NORTH ST. LOUIS, MO — A 74-year-old homeowner was shocked to have his home come under fire after defending it against a young thug, shooting and killing him.
The drive-by attack appears to be in retaliation to the man’s choice to defend himself, although no one was hurt.
According to KMOV:
A neighbor who didn’t wanted to be identified because of fear for his safety, spoke to News 4.
“Two o’clock in the morning, roughly two something in the morning there was some gunfire in the house, whether it was retaliation or whatever it was,” said the neighbor…
Just after 4:30 p.m., police said 26-year-old Freddric Smith, of the 2600 block of Burd, was shot in his side after attempting to rob a man. He was taken to the hospital and listed in critical, unstable condition immediately following the shooting but was later pronounced dead.
The 74-year-old homeowner told police he was in his backyard when Smith forced him inside his home at gunpoint and demanded property. Once inside the home, the victim got his gun and exchanged gunfire with the suspect. The neighbor said the victim had warned him about criminal activity in the area, shortly before the home invasion.
“Had concerns about young men breaking into people’s houses. And he had told me that twenty minutes before everything happened,” said the neighbor.
The 74-year-old homeowner was shot in the neck by the robber but was treated and released from the hospital Sunday evening. A 74-year-old woman was inside the home at the time of the shooting and was not injured.
Retaliatory attacks against those not involved in criminal activity are not common, but they do happen.
The easiest thing that we as responsibly-armed citizens can do to counter this is ensure the possession of sufficient firearms so that when your gun is taken for the investigation, you’re still armed and ready to defend yourself and your family.
It also helps to invest the time to get to know your neighbors — a vigilant community is a safe one!
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