Police said a husband, wife, and their three children were asleep when an intruder broke a window and entered their home in Spanish Fort, Alabama, around 12:15 a.m. Saturday.
“The homeowner was awakened by his wife, who believed she heard somebody make an entry into the house,” Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber told WALA-TV. Spanish Fort is about 15 minutes southeast of Mobile.
‘The homeowner took what we believe was a reasonable step to protect himself and his family.’
Barber added to the station that the homeowner fired one shot and hit the intruder in the upper abdomen, after which the homeowner immediately called 911.
Turns out the intruder is a 17-year-old male, WALA added.
“Our officers were able to apply chest seals to the individual that was suffering from the gunshot wound,” the chief explained to the station. “It was a substantial wound. He was airlifted to University Hospital. At this time, we believe he is critical, but stable.”
Barber told WALA the teen appeared to have broken in through one of the front windows of the home on Caisson Trace. He added to the station that the teen and homeowner don’t know each other and that the incident appears to be random.
“Based on the initial investigation, we believe the teen was under the influence of some substance — we’re not sure exactly what … but we do believe he was under the influence of something,” Barber told WALA. “Earlier that night, he was at a residence on that street with some of his friends. He left that residence and made entry into this other one. We were not able to talk to him and find out what he was thinking or not thinking because he was, again, wounded, so that’s going to be a part of the investigation.”
The chief called the situation a “tragedy” for all parties, the station said.
“A husband and a wife, three kids, who were asleep in their house,” Barber told WALA. “Your house is your castle. The wife awakens to shattering glass — what a scary situation it is. So the husband [is] protecting his home — doing what he did.”
The station said Alabama’s Stand Your Ground Law allows individuals to use force — including deadly force — if they believe they are in imminent danger and that deadly physical force is being used or is about to be used against them in a place they’re legally allowed to be.
“Inside your residence, you don’t have to retreat,” Barber told WALA. “The homeowner took what we believe was a reasonable step to protect himself and his family. Eventually this will be presented to a grand jury to make sure this was the case, but that’s the initial investigation.”
The chief noted to the station that investigators are working to determine the teen’s charges and that “we hope that he pulls through.”
You can view a video report here about the incident.
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Home invasion, Intruder, Break in, Alabama, Self-defense, Teen male shot, Family asleep, 2nd amend., Guns, Gun rights, Crime