A Florida homeowner shot and killed two home invasion suspects on July 10 morning, officials said.
The homeowner, who was not identified, was playing video games at 1 a.m. when he heard glass breaking, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said. Three suspected armed robbers then entered the premises, located in Wesley Chapel.
According to Sheriff Chris Nocco, the homeowner grabbed a gun and saw a suspect in his hall wearing a ski mask, pointing a gun at him, reported Fox35 in Orlando. The homeowner fired and the suspect went down, officials said.
The homeowner then saw a second suspect pointing a gun at him, the sheriff said. Nocco said that at one point, the second suspect opened fire, causing the homeowner to return fire, killing the suspect.
A third suspect was also shot by the homeowner, the sheriff said.
At that point, the gun jammed, forcing the homeowner to find another weapon, the sheriff’s office said. When he returned, he noticed the third suspect left his home.
The homeowner said he got a phone call from a neighbor who informed him that he was holding the third suspect outside at gunpoint.
Deputies arrived at 1 a.m., saying the two suspects died at the scene. The third suspect was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive, according to the report.
“The victim advised he shot all three intruders because they were armed and forced entry into his home and he believed they were going to kill him,” said an arrest report, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The two intruders who died were identified as 21-year-old Khyle Durham and 21-year-old Luis Casado. Jeremiah Tramel, 19, was the third suspect who was shot and in the hospital, the report said.
Both Casado and Durham had violent criminal backgrounds, Fox35 reported.
Nocco said investigators believe that the homeowner might have been targeted, saying that he posted photos of his guns on social media. Nocco said that the homeowner appears to know the intruders.
“This is not a total random situation,” he remarked. “This is not out of the norm of their activities to use violence,” he added.
He didn’t elaborate.
Authorities told CBS Tampa that the homeowner was identified as a teenager.
Tramel was arrested for two counts of felony murder and one count of home invasion robbery, according to the report.
Nocco told the Fox affiliate that the State Attorney’s Office is investigating.
