I just saw this story... happened in my home town. I believe the gentleman whose home was invaded was about 80 years old.

UPDATE: Elderly Man Defends Himself in Home Invasion, 1 Person D - WBOY - Clarksburg, Morgantown: News, Sports, Weather

This is pretty much all I have at this time, the story broke too late for the daily newspaper, and details were a little sketchy at the time this was posted. I'll see what other media reports may have surfaced since this went online.

Edit at 4:12 pm...From another local tv channel:

WDTV.COM 5 News: FIRST ON 5 UPDATE: One Dead, One Injured, Another Charged After Home Invasion Robbery

Edit at 6:07 pm: Here is a local newspaper link on the above story.

Police: Self-defense used in fatal Fairmont shooting | News | timeswv.com

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

I love a story with a happy ending!


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Good for him!

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C & L

Wonder if that punk will be sporting that pink hairdo at the viewing?

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Good shooting pops!

Kudos to that old timer!

Before you start giving this armed citizen too much applause remember 2 of the 3 didn't go to meet their maker.

I'm glad he escaped unharmed and he was mentally prepared to do what he needed to do.

I hope he doesn't make any statements unless it's through an attorney.

You know the drill when the families start claiming they were good students and looking for a payday.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

Good advice, StakeOut, and it's been less than 24 hours since this happened. Although this is my hometown, and my former PD is investigating, I know only what was released to the media. I'm sure I'll hear more details later, but I get the sense that the police are not interested in pursuing criminal charges against the homeowner. Hey, the guy is 80 years old!!

"Detectives said as a result of their investigation, it appears the homeowner had reason to believe that his use of force was necessary to defend himself against a perceived imminent use of unlawful deadly force, according to the press release."

Sounds like a statement crafted by a defense attorney, not the police.

Anyway, I'll keep any new developments in the case posted here. I'm interested in this sort of thing. West Virginia is a little like your adopted State of Texas, and just the opposite of your old State of New York!!!

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

The old saying about don't mess with old guys, they will just shoot whomever is giving them problems must be true. Way to go old timer, maybe the hoodlums will think twice before a home invasion or break in the next time.

Damned meth heads. Nice to see this senior citizen prevail in his own home against these low life, convict drug addicts. These thugs think nothing of victimizing people in their own homes; vile scum. Sad situation all around.

It's amazing how many times these types of home invasions occur every day in this country. But hey, if we only could get these guns off the street we could reduce this kind if 'gun violence,' right...?

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NRA Life Member

Great post Les. Stories like that is great medicine for people sick of the lawlessness in this country. My friend, thanks so much!

David

Note the tactic of the robbers, they had the woman ring the door bell as she would seem less of a threat.

This story of US seniors citizens fighting off Costa Rican armed robbers is my favorite.

Police: Retired U.S. Tourist in Costa Rica Kills Mugger With Bare Hands | Fox News

It was a great story with a happy ending. Here is another news article on it with a little more information, some of which helps explain some details a little clearer:

Tourist Kills Mugger With Bare Hands - washingtonpost.com

That's a good story, bigwheelzip, just can't take old folks for granted anymore!

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Especially those that have been trained in hand-to-hand combat by Uncle Sam.

Update, 4/20/2016, 9:25 am:

Here is the updated story in today's local newspaper. Police are not planning on pressing charges against the 80 year old homeowner, and the Prosecutor believes that he will not press charges either, except against the surviving home invaders/armed robbers.

Police: Self-defense used in fatal shooting | News | timeswv.com

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Probably the method the three (now, only two) hoodlums had previously employed to gain access to homes they intended to rob. I live in a relatively safe community, but always lock the front door, even when home. My rottweiler/Shepherd mix barks whenever anyone is within 50 feet of my front door, so I have advance warning if there are strangers about the premises. Would I have opened the door to a "damsel in distress" ? Possibly...but I would have a) the dog next to me....b) a brief discussion through the door as to the motive of the person on the other side..and c) a means of "other" protection close at hand if I have been snookered. .

Good for the 80 year old homeowner! Me being less than 8 years younger than him, he has become my new hero...with a .38 revolver in his back pocket!

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C & L

I'm glad he's being cleared, but the only way I'm opening the door at midnight, is to a neighbor I trust or a cop or fireman in uniform. Everyone else gets a 911 call.

Would be quite ironic if the weapon used by the homeowner was an S&W Victory, wouldn't it....final score, homeowner 1, thugs 0.

At that time of night be careful even with someone dressed in a LEO's uniform or a fireman .. outfits like that can be easily bought and have been used in the past in robberies .. My German Shepherd Dog would be right at the door

I wouldn't open the door for either unless I had a really good idea why they were there and that they showed identification before I would unlock a door .. I live out in the country no neighbors for 1/2 mile .. no reason anyone should be around knocking on my door ..

Good luck to him. Hope he keeps his mouth shut and hires a good attorney. That official statement from the authorities sounds a little lukewarm.

First lesson learned: Never commit an armed robbery with a BB gun.

Today's local paper has an update of the case. Turns out that the home invasion was not their first violent crime of the evening. They had just robbed and brutalized a man just half an hour earlier, about 3 blocks away.

Suspect in home invasion charged with second robbery | News | timeswv.com

Interesting gossip. Man I was talking to this morning knows the 80 year old victim. He says that he is a Navy veteran. Sometimes still goes to the local VFW, which is near his home. Apparently his money is no good there anymore. At his age he can't drink all of the drinks folks want to buy him.

Also, the gun he used was a 5 shot .38 special. Man I talked to did not know the make or model, but he still had two shots left when the altercation was over.

I'll keep you posted of any new developments. Pretty interesting case for me because it's my hometown, and because of my involvement with police work.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

That's a good point about impersonators, and verification. I'll keep it in mind for the future.

We don't have a dog, but we never answer a knock at the door unarmed, and I back-up my husband from cover if someone unexpected knocks. It's a simple enough precaution to take, and has become as habitual as always CC'ing.

He's wary enough of danger to have his revolver at the ready, but guileless enough to open his home to a stranger at midnight? Odd disjunction.

Happy the homeowner is safe and a couple bad guys got theirs, though...

80 year olds can have lapses in judgement,especially if they are tired.Good for him!

Surprisingly, most people open their doors without guns or guard dogs present, and nothing happens.
Disparity of force alone would make this self defense, but you have to expect the police to investigate completely before announcing any thing. And even then, the cops don't make the call.

Well this 73 year old has no lapses in memory or judgement.

I'll put one between your running lights and not hesitate doing it.

Judged by 12 or carried by 6,it's mostly your choice

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

Bearing in mind that REAL uniformed police officers and firefighters arrive in official vehicles, which should be parked outside. In the business, we called it a clue.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

Except my home has no view of the street or vehicle parking area, just trees, lawn, and pool. Clues begin at the door peephole for some people.

Goes without saying. But instead of comparing this incident to all front door knocks happening everyday, I wonder what the stats are on incidents in which a stranger is attempting to gain entrance into someone's home in the middle of the night, using one of the oldest con job lines in the book, turning out to be innocent and harmless...my guess is the "nothing happens" numbers plummet.

Quite true -- often as people age the ability to recognize subtle humor, irony and deception diminishes.

What's interesting here is he clearly had the sound judgment to presume the possibility of mortal danger and prepare himself, and the poor judgment to still open the door needlessly.

Many of us live in buildings where the parking lots aren't visible from where our doors or windows are ..

So your clue wouldn't help !! In life we call it being careful !!

This is terrible...he was only able to shoot two out of three.

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Back to back World War Champs.

Caution is always the first line of defense. I didn't mean that as advice to the blind, either. If you can look, look. Otherwise, use whatever cues are available and proceed with caution.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

Well he shot straight enough to kill one of them and come out the other side alive so I'd call that good enough.

I solve my "who's at my door?" things by just doing open carry around my place and a lot of the rural neighborhood I live in,all my friends know I carry and don't give a flip,and most of the rest know and feel the same.

And I'd venture that if someone came here looking for trouble they would find it,if you don't get shot you will get a beating these country boys I live around are some rough folks if you get them started

Actually why I love living here in WV.....

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Life's a grave,dig it!

So from an LEO's perspective, you believe he ****ed up
by not killing everybody involved?
Seems to me he did fine.
He is still drawing breath and he protected himself and his
property. Legally !!

Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

Something tells me that the survivors were just getting their lives together.

Kronos: I'm pretty proud of our state!! Always glad to see other posters from WV.

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Yea I'm the odd guy because I was born in California and moved here when I was sixteen back in 1991 and been here ever since.

And no matter where I go in my travels I always am glad to get back here.

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Life's a grave,dig it!

Rich old tourists can't defend themselves.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I live just outside of a small town. Whenever someone asks for help I answer through the kitchen window and say I'll call 911 for them. They always leave quickly. A drugged-out couple once came to the door. After suggesting 911, they got weird, so I set my pistol on the window sill. Yeah, they left quickly.

Not necessarily. Vehicles can be parked a few doors down. But almost always on-duty cops will have a portable two-way radio and they can have their dispatcher call your phone and/or they can turn-up the volume so you can hear the radio traffic. You can then ask the officers what their non-emergency dispatch phone number is and call the dispatcher. You can also ask them the name of their assistant chief or under sheriff or chief deputy -- something a crook would likely not know. Better yet, conduct the conversation via closed and locked door. The more the officers or firemen insist that your open the door, the more you should suspect something unusual is occurring.

That 80 year old was sharp !! Yes he opened the door but who knows what the young girl said to him, seems he was trying to be helpful. I also know in many places the the 2 survivors would be charged with murder seeing how their accomplice got killed while they were all committing a felony but I'm not sure how or where that law works. It's easy to play armchair quarterback after the fact, but I can't, I just can't say what I'd do unless in the same exact situation.

Would make Walt Kowalski proud.
Any one who would victimize the old folks are animals. Not good ones, but beasts.
Jim

This is the kind of story that gives Hilary a seizure.


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Actually, this is the kind of story that gives anti-gunners confidence that no citizen should own a gun. No logic involved.

Opps, I forgot, the senseless killing of a guy with a BB gun. But we know, as the song goes, "he had it comin".

Just a quick update to the original story: the surviving home invaders were indicted this week by a local Grand Jury, on both the home invasion charges, and a previous brutal robbery committed shortly before the home invasion. I'll try to find some links to local news stories.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064