Lubbock, TX

 11/25/21 New Zealand Herald:

Lawyers for a Texas man who shot and killed a woman's ex-husband after a heated confrontation outside their home say the killing was a "justifiable homicide" under the state's self-defence laws.

Police have not laid any charges against William "Kyle" Carruth, who shot and killed Chad Read, 54, in the north-western city of Lubbock on November 5, local media reported.

Two videos of the deadly incident, one released by Read's widow and one by Carruth's lawyers, depict the confrontation between the two men moments before the shooting.

In the videos, Read is seen arguing with a woman, identified as his ex-wife, over a child custody issue.

Carruth tells Read to leave, before stepping back inside the house and returning with a gun.

The men go head-to-head as Read yells at Carruth to "use it, motherf***er because God damn it I'll take it from you and f***ing use it on you".

Carruth steps back and fires a shot into the ground.

Read then grabs the gun and swings Carruth, who steps back off the porch and fires two shots, killing the other man.

 

Lithia, FL

11/1/19 Bay News 9:

“I’ve got a fractured eye socket, a fractured sinus cavity, a concussion, 20 stitches and three staples in my head,” said King, outside his home on Old Welcome Road in Lithia. “I took a severe beating.”
King said he was inside his home Wednesday when two masked men armed with guns barged in around 9 p.m. He said he doesn't know who they are, never met them and has no idea why he was targeted.  Both men pointed guns at King while demanding money.
“They came in heavily hooded and masked. As soon as they had got the back door opened, they had a pistol on me and was grabbing my 11-year-old daughter,” he said.
“I’m telling them, ‘I have nothing for you,’" King explained. "(A)nd they’re like, ‘Give me everything you got.’ It became real violent, real fast.”
King said one of the men started pistol-whipping him while another kicked him repeatedly in the head. His wife, who is eight months pregnant, was in the back bedroom and peeked out to see what was going on.
King said one of the men shot at her. She retreated, grabbed an AR-15 and returned fire.
“When he came toward the back door in her line of sight, she clipped him,” King said. “He made it from my back door to roughly 200 feet out in the front ditch before the AR did its thing.”
Deputies later found a man dead in a nearby ditch. The other gunman ran off after that fatal shot was fired.
"Them guys came in with two normal pistols and my AR stopped it,” King said. “(My wife) evened the playing field and kept them from killing me."
Investigators are still looking for the second gunman.

Oswego, IL

3/1/18 Chicago Tribune:

Some time on Feb. 26, Dave Thomas heard screams in his Oswego apartment building, grabbed his AR-15 rifle and ran down the hall. He confronted a man who was stabbing another man and scared him off. Thomas is a gun instructor with a CCL.

Fort Wayne, IN

11/23/19 Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette:

A home invasion turned violent for an intruder after the apartment dweller took aim in the dark and shot him. 

Police quickly caught up with Edwin D. Calligan, 23, of the 500 block of Leith Street, after he was driven by his companions to Lutheran ER Statewood. 

Due to the serious nature of his wound – a gunshot to the right upper thigh that exited his posterior – Calligan was transported to a regular hospital, court records said. 

Calligan was charged Monday with burglary with a deadly weapon, carrying a handgun without a license, residential break-in and criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon. 

Calligan entered the apartment at Black Hawk Apartments on the city's northeast side about 4 p.m. March 31 after breaking down the front door, court documents said.

The man who shot him was with his girlfriend when they they heard glass break and realized it was the front door. 

The man grabbed his Tactical AR-15 pistol after hearing what he thought were multiple people entering his apartment and took a position on one knee, pointing his firearm toward his bedroom doorway, documents said. 

Calligan appeared wearing all black and a mask and came into the doorway pointing a semi-automatic handgun. 

In the accused's picture, you can see he face tattoos.  I am so surprised.

Lithia, FL

11/4/19 New York Post:

A pregnant woman is credited with saving the lives of her husband and daughter after she used an AR-15 to fatally gun down a home intruder, a report said.

The hero mom sprung into action when two intruders entered the family’s Lithia, Fla. home last week and pistol whipped her husband while violently grabbing their daughter, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

“They came in heavily hooded and masked,” the husband, Jeremy King, told Bay News 9.

“As soon as they had got the back door opened, they had a pistol on me and was grabbing my 11-year-old daughter.”

The robbers then pistol-whipped King and kicked him while the man’s wife, who is eight months pregnant, retreated into the bedroom.

“When he came toward the back door in her line of sight, she clipped him,” King told the outlet. “He made it from my back door to roughly 200 feet out in the front ditch before the AR did its thing.”

Conyers, GA

9/17/19 CNN:

The masked teens -- a 15-year-old and two 16-year-olds -- approached three residents around 4 a.m. Monday at the front yard of a home just outside Conyers and tried to rob them, the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office said.

One of the would-be robbers took out a gun and fired shots at them before one of the residents returned fire, authorities said.
"The victims of the attempted robbery were all uninjured, but the three attempted robbery suspects were all shot during the exchange of gunfire and succumbed to their injuries, one on scene and two at a local hospital after being transported," the sheriff's department said in a news release....
Another neighbor ran out to help after he heard what sounded like five shots from a handgun, he said.
"Then I heard somebody have an assault rifle," Carlos Watson told WSB. "And it was a slew of shots that came out."

Local coverage 9/16/19 WSB:

The homeowner who shot the masked intruder is a man. Neighbors say he's a truck driver who owns a semi-automatic rifle and is highly protective of his mother.

Summerfield, OR

7/12/19 Ocala StarBanner:

SUMMERFIELD — Marion County sheriff’s officials say a homeowner armed with an AR-15 shot and killed two intruders and was injured himself during a home invasion robbery in Summerfield Wednesday night.

Two other robbery suspects — Robert John Hamilton, 19, of Ocala, and Seth Adam Rodriguez, 22, of Belleview — were detained near the scene, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

Nigel Doyle, 22, of Summerfield, and Keith Jackson Jr., 21, Ocala, were killed. The homeowner, whose name was not released by the Sheriff’s Office, was in stable condition at a hospital Thursday afternoon.

Houston, TX

1/20/19 ABC channel 13:

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) --

Authorities are investigating after dozens of shots were fired in east Houston.

Authorities say the homeowner defended himself when the suspects entered the home. Following the shooting, the suspects fled from the scene....

Authorities say that out of five people shot, three of them died.

According to a detective, the incident began as a home invasion at the 7000 block of Sherman.

Apparently, the invaders asked for money.  The resident went under couch for money, pulled out an AK-47 and started firing.   The picture of the crime scene has little yellow flags for every cartridge, I think.  Not a low capacity magazine!

Jacksonville, FL

4/17/18 Jacksonville Channel 4:

GLEN ST. MARY, Fla - Three men say they were asleep inside a mobile home in Glen St. Mary about 4 a.m. Sunday when they heard a voice outside yell “Sheriff’s Office!” before the front door burst open. 

In stormed a masked gunman who fired off a single round before two of the men inside, one armed with an AR-15 rifle and the other with a handgun, emerged from two bedrooms and opened fire.

Gunfire ripped into the masked gunman and two other intruders, who crumpled to the floor with multiple gunshot wounds.

Those details surfaced Tuesday when the Baker County Sheriff’s Office released an arrest report linked to this weekend’s home invasion turned deadly triple shooting.

Tampa, FL

4/13/17 Yahoo News:

TAMPA, Fla., April 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rickman Law Firm announces today that a not guilty verdict was delivered by a jury in the second degree murder trial of Ruben Rodriguez, a veteran of the U.S. Army who served two tours in Iraq. Rodriguez was charged with murder after he fatally shot an individual with his AR-15 rifle. The jury delivered their verdict after just two and a half hours of deliberation. Attorney Anthony Rickman of The Rickman Law Firm defended Rodriguez at trial. David Knox served as co-counsel.

In January 2015, Rodriguez arrived at his home to observe two men fleeing his yard. Upon seeing the men, Rodriguez armed himself with an AR-15 rifle and traveled in their direction. A few minutes later, Rodriguez came into contact with the men and asked if they had seen anyone running from his home. One of the men approached the vehicle, cursing and threatening Rodriguez. After repeated requests from Rodriguez not to approach the vehicle and advising the individual that he had a weapon, the man arrived at Rodriguez's window and continued to threaten him.

While close enough to see the AR-15 rifle on Rodriguez's lap, the individual taunted Rodriguez. He then reached into the vehicle and grabbed the muzzle of the firearm attempting to pull it away from Rodriguez. He placed the muzzle of the firearm in his mouth and told Rodriguez to shoot him, yelling, "I'm not afraid to die….are you?" As he had the muzzle of the rifle near his mouth, the individual threw a punch at Rodriguez's head. Rodriguez fired a single shot, killing him instantly. Toxicology results showed that the individual had 10 times the normal dosage of methamphetamine in his system and a blood alcohol level two times the legal limit. The deceased was also found in possession of a 3.5-inch pocket knife.

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

3/27/17 Fox 25:

Investigators haven't released the names of anyone involved but say the deceased suspects are between 16 and 18 years old. One of the suspects had a knife and another had brass knuckles, according to investigators. 

Deputies responded to the home near 9100 S. Clearview Drive around 12:30 p.m. after a report of a possible home invasion with shots fired. Upon arrival, deputies found three suspects dead and the two residents uninjured.

Deputy Nick Mahoney says the preliminary investigation shows that the three suspects went to the residence with the intent to burglarize the home.

"They were dressed in black, all had masks on, and all had gloves on," said Mahoney....

Mahoney says the suspects broke in through a glass door in the back of the house. After entering the residence, the suspects encountered the homeowner's 23-year-old son, who also lives there. The resident was carrying an AR-15.

The grandfather is now complaining about the AR-15 giving an "unfair advantage." 3/30/17 ABC channel 8:

Schumacher says his grandson didn't have a chance. The 17-year old, he says, never got into trouble.

“Brass knuckles against an AR-15, come on, who was afraid for their life," said Schumacher.

Sef-defense With AR-15

From the Nov. 26, 2015 Wyoming Tribune-Eagle:

 - While detectives continue to investigate a dual homicide that happened here Sunday night, the Cheyenne Police Department announced Friday that at least one of the deaths seems to have involved self-defense.
Justin Morrison and Darius Mathis, both 23 and of Cheyenne, were killed by shots fired around 11:30 p.m. Sunday outside 4523 E. 14th St. in east Cheyenne.
"The investigation's not completed, and we're still waiting on some of the physical evidence," police spokesman Officer Dan Long said. "(But) they've gotten a lot of that preliminary information back."
Newly released information says Mathis, who died on scene, was shot with an AR-15 rifle by a third person, identified by police as 20-year-old Brandon Painter.
Painter reportedly was a resident of the house along with Morrison and two others.

North Carolina: Men Attempt Robbery, Woman Shoots One Dead, Deputies Say

Mount Gilead, North Carolina

From WXII of May 23, 2008

Men Attempt Robbery, Woman Shoots One Dead, Deputies Say

A woman who was awakened Friday morning to two men trying to ram a van through the front door of her business shot and killed one of the men, Montgomery County deputies said.

Deputies said the two men had robbed a motel in Troy earlier before driving to a Mount Gilead coffee shop and attempting to rob it.

That's when deputies said Bouaphan Chanthunom, 51, opened fire with an assault rifle, instantly killing Joseph Murphy McRae, 36, of Mount Gilead.

The other suspect, Jeffery Ray Liles, 36, fled from the scene but was later arrested at his residence. He was not injured and is being held in the Montgomery County Jail on charges of first-degree burglary, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and injury to real property.

Deputies said Chanthunom and her family own the coffee shop and also use it as a residence.

Liles and McRae had been under investigation for other crimes in the area.

No charges will be filed against Chanthunom.

Florida: Police: Victim Fired AK-47 At Home Invader

Summerfield, Florida

From Local6 of January 8, 2008

Police: Victim Fired AK-47 At Home Invader

A man fired shots from his AK-47 at an armed man who stormed into his house through the garage, interrupted a group of friends playing cards, shot into the ceiling of the home and demanded money.

The incident happened Tuesday morning at 3085 SE 159th Lane Road in Summerfield.

According to Marion County sheriff's deputies, three men, one of whom was armed with a silver revolver, stormed into the home and fired shots into the ceiling while searching for money and weapons.

One of the invaders entered a bedroom where the father of one of the victims playing cards was sleeping, deputies said. The father, who had been awakened by the commotion and gunfire, retrieved his AK-47 from behind his bed, causing two of the assailants to run out of the front door of the house, deputies said.

The invader with the revolver fired shots at the father, who returned fire, according to a Marion County sheriff's report. The culprit ran into a bedroom, broke a window and fled, deputies said. It is not known if he was struck.

The armed assailant was described as a white man wearing blue jeans, a flannel shirt and a blue jean jacket. Deputies said he may be injured and seeking medical treatment. A second culprit had blonde hair and was wearing all dark clothing. The third invader was only described as a Hispanic man.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call Crime Stoppers. The Marion County Sheriff's Office is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Further links:
Homeowner shoots back at intruders

Richmond County, Georgia

From Augusta’s WJBF.com of May 2, 2007

South Richmond County Homeowner Fights Back

WJBF News Channel 6 has learned that a South Richmond County resident will not be charged after he reportedly shot and killed a home invader. At the scene, WJBF has learned that when the Linderwood Drive resident came home today, he noticed that his home had been ransacked. He grabbed a weapon and came upon a suspect in his home. That's when he shot the invader. Early indications from deputies are that this homeowner was defending himself and no charges will be fired.

From the NBCAugusta.com of May 2, 2007

South Augusta Homeowner Shoots Intruder While On The Phone With 911

A homeowner took matters into his own hands Wednesday afternoon.

He shot an intruder while he was on the phone with 911.

The homeowner used a high powered rifle, similar to an A-K 47, to defend himself when he noticed his house had been robbed.

He also noticed several of his guns were missing.

While he was on the phone with 911, he saw the burglar come back into his house.

The homeowner told investigators that because some of his guns were missing, he opened fire.

Investigators say they believe he was acting in self-defense, but it's still early in the investigation.
.
The intruder went into surgery at an Augusta hospital Wednesday afternoon.

From the Augusta Chronicle of May 3, 2007

Soldier comes home early, kills burglar
(Requires free registration)

A man who police said broke into an Army officer's south Augusta house to steal guns was fatally shot Wednesday by the soldier living there.

Errol Lavar Royal, 29, of the 2200 block of Ramblewood Drive was pronounced dead at Medical College of Georgia Hospital about 6:45 p.m. Police said he lived with his parents near the burglarized home in the 3400 block of Linderwood Drive in the Pepperidge subdivision.

Capt. Barre Bollinger, an Iraq war veteran, told police he returned from work about 3:30 p.m. and found his house had been ransacked, said Richmond County sheriff's Investigator Thomas Johnson.

Capt. Bollinger told police he entered his bedroom and noticed that guns were missing.

He grabbed his SKS rifle - a weapon similar to an AK-47 assault rifle - and called 911, Investigator Johnson said.

"While on the phone with 911, he sees the suspect approaching his back door. Because he believes the man now is armed with his stolen weapons, Mr. Bollinger fires at him three times," Investigator Johnson said.

Mr. Royal was shot at least twice in the stomach area. A search of his residence produced two guns taken from Capt. Bollinger's house and marijuana, the investigator said.

Neighbors told police that Capt. Bollinger, who is stationed at Fort Gordon, generally works from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but occasionally returns home early.

As of now, there are no plans to charge Capt. Bollinger in the shooting, police said.

A similar shooting occurred a week ago, when a woman shot an intruder on Lexington Drive, less than a mile from Linderwood Drive.

North Platte, Nebraska

From the North Platte Telegraph of March 21, 2007

NP woman shoots intruder

A 37-year-old North Platte man was shot several times and killed early Wednesday morning after he reportedly forced his way into a mobile home at 2801 West 19th.

According to Lt. Rick Ryan of the North Platte Police Department, a call came in at 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday from the 2800 block of West 20th, reporting shots being fired in the area.

Ryan said Tiffany Howell, 19, told officers that she had shot an intruder but didn’t know if he was alive. After shooting the man, she reportedly fled through the back door and went to a neighbor’s house.

Police found the man lying inside the front door of the home and identified him as David Allen, 37, of North Platte. Ryan said paramedics were called to the scene, and they determined Allen had died at the scene.

A search warrant was issued, and police located a semi-automatic rifle and several spent cartridges in the home. The man’s body has been transported to Scottsbluff for an autopsy.

Ryan said they will not know exactly how many times Allen was shot until the autopsy is completed. He said the incident is being investigated at this point as a homicide.

“We investigate all deaths like this as a homicide,” Ryan said.

Howell was home alone at the time of the incident, according to Ryan. He said the home belongs to Howell’s boyfriend, the person Allen was looking for when he tried to enter the house.

“They were acquaintances,” Ryan said.

Ryan said Howell talked to Allen through the front door. She told Allen that her boyfriend was not home and asked him leave. Allen eventually convinced Howell to open the front door.

Howell opened the door slightly to talk to Allen, according to Ryan, but she still didn’t let him into the house. When she tried to shut the door, Allen allegedly put up his hands and pushed the door open, entering the residence.

Howell was holding a Ruger Mini-14 .223 semi-automatic rifle when Allen entered the house. Ryan said Allen became rude to Howell and refused to leave, so Howell aimed the weapon at him and told him to get out of the house.

“He refused to leave the house and he went after her, at which time she fired several shots,” Ryan said.

From the North Platte Bulletin of March 31, 2007

Shooting investigation leads to burglary charges

The investigation into the shooting death of 37-year-old David Allen of North Platte unexpectedly led police to solve a string of recent burglaries.

Allen was allegedly shot to death by Tiffany Howell, 19, at 2801 West Ninth Street in North Platte March 21. The police said Allen entered the trailer house of Howell’s boyfriend and that Howell shot him several times with a Ruger Mini-14 .223-caliber rifle.

Howell ran to a neighbor’s house, dropping the rifle in the back yard.

While investigating the shooting, police discovered at least 24 items that they suspected had been stolen from various businesses recently.

The police, who had been investigating the burglaries, realized that the merchandise stored at the crime scene might be stolen loot from the burglaries.

The owner of the trailer, who rented the trailer to Howell's boyfriend, told the police that Mitchell T. Pappas had asked him if he could store the merchandise there.

The investigation revealed that the merchandise was allegedly stolen from area businesses.

The police investigated and learned that Pappas had allegedly been bragging about doing the break-ins.

Pappas was charged with burglarizing Kohler Trailer Sales, 3821 Rodeo Road on November 10; Troyer Enterprises, 702 N. Bailey on November 20 and Racing Components at 302 West Eugene on December 14, 2006.

Pappas could face a maximum 60-years imprisonment if convicted of all three crimes. He is being held in the Lincoln County Jail on a $50,000 bond and his next court hearing was April 5.

Lt. Rick Ryan said the investigation into the March 21 shooting was still underway and that they still awaited the autopsy results.

Atlas Township, Michigan

From Saginaw’s WNEM.com of December 28, 2006

Atlas Township Shooting Could Be Self Defense

A man is shot and killed after allegedly terrorizing a Mid-Michigan couple the night of December 23rd.

A 51-year-old man from Sterling Heights came to the Atlas Township home of his ex-wife. He reportedly sprayed the back of the house with 20 rounds from a 9-millimeter handgun. He threw a whisky bottle through a window, and broke into the home on Irish Road.

That is when the homeowner shot the man in the chest with an AK-47 rifle, killing the intruder.

The Genesee County Sheriff said the 911 tape recorded the man inside the house telling the dispatcher that someone was outside the home, firing at the house. He said he was going to have to shoot the man.

It will now be up to the prosecutor to rule whether it was an act of self defense or murder.

San Antonio, Texas

From the MySanAntonio.com of September 10, 2006

Man with AK-47 helps thwart robbery

When Arthur Winters saw two armed robbers terrorizing his neighborhood, he did the only thing he could think of: He asked his wife to bring him his AK-47.

"I had to get it to protect my family and the neighbors and all that," Winters said.

It was part of a series of events, including a fistfight, rock-throwing and haphazard gunshots, that hammered the plans of two robbery suspects Saturday afternoon, leaving one shot and the other stuck in the mud.

Both men faced aggravated robbery charges.

A police report told the tale:

The suspects pulled up in a Ford F-150 and approached Cesar Arellano, busy installing a roof on a home under construction near Barton Court and Hughes Avenue.

Formalities were brief. One of the suspects suddenly put Arellano in a chokehold, and the other pulled out a gun. They demanded money and his rings.

Arellano grabbed the gun. The struggle began.

Arellano's brother, also on site, saw the robbery. He charged and punched one of the intruders.

Amid the mayhem, the handgun went off, and a stray bullet struck one of the suspects.

The brothers managed to break free and run to Winters' house for help.

The wounded suspect bolted for Arellano's vehicle. The other ran for his own pickup.

Neither got too far.

Police later traced the wounded suspect to a location a little more than 2 miles away. He was taken to Wilford Hall Medical Center.

The other suspect's getaway pickup had become stuck in a ditch and then between a curb and a log.

Then it got worse for him. Arellano and his brother started to hurl rocks at the pickup and broke a window. The suspect bailed out, briefly pointed a gun at the brothers and then ran through an open field.

Enter Winters.

He followed through the field, toting the military weapon at his side. When he fired a few rounds at the ground and the suspect kept going, Winters fired some more.

"Then he stopped, completely stopped," Winters said. "I ran up to him, and he just told me not to kill him."

Winters, along with Arellano and his brother, held the suspect until police arrived. The neighborhood was again safe.

"It was a robbery that just went wrong," Winters said.

Arlington Heights, Illinois

From the Chicago Tribune of May 2, 2006

Fatal shooting was self-defense, police say

No charges are likely as a result of a shooting last week in which one man was killed and another wounded, Arlington Heights police said Monday.

Police believe a 32-year-old male resident of an apartment in the 700 block of East Golf Road, found holding an AK-47 rifle, may have been trying to protect himself after being threatened by three men. "After that, there was a struggle over the gun and we don't believe [the resident] intentionally shot anyone," Police Capt. Jerry Lambert said.

Justin Damion, 23, of Chicago was killed, authorities said. An unidentified 22-year-old Chicago man remained hospitalized Monday, Lambert said.

Damion arrived at the home with two friends and began quarreling with the 32-year-old about money Damion thought the man owed an acquaintance, Lambert said. "The resident was attacked ... and got out the weapon to hold off the attackers," Lambert said. "We're confident it was self-defense." The man was a registered gun owner and the AK-47 was a legal weapon, Lambert said.