Indianapolis, Indiana

From the TheIndyChannel.com of December 4, 2006

Suspected Robber Fatally Shot During Home Invasion

Police said a man who broke into a home in a robbery attempt was killed by an occupant of the home early Monday morning on Indianapolis' west side.

The shooting happened at about 2 a.m. at the home in the 200 block of North Tremont Street at Turner Avenue in what police called a home invasion and attempted robbery, 6News' Julie Pursley reported.

Investigators said the man who was shot was identified as Mark Yant, 22. He was found in the street, about a half block away from the home.

Yant was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said the man forced his way into the home and ran out the back of the house after he had been shot.

Police said there were two people inside the home at the time of the shooting.

"We're still putting that all together, but it appears that this was an attempted residence burglary or residence robbery and we'll have to wait on interviews to determine exactly what that was," said Indianapolis police Detective Jeff Patterson.

Police said the prosecutor's office will decide if the home's occupant acted in self-defense in the shooting.

Gary, Indiana

From the Merrillville Post-Tribune of December 3, 2006

Woman fears for life after son kills intruder

One day after an her son killed one of two intruders who forced his way into her house, a Gary mother says she fears for her life.

"I'm fearful because I don't know who that guy was and I don't know who his people are," she said.

Kevin Scott, 47, of the 2000 block of Central died Friday of multiple gunshot wounds after he announced he was going to kill everyone inside the Tolleston woman's West Garfield home, Detective Sgt. Michael Jackson, said.

The homeowner, a truck driver for the city of Gary, was eating pizza with her 21-year-old son and his friend about 5:40 p.m. Friday when someone knocked on the door.

When her son's friend opened the door to see who it was, two men forced their way and put a gun to his head.

Immediately, her son ran downstairs to grab a gun while she took refuge in a first-floor bedroom.

Scott asked where everyone was and then said he was going to kill everyone there.

That's when her 21-year-old son emerged from the basement and started firing his weapon, striking Scott. The second intruder fled.

Scott was pronounced dead at The Methodist Hospitals in Gary.

Jackson said no charges are being sought in connection with the killing. The detective said the homeowner's son was defending himself and his family during a home invasion.

His mother said neither she nor her son know Scott. They also say they have no idea why their home was targeted.

Zion, Illinois

From the Chicago Tribune of December 2, 2006

Cops: Zion woman killed armed home invader

A woman shot and killed a rifle-toting teenager who burst into her home late Friday night in Zion, police said.

The intruder was identified as Gerrell N. Davis, 16, of Zion, Police Chief Doug Malcolm said Saturday.

Clad in a black ski mask and gloves, Davis forced open the back door of a home in the 1700 block of Jethro Avenue, Malcolm said. This was shortly after the couple in the house heard a knock at the front door and asked who was there but didn't open the door.

The 55-year-old wife heard the doorjamb shatter, grabbed a 9 mm handgun from her bedroom and ran to the kitchen, Malcolm said.

She fired twice and both rounds struck Davis, who was found by police on the kitchen floor still wearing the mask, Malcolm said.

"It's a terrible situation when it involves kids like this, but these were two middle-aged people sitting in their house and someone came in with a loaded rifle," Malcolm said.

"With all the information we have right now, we don't anticipate any charges," he said.

Davis was on juvenile probation for a 2005 aggravated battery charge involving a weapon, Malcolm said.

From the Chicago Sun-Times of December 7, 2006

Family threatened after killing young intruder

Police have arrested a 16-year-old youth in connection with a fatal home invasion in far north suburban Zion last Friday.

The juvenile expected to be charged in the case is being held at the Depke Juvenile Detention Center in Vernon Hills, Police Chief Doug Malcolm said Wednesday.

He would not discuss if the teen was an alleged accomplice of Gerrell Davis, who was shot and killed as he entered the home of Sharif and Saffiyya Darr in an attempt to steal shoes from the couple's eBay business.

Davis, also 16, had his face covered with a ski mask and brandished a .22-caliber rifle when he entered the Darrs' home.

Malcolm said police are continuing to investigate the case after the couple and their relatives were subjected to death threats online and through the telephone.

Hasan Hakeem, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, believes the community has been brought together during this situation.

"The police have been very supportive of the Darr family, and the community has reached out to them," Malcolm said.

CeaseFire, a violence prevention program overseen by Waukegan Township, has also been working to stop any retaliation against the couple.

Huntsville, Alabama

From the Huntsville Times of December 2, 2006

More details in fatal shootings

'Good Samaritan' case still open; 2 victims identified

A bystander Huntsville police called a "good Samaritan" shot and killed a man when he pointed two pistols at the bystander. Police said the homicide victim had been shooting at a man he was chasing.

Police Friday released more details of the Thursday slaying and identified the victim, Anthony Joiner, 24, of Huntsville, who died at Huntsville Hospital. He was shot in a Jordan Lane shopping plaza parking lot about 1:25 p.m., police said in a statement.
…

Joiner was the 12th homicide victim in the city this year; …

The incident near Jordan Lane began when Joiner and another man were arguing at Oakwood Road and Chalet Circle, which is behind the shopping plaza at 2026 Jordan Lane, police said.

Police said witnesses told them that Joiner repeatedly fired two pistols as he chased the other man to Jordan Lane.

A bystander police called a "good Samaritan" came out of Seco Performance Center in the shopping center with a pistol and tried to stop the chase and the shooting.

The bystander shot Joiner when Joiner turned the pistols toward the bystander, police said. Joiner was found next door to the shopping plaza lying between two recreational vehicles in an auxiliary sales lot for Bankston Motor Homes.

Police did not release the names of the bystander and the man Joiner was chasing.

Police at the scene Thursday said no charges were filed against the bystander. Police spokesman Wendell Johnson said Friday that no charges have been filed against him because the investigation has not been closed.

Police said that normally in a case like this they will submit the results of their investigation to the district attorney to decide whether to pursue a grand jury indictment.

Alabama's "good Samaritan" law protects a bystander from liability if a person tries to rescue a person and in doing so injures the person.

Another state law adopted earlier this year by the Legislature and sponsored by the late Rep. Albert Hall, D-Gurley, gives a person more leeway to use deadly force if threatened.

Woodside, Utah

First hand account by Dennis Udink, November 19, 2006:

I think my handgun saved my life today. I'll never know for sure what would have happened if I hadn't been carrying it, but I'm certainly glad that I carry it with me everywhere I go. Bear with me folks, this is gonna be a long story.

This morning, I took Michael and Bradley out for a little hike near the base of the Book Cliffs about 3.5 miles northeast of Woodside, where I had been thinking about placing a geocache. We had driven about three miles from the highway on a rough dirt road, and parked where the road ended. We were in the middle of nowhere. From the point where the road ends, there is an old pack trail that winds back and forth to the east all the way to the top of the Book Cliffs. The trail climbs about 1,000 vertical feet in a very short horizontal distance, and we hiked about 1/4 of the way up the trail before it became too steep and rugged for the kids. A few minutes after we'd turned around and were heading back to the truck, I noticed that somebody was standing next to the truck, and we were still about 0.4 miles away. There were no other vehicles in sight, so I assumed that the guy was on foot, and I couldn't figure out what in the hell he was doing in the middle of nowhere on foot. I could barely see what he was doing, but he was snooping around the truck and he even climbed into the truck bed. I was really freaked out, and I yelled down and told him to get the hell away from my truck. I'm not sure if he could even understand me, but I'm sure that he heard me.

He ducked out of sight behind the truck for a minute--I think he was in the truck bed again--then he reappeared and was walking around the side of the truck. I yelled at him again, and he stopped to look up toward me for a few seconds, then went on looking into my truck (luckily, it was locked). At that point I knew that we were in trouble, because if some guy knows that I'm nearby and he continues messing with my truck, he's probably crazy. My voice commands to leave the truck alone went unheeded, so I pulled my handgun out of its holster, told the kids to plug their ears, and fired a round into the ground in the opposite direction from the guy at the truck. I certainly got his attention, but he still didn't leave immediately. He did stop to look up at me again, but then I saw his arm come down in a sweeping motion toward the right-rear tire, and I could hear the air suddenly escaping. He walked to the other side of the truck and slashed the left-rear tire, then he walked off heading south.

Champion, Pennsylvania

From the Connellsville Daily Courier of December 1, 2006

Man faces charges in home invasion shootout

A Champion man faces criminal charges after allegedly entering a house and shooting the homeowner in the foot, then fleeing with gunshot wounds after the homeowner returned fire.

Jarod Joseph Jones, 29, of 119 Dellgross Lane, is charged by state police at Greensburg with aggravated assault, criminal attempt at criminal homicide, simple assault, terroristic threats and reckless endangerment of another person.

According to a police affidavit, Steven Anthony Glass, of Faust Lane, Champion, was asleep in his bedroom at 4 a.m. Nov. 19 when he was awakened by a man shouting. Glass grabbed a loaded .22-caliber rifle he keeps by his bedside, looked down the hallway and saw a man, who he later identified as Jones, pointing a .12-gauge shotgun at him.

Jones fired one shot at Glass, according to the affidavit, then began "messing with" the shotgun after it apparently jammed. Glass then fired several shots at Jones before running down the hallway and tackling him.

Glass pinned Jones against a wall, and both men fell to the floor. It was at that point, according to the affidavit, that Glass recognized Jones. Jones fled, police said, and Glass went to Highlands Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to the foot.

Police later found Jones at UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh. According to the affidavit, Jones appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds to the head, left wrist and left index finger. Jones declined additional comment to police.

Jones is no longer listed as a patient at UPMC.

The criminal affidavit and a warrant for Jones' arrest are filed with Scottdale District Judge J. Bruce King. The case is to be heard by Ligonier District Judge Denise S. Thiel, but that office had no record of the affidavit Thursday.

Claremont, North Carolina

From the Hickory Record of November 30, 2006

Store owner shoots at robber

Deputies continue to look for suspect who took $1,500

An armed robber is still on the loose after a Wednesday night attack, but it wasn’t an easy getaway.

The robbery happened at Piney Woods Quick Stop on N.C. 10 in Claremont around 10 p.m. The owner, Ram Dass, said he was about to close the store when a man entered with his face covered, pointed a handgun at Dass’ head and demanded money. Dass handed over about $1,500, according to the investigation report.

As the subject was driving away from the scene, Dass fired several shots. Dass told deputies he did not believe any bullets hit the robber. No one was injured.
…

This is not the first time Piney Woods Quick Stop has been robbed. About nine years ago, Dass was working when the store was robbed. Dass was shot six times, he said. He now keeps a weapon for safety. However, he says he knows money isn’t as important as his life.