Homeowner Forced To Defend His Own Life After “Friend” Breaks Into Home, Starts Fight

WAYNESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA — A 72-year-old homeowner was woken up late at night by the unexpected entrance of someone he knew. Kenneth C. Jones, 54, was alleged to have illegally entered the man’s home and entered his bedroom. The homeowner woke up and was mystified why this person was in his home. The intruder moved to the computer room and the homeowner got his gun.

“That’s when I told him ‘You better get out of here,’” he said. “He did not leave. That’s when I told him, ‘I’ll call the sheriff’s office.’ He did not leave. Then he started fighting me.”

According to testimony given to Citizen-Times, the homeowner was forced to defend himself with a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun after his friend attacked him after refusing to leave the premises. The struggle ended with three gunshots, two confirmed hits center mass.

“I just shot a guy who broke into my home … I shot three times … He’s on my kitchen floor bleeding,” according to audio from the phone call.

The homeowner noted that he knew the man, there had been an altercation after the man had illegally entered his home, and there was at least one exit wound from the three gunshots. In a frantic call to 911, he recalled that the man was bleeding out on his floor.

By the time deputies arrived, Jones was dead.

Investigators are still looking into the details of this case but the outward appearance is that this is a clean cut self-defense incident. It sounds like the friend was not mentally well and had certainly demonstrated some amount of violent intent — enough to warrant the need for self-defense.

These are the sort of complicated situations that can arise and force a law-abiding gunowner into a very difficult position. How do we deal with another person who is mentally unstable, especially when we know them personally?

The 72-year-old homeowner had to fit his hearing aide into his ear during the 911 call but the dispatcher noted he had been screaming loudly into the phone — very frantic himself after having to defend his life unexpectedly and from someone he knew personally at that.

A very difficult situation and a tough one to anticipate. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected in this situation.