DeKalb County homeowner shoots, kills man who broke into his home, police say

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A man is dead after police say he tried breaking into a DeKalb County home early Thursday morning.

Investigators interviewed the homeowner, who they say shot and killed the intruder.

One neighbor told Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach that she heard two loud blasts and detectives said the homeowner used a shotgun.

“It was that close, it was that loud,” one neighbor told Gehlbach, asking not to be identified.

DeKalb County police said they got a call of shots fired at a home on Peachcrest Road around 5:30 a.m. Thursday.

The neighbor said she heard two shots while getting ready for work.

“it’s kind of hard to believe. I’ve been living here my whole life, never had a break-in, never had anything like that,” the neighbor said.

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But Sandy Mize, who lives next door, wasn’t that surprised.

“We didn’t hear the shots, but around here there’s shootings going on all the time,” Mize said.

Dekalb police said the man who tried to break in was shot and killed inside the house by the homeowner. He has not been identified.

Investigators have not said if there was any connection with the suspect or if the intruder also had a weapon.

“We knew he had guns though,” Mize said.

Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes was outside the home on Thursday night when a group of women from the Salvation Army came to the home to pray over it and offer assistance to the family.

Neighbor Gary Casten had no idea what brought all the police to his neighborhood and was speechless when he heard what had happened.

“Wow, I didn’t know,” Casten said. “You don’t have stuff like that happen around here.”

Neighbors said the homeowner lives in the home with his girlfriend but aren’t sure if there was a reason they would be targeted, or if it was just a random crime.

Gehlbach said it appears the homeowner will not face any charges because he was defending himself and his property.

“I just think it’s a sad state of affairs for the country,” one neighbor said. “In this case, somebody having a gun was a good thing.”

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