Man with machete shot, killed after breaking into DeKalb County home, police say

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A man with a machete tried to break into a DeKalb County home, and the homeowner shot and killed him, police said.

It happened early Thursday morning in the 3000 block of Northlake Trail in the Northcrest neighborhood.

DeKalb County police said they think the person who broke into the house was a neighbor.

A neighbor told Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach talked to neighbors and detectives who were still trying to piece together the bizarre circumstances.

Detective Rod Bryant said DeKalb County police still have a lot of questions.

"Was it a burglary? Was it a home invasion? Was it personal?" Bryant said. "We're trying to find out."

Bryant said the homeowner shot the intruder in the chest around 5:30 a.m. Thursday.

Bryant said the intruder smashed several windows and confronted the homeowner when he got inside.

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Another neighbor told Gehlbach he heard two gunshots about five seconds apart. Another neighbor, who didn't want to show his face, woke up to the gunfire.

"Then, all of a sudden, five or six cop cars and two ambulances come roaring in, sirens blazing," the neighbor said. "They were looking in the bushes for something or someone."

The man with the machete died. His identity has not been released.

Detectives interviewed and released the homeowner.

Police think the two were next door neighbors and knew each other.

Neighbors couldn't tell Gehlbach much about either family or if they had some kind of ongoing dispute.

Detectives did confirm that DeKalb police were called to the home by neighbors overnight about four hours before the shooting. Someone heard a scream during what may have been a party of a get-together.

An officer drove through the quiet neighborhood without finding anyone, or anything wrong.

Cox Media Group