SUMNER COUNTY, TENNESSEE — Sumner county deputies confirmed that a homeowner was shot and killed in an ensuing gun battle after he discovered a window in his home had been broken and he went inside to investigate. Once inside, deputies pieced together that the homeowner discovered a man who had been suspected of robbing a bank in Bowling Green, Kentucky. A gun fight broke out and both subjects were killed.
This entire story had been reconstructed from the crime scene as county deputies responded to neighbors who had come to check up on their friend whom they had expected to meet later in the day for fireworks and a barbecue. According to the Tennessean, once they discovered their friend dead on the ground, they contacted authorities promptly.
Sumner County Sheriff Sonny Weatherford spoke to the Tennessean and told the news about how deputies figured out what likely went on. The homeowner was a truck driver who had just returned home and it looks like the bank robber was looking for an easy score in an empty residence.
Both encountered each other roughly in a short period of time.
Gun battles at close range are extremely fatal for all parties involved. Chances are good, both were surprised by the presence of the other and responded in kind.
The man who broke into the home had also been accused of robbing a bank in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He made a daring escape from authorities but the police took out his getaway van and captured his driver. Robbing empty homes was probably the only way he could stay on the lam and under the radar. That bet did not pay off for him.
It’s unfortunate that the homeowner died in the ensuring struggle for his life and his property, especially after just getting off the road and looking forward to some well-deserved downtime. It’s just one more reason we can never let our guard down when returning home after being away for awhile.
But seriously, what are the bloody chances that a truck driver returning home just so happens to run into the one armed, escaped bank robber trolling around the back country of Tennessee? That’s some fantastic bad luck. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends.