A Florida homeowner fatally shot two intruders and wounded a third when the men broke into his home while he played video games early Friday, authorities said.
Luis Casado and Khyle Durham, both 21, were killed after breaking into the Wesley Chapel home around 12:43 a.m. Friday, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. A third man, 19-year-old Jeremiah Tramel, was wounded and taken to a Tampa hospital.
Tramel was charged with two counts of second-degree homicide and one count of home invasion robbery, WTSP reported.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the homeowner said he was playing video games when he heard the glass of his laundry room door shatter, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The man said he saw an arm reach inside to unlock the door, so he grabbed his gun and walked toward the door, WFTS reported.
The homeowner said when he saw a masked main walk in and aim a weapon at him, he shot the intruder, the Times reported. According to Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, a second masked intruder entered the house and the homeowner said he also fired at him.
The homeowner said he then saw a third intruder enter and began firing again, the newspaper reported. The man ran away but was intercepted by a neighbor, who intervened after receiving a call for help from the homeowner.
The third intruder, later identified as Tramel, was held at gunpoint until Pasco County deputies arrived, WFTS reported.
According to an arrest report, “The victim advised he shot all three intruders because they were armed and forced entry into his home and he believed they were going to kill him.”
Casado and Durham were pronounced dead at the scene.
Nocco said authorities believe the invasion was targeted and that Casado and Durham had “violent histories.”
Deputies did not identify the homeowner because of their interpretation of Marsy’s Law, a constitutional amendment that protects crime victims but also deprives the public of information, the Times reported.
“It’s a sad reality of the world we live in today, but you have the right to protect yourself in your home,” Nocco told reporters. “We are in this together, we are united.”
Cox Media Group
