jackson Police Department, in Eastover area, the victim was putting items in his truck, when he  was approached by two black males with guns and forced back inside his house.

The suspects took his wallet and made him take them to a nearby ATM to withdraw an undisclosed amount of money. Both suspects mentioned going back to the house & to do something to the victim’s wife and the victim was made him get out of truck.

The victim grabbed a gun from his truck and shot at the suspects, killing one of them (identified by the Hinds county coroner as 23-year-old Edwin Robinson), on the scene. The other suspect fled and is still at large. He was last seen wearing a bandana with dark clothes in a tan SUV with no tag.

Mississippi:Business owner fires shots at would-be robber

Starkville, Mississippi

From the Starkville Daily News of September 15, 2009

Business owner fires shots at would-be robber

Starkville Police Department detectives say they are tracking several leads in the early Saturday morning robbery attempt that saw the victim fire gunshots at the suspect who tried to hold him up.

Around 5:30 a.m. Saturday, the owner of Starkville Ready Cash on Highway 12 West was arriving at the business to prepare to open for the day when a black male approached him, pointing a handgun at him.

The owner, whose name SPD detectives would not release amid concerns for his safety, then pulled out a handgun of his own and fired multiple shots at the suspect, but none struck him, said Sgt. Chadd Garnett.

The owner had begun carrying the gun after previous break-ins and robbery attempts at the business, Garnett said.

The suspect then ran behind the building and fled north toward a neighboring residential area, Garnett said. Nothing was stolen in the robbery attempt, and no one was injured, Garnett said.

“We’re still in the preliminary stages of the investigation, and we are tracking multiple leads as we speak,” said Garnett Monday afternoon.

The suspect was described as a heavy-set black male wearing a white T-shirt, khaki pants and some sort of head covering, Garnett said.

Some physical evidence was recovered at the scene, but Garnett would not specify what was collected, including whether surveillance cameras may have recorded images of the suspect.

Anyone with information about the robbery attempt is encouraged to call the Police Department at 323-4131.

Tips may also be given by calling Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 1-800-530-7151. All Crime Stoppers tips are confidential and could result in a reward of up to $1,000 if the tip leads to an arrest in this case or any felony crime.

Mississippi: Police Identify Killed Suspected Burglar

Jackson, Mississippi

From WAPT of August 30, 2009

Police Identify Killed Suspected Burglar

Jackson police say a local grocery store owner shot and killed Lorenzo Rodriguez Jones, 33. He was a Jackson resident.

The shooting happened in the 1400 block of Highway 80 at the Gipson Warehouse.

Police believe Jones was trying to break into the warehouse when the owner shot him in the chest, killing him.

The Gipson Warehouse owner isn't facing any charges because of the Castle Doctrine, JPD Chief Tyrone Lewis said.

The Castle Doctrine allows property owners to protect his/her land and themselves.

Victim Takes Rapists Rifle Away, Beats Him To A Pulp

Harrison County, Mississippi

From August 12, WCVB channel 5 (Boston):

Police had been watching Vincent Goff for years, convinced he was the masked man who sexually assaulted couples at gunpoint on the Mississippi coast. But before investigators closed in, they say Goff picked the wrong victim and was beaten nearly to death with his own rifle.

Goff, a 37-year-old unemployed Biloxi man with a wife and two stepsons, was being held Wednesday in the Harrison County Jail after spending five days in a hospital recovering from severe head wounds. Little is known about Goff's background or the unidentified man who beat him so hard that the wood stock of the rifle broke. But authorities say Goff's arrest caps a terrorizing series of attacks that began on the sandy banks of the Biloxi River in 2006.

Goff allegedly approached a man and woman last Thursday afternoon on an isolated logging road in Harrison County and forced them into the woods with a rifle, Sheriff's Maj. Ron Pullen said Wednesday. They were forced to strip off their clothes and told to perform sexual acts when the male victim, described as a physically fit member of the military in his mid-30s, wrestled the gun away.

"He beat him until the stock broke over his head and then continued to beat him until he thought he had him incapacitated," Pullen said.

Mississippi: Robbery suspect shot in Jackson

Jackson, Mississippi

From the Clarion Ledger of August 10, 2009

Robbery suspect shot in Jackson

Police do not expect to charge a Jackson homeowner who shot and wounded a man he found breaking into his car early Sunday morning.

The name of the homeowner was not released.

About 5 a.m., a homeowner in the 200 block of East Ash St. saw two men breaking into his Chrysler Sebring parked in front of the house, Jackson Assistant Chief Lee Vance said.

The homeowner got a gun and shot one of the suspected burglars, Vance said.

Michael Evans, 26, was shot in a thigh while still inside the Sebring, he said.

The second suspect, who has not been identified, was able to get away. Police are searching for the other man.

Evans was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries that were not life-threaten-ing, Vance said.

Once Evans is released, Vance said, he will be charged in the burglary. He did not appear on the Jackson arrest docket Sunday night.

Jackson police will turn the findings from the investigation over to a Hinds County grand jury, which will determine whether the homeowner will be charged.

Vance would not say whether the case falls under the Castle Doctrine but said "the homeowner has a right to protect his property."

A number of people in Jackson have been shot or killed since the Castle Doctrine went into effect three years ago.

The Mississippi law allows property owners to use deadly force when they believe they are in imminent danger.

On Sunday afternoon, the Sebring was still parked in front of the home with the passenger window down. No one answered the door.

Greg Porter, an East Ash Street resident, said he would have done the same thing.

"You ain't got no business breaking into somebody else's car. If you do, you're looking for trouble," Porter said Sunday evening.

Mississippi: Clarksdale Store Owner Kills Robber

Clarksdale, Mississippi

From My Fox Memphis of June 18, 2009

Clarksdale Store Owner Kills Robber

A Clarksdale, Miss. convenience store owner shot and killed an armed robber Wednesday evening.

According to Captain Robbie Linley with Clarksdale Police, 31-year old Joey Barron held up a store with a handgun on the 1600-block of N. State Street. Barron took cash and some prescription drugs, and was then shot once by the store's owner.

Barron was transported to the Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center where he later died.

The store owner will not face any charges.

Mississippi: Son’s 2nd shot kills intruder

Passcagoula, Mississippi

From the Sun Herald of April 24, 2009

Son’s 2nd shot kills intruder

A woman, awakened by the sound of someone removing the screen from her bedroom window, got out of her bed at 1 a.m. Friday, walked to her son’s room and quietly woke him.

“She said, ‘Snigg get up,’” the son said in an interview later Friday morning.

“I got up, grabbed my gun and went to the corner there by her room,” he said, standing at the door of the apartment, on the bottom floor of the last in a row of Spanish-style buildings in the Granada Apartments on Chicot Road.

It was dark in the apartment, but the window was backlit, Snigg said. He heard the window go up and saw a man coming in.

“He stuck his hand under and pulled the blinds back, the blinds and the curtain,” he said. “And he eased in like he was attempting to come in.

“I fired two shots, then he ran off,” Snigg said.

Police say they won’t identify the woman or her son, who offered the nickname Snigg, for fear of retribution.

Javorous Darnell Tims, 20, ran about 80 feet from the window, fell to the sidewalk and died of a single gunshot wound, police said Friday.

Pascagoula police said Snigg and his mother acted appropriately, “taking the actions they felt necessary to protect themselves.” However, because a man died, the case will be presented to a grand jury for review.

Tims, who had at one time lived in apartments not far away, was a familiar face in the parking lot of the Granada Apartments, according to Dustin Clarke, 22, who handles maintenance and courtesy security at the apartments.

Not many people in the complex heard the shots, said Clarke, who was at the scene when police investigated the shooting and talked with residents and investigators.

Clarke said Tims had gotten his head through the window when Snigg fired the first shot and missed. That shot hit the wall under the window, Clarke said. By the time Snigg fired the second shot, Tims had turned. The bullet went through Tims’ upper body, he said.

“The blinds were down. And the bullet hole in the blinds supported his (Snigg’s) story,” Clarke said.

(More)

Mississippi: Armed Jackson resident surprises thieves

Jackson, Mississippi

From the Clarion Ledger of February 11, 2009

Armed Jackson resident surprises thieves

Three suspected burglars fleeing an angry and armed Jackson homeowner were arrested and charged Tuesday night, police said today.

Precinct 2 Cmdr. Jesse Robinson said the west Jackson homeowner who lives in the 2300 block of Powers Avenue came home late Tuesday to find his front door kicked in.

The owner found three strangers hiding in a rear bedroom and fired several shots. He missed, and the intruders fled, according to Robinson.

However, a police officer later arrested and charged Corey Husbands, 20, Ceola Washington, 18, and Brandon Carter, 25, with house burglary.

They are being held at the Hinds County Detention Center on $25,000 bond each.

Mississippi: Burglary suspect dead, shot by business owner

Corinth, Mississippi

From the Daily Journal of November 27, 2008

Burglary suspect dead, shot by business owner

The suspect in a Tuesday break-in at a Corinth business has died from a gunshot wound inflicted by the business owner, police say.

James Thomas Parson, 25, of North Parkway, Corinth, was pronounced dead at Magnolia Regional Health Center on Tuesday, said Corinth Police Chief David Lancaster.

The police department received an emergency call about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday through 911 to go to the scene of a burglary in progress at The Jewelry Box, 706 S. Tate St., Corinth, the chief said.

Responding officers found Parson lying on the floor inside the business with a gunshot wound to the stomach and called emergency services, which transported him to the hospital.

Lancaster said the business owner reported he heard a noise at the front of the store and took his handgun when he went to check it out.

When he saw a man coming through a window, he ordered the intruder to stop, but he did not. Instead, the suspect came inside the business, reached up and ripped down the video surveillance equipment.

The owner said he again told the suspect to stay where he was or get out, but the suspect charged toward him and he fired one shot, which struck the intruder in the abdomen, Lancaster said.

The case remains under investigation, but no charges have been filed.

Mississippi: Man shot trying to steal SUV

Jackson, Mississippi

From the Clarion Ledger of November 24, 2008

Man shot trying to steal SUV

Jackson police said the property owner who fatally shot a burglary suspect Saturday night had a right to pull the trigger under the Castle Doctrine.

Brandon Lenard, 20, of Jackson was shot outside a row of townhouses on County Cork Road after he allegedly broke into a Cadillac Escalade parked in front, police said.

Police spokesman Lt. Jeffery Scott said no charges will be filed against the owner of the SUV, whose name was not released.

When the police investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to a Hinds County grand jury, Scott said.

Lenard is the fifth burglary or robbery suspect to be shot to death in Jackson by a homeowner, property owner or store employee since the Castle Doctrine law took effect in 2006.

Among other things, the Castle Doctrine says a person has "no duty to retreat" if the person believes he is in imminent danger. The law protects someone who uses deadly force in self-defense from being sued.

Just before 9 p.m. Saturday, Lenard allegedly broke into the Escalade while its owner was inside a townhouse just a few feet away, police said.

"The owner heard something outside, so he stepped out of the house to see what it was. When he saw someone was in his vehicle, he went back inside to retrieve a weapon. He then went back outside to confront the suspect," Scott said.

Scott said there was an exchange of words between Lenard and the vehicle's owner just before Lenard tried to run from the scene.

Police said that as Lenard was leaving, he is believed to have put the SUV owner's life in danger. Scott would not say what he did.

"Our investigation has determined that the owner was in the imminent threat of danger based on items found at the scene, which I cannot elaborate (on)," Scott said. "We have made a determination that the actions of the property owner are in the parameters of the Castle Doctrine."

Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said Sunday that Lenard did have a gun at the scene.

Lenard was shot once with a shotgun, Grisham-Stewart said. She said the pellets entered the back and side of his head.

Scott said investigators think Lenard was driven to the scene in an unidentified vehicle. Police are trying to find who might have been with Lenard that night.

Neighbors would not comment Sunday about the shooting.

(More)

Mississippi: Clerk shoots robbery suspect to death

Jackson, Mississippi

From the Desoto Times of August 26, 2008

Clerk shoots robbery suspect to death

Jackson police say they won't charge a gas station clerk in the shooting death of a robbery suspect.

Police spokesman Lt. Jeffery Scott says a man wearing a clown mask and carrying a gun entered the gas station just after 9 p.m. Sunday.

The man took money from the register and ran from the store.

Scott says the clerk followed the man outside and shot several times, hitting the suspect as he ran behind a storage shed.

The suspect was brought a hospital, where Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart says he died shortly after 10 p.m.

Scott says the clerk, whose name wasn't released, was defending himself.

Jackson, Mississippi Burglar Shot

Jackson, Mississippi

From September 9, 2008 WLBT channel 3:

A would be burglar gets more than he bargains for while breaking into a West Jackson home. The homeowner sent the burglar to the hospital. It happened in the 600 block of Hillsdale Drive off Clinton Boulevard.

A homeowner on Hillsdale Drive was still in bed around 9:00 a.m. when a burglar woke him from his sleep.

"Once he heard Mr. Moore attempt to break into the home he retrieved a weapon and fired a shot striking Mr. Moore," said Jackson Police Lt. Jeffery Scott.

Eighteen year old Lorenzo Moore was shot once in the arm. He fled the home and was taken by private vehicle to University Medical Center. One neighbor we spoke to believes the homeowner should have taken further action. "He shouldn't have just wounded him. He should have killed him dead," said Thelma Moore, no relation to the accused burglar. "If he got enough nerve to come in and shoot, he's going to kill you if you don't kill him. Take him out."

It's not clear if the burglar had a weapon on him at the time of the break in. Jackson Police say that is something Moore will be asked in questioning.

Mississippi: Suspected Car Burglar Shot by Owner

Jackson, Mississippi

From WLBT of August 16, 2008

Suspected Car Burglar Shot by Owner

A burglary victim opens fire on a man who he allegedly caught breaking into his vehicle Saturday morning.

JPD Lt. Jeffery Scott said 22-year old Mario Lampkin was shot once in the leg by the owner of the vehicle. Investigators say it happened just before 6 a.m. at 1315 North Jefferson Street.

Officers also believe Lampkin is responsible for breaking into two other vehicles before he was shot. Police say Lampkin managed to walk to nearby Baptist Hospital for treatment. He will be charged with auto burglary when released.

From the Clarion Ledger of August 16, 2008

Wounded man may face charges in car break-ins

A 22-year-old man will face burglary charges once he is released from a Jackson hospital.

Police say Mario Lampkin was shot in the leg by the owner of a car who claimed Lampkin was breaking into the vehicle. After he was shot, Lampkin walked to the Baptist Medical Center.

The shooting happened just before 6 a.m. today at an apartment complex in the 1300 block of N. Jefferson St.

The car owner was questioned and released. That person has not been charged.

Two other cars at the apartment complex also had been burglarized. Police say they suspect Lampkin may be responsible for those, too.

Mississippi: Clerk Shoots Man Trying To Steal Beer

Jackson, Mississippi

From WAPT of August 2, 2008

Clerk Shoots Man Trying To Steal Beer

Police said a Jackson store employee shot a man trying to steal beer Saturday afternoon.

According to witnesses, the man was inside S and R Food Mart on Terry Road attempting to steal.

Police identified the man shot as Kenneth Riddle.

The store employee reportedly approached him and the two men began to fight. That's when the clerk shot Riddle, witnesses said.

Riddle was taken to University Medical Center and the store employee was detained for questioning.

Riddle was listed in serious condition Sunday afternoon.

Mississippi: 84-year-old man wounds intruder

Hancock County, Mississippi

From the Sun Herald of July 29, 2008

84-year-old man wounds intruder

An 84-year-old man, who repeatedly held off an alleged intruder Sunday when the man tried to break into his home, finally got a gun in desperation and shot through a door, wounding the intruder in the leg.

At the time, the elderly resident was at home with his 74-year-old wife about 5 a.m. at their residence in the area of Adams Street in Bayside Park. Hancock County Sheriff's Investigator Andre Fizer said the couple heard a disturbance as a man tried to break through the front door and also tried to enter through a back door and a rear window of the residence.

The resident called 911 and reported that the intruder was trying to force his way into the home, and was threatening to kill him. He held himself against the door to keep the man from entering.

"The victim stated that when he became physically tired from holding the door, he became fearful for his and his wife's lives," Fizer said.

As he grew weaker trying to hold off the intruder, the resident asked his wife to bring his .45-caliber Colt handgun. He fired one shot through a lower panel of the door.

"He was getting tired," said Fizer, who listened to a tape of the 911 call during the ensuing investigation. "He said, 'I knew the guy was going to eventually overcome me.'

Although meant as a warning shot, the round struck 20-year-old Wade Ledesma of Bay St. Louis in the lower left leg. He was initially taken by American Medical Response to Memorial Hospital at Gulfport, then was transferred to University Hospital in Jackson. Ledesma was listed in fair condition Monday, Fizer said.

Deputies declined to release the name of the homeowner, saying the couple feared recrimination. Based on evidence and the 911 tape, no charges were filed against him.

From hearing the tape, "You could tell he was devastated," Fizer said. "You could tell he was scared."

It was not clear whether Ledesma knew his alleged victims. Pending his release from hospitalization, he faces charges of attempted burglary, malicious mischief, and disturbance of a family, Fizer said.

Deputies investigating the case included Fizer, Lt. Stacy Wilson, Sgt. Gary Dyess and Matt Schmidlin.

Mississippi: Suspected Burglar Shot

Jackson, Mississippi

From WLBT of July 17, 2008

Suspected Burglar Shot

One man is hospitalized after being shot during a home burglary. It happened just after 12 o'clock at the Elton Park Apartments on Elton Road in south Jackson.

Police say a tenant of building eleven came home to find his apartment door kicked in. The man then approached his home and yelled for anyone inside to come out. Authorities say when three men ran out of the apartment, the resident started firing shots. The suspected burglars escaped through a hole in a fence surrounding the complex.

Police later found one of the culprits hiding in a nearby culvert with two gunshot wounds. Paramedics transported him to UMC but the other two suspects got away.

Commander Jeremiah Jones says officers happened to be in the right place at the right time - "The ironic part about it is the same time this was occuring we were doing a sting operation on the other side on Raymond Road, another house burglary suspect that had been breaking into houses attempted to sell things."

Commander Jones says the three burglary suspects had broken into another apartment at Elton Park around the same time.

Authorities have not released the identity of the shooter nor the suspects. At this time, the resident has not been charged in connection with the shooting.

Mississippi: Man, 71, shoots accused burglar

Jackson, Mississippi

From the Clarion Ledger of July 3, 2008

Man, 71, shoots accused burglar

An elderly west Jackson resident who was attacked by a burglar two years ago shot a man Wednesday he suspected of breaking into his Pleasant Avenue home.

Police say the resident, identified by relatives as 71-year-old Edwin Chinn, was protecting himself when he shot Ricky Braggs.

Chinn's daughter, Sheryl Lenoir, said he lives by himself and had been burglarized and shot about two years ago.

"He got shot in the back, but he was able to beat (the attacker) down with a bat or something," she said. Chinn was not available for comment Wednesday, and his daughter said he was uncertain whether he would continue to live in the house.

Braggs, 34, has been accused of breaking into Chinn's home through his kitchen window just before noon Wednesday. Chinn's home is near Galloway Elementary School and the Player and Playerettes Club. Police said Braggs lived in the neighborhood.

Jackson police said Chinn shot Braggs once in the abdomen and once in the arm. Bullet holes were visible through the wall on the south side of the house.

Following the shooting, Braggs ran about two blocks before collapsing behind a house in the 1900 block near Woodrow Wilson Boulevard. He was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

"His wounds are not considered life-threatening," Jackson police spokesman Sgt. Jeffery Scott said.

Police will charge Braggs with house burglary once he is released from the hospital, Scott said.

Investigators detained Chinn for questioning but did not charge him, citing the Castle Doctrine law that allows residents to defend themselves and their property against perceived attacks.

Neighbors described Chinn as a "sweet, old man" who kept to himself.

"He would speak to you, but mostly he stayed over (on his property)," Natalie Spann said.

Braggs was convicted in Hinds County in August 1995 on two counts of business burglary and sentenced to four years in prison followed by three years of probation, according to Mississippi Department of Corrections records. His probation was revoked twice in 1997 for violations.

In April 2001, Braggs again was convicted on two counts of business burglary and sentenced to seven years in prison as a "habitual offender." He was released Sept. 8, 2007, after serving the full sentence (no probation).

The Castle Doctrine was enacted in 2006 to allow people to use deadly force to protect themselves in their homes, vehicles and businesses. The law removes the requirement that residents must first seek a safe retreat from an intruder before using deadly force.