Chicago Homeowner Kills Intruder: Self-Defense or Murder?

Screenshot of video of the crime scene from ABC 7 Chicago on YouTube.

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Earlier this morning on April 6, a Chicago homeowner in the South Deering neighborhood shot and killed an alleged burglar. The police are still investigating. This is what we know so far.

What Happened

According to police reports and CBSNews.com, a homeowner was inside his residence when an unidentified man broke in. At about 1:30 am, the homeowner heard noises and went to see what it was. That’s when he stumbled upon the alleged home invader. And the situation turned dangerous.

Instead of running, the burglar “charged” the homeowner, according to him. Fearing for his life, the homeowner shot once and hit the intruder in the chest. After the suspect was down, the homeowner called 911.

When officers arrived minutes later, they found the home invader splayed out and unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The 33-year-old homeowner was questioned but released pending further investigation. The police have not made any claims regarding the homeowner’s FOID Card or if he has one. Since he wasn’t charged for illegally possessing a firearm, it’s likely he possessed the weapon legally. Either way, public sentiment is often split in these cases.

So far, the police have not claimed the suspect was armed, and this complicates the story for some. While a few people sometimes question the legality of shooting an unarmed suspect, others agree that using deadly force to stop a “charging” home invader doesn’t break the law or morals. Still, because the suspect may have been unarmed in this case, this case requires investigators to dig a little deeper.

The Takeaway

A Chicago homeowner shot and killed an alleged home invader today at 1:30 am. Currently, investigators are reviewing Ring camera footage to determine the suspect’s point of entry to the home. After a preliminary investigation, the Chicago Police chose not to charge the homeowner. However, the death investigation continues which is normal in cases where a homeowner kills an intruder, especially one that might have been unarmed. It’s unlikely the homeowner will be charged with murder. As far as possessing the weapon, since he wasn’t arrested at the scene, his firearm is likely legal. The details are still developing.

Jermaine Reed, MFA is an educator and the Editor-in-Chief of TheReedersBlock. Take time to Subscribe. It helps promote independent journalism and the site. Follow him on TikTok, where he has over 9 million views and nearly 1 million likes. Help him get there.

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