An Indiana homeowner woke up Monday morning to find a hatchet-wielding intruder in his home. Not exactly the most pleasant way to start your day.
However, the homeowner, who hasn’t been identified, was ready to exercise his Second Amendment right and defend his life. After being woken up by the sound of an intruder breaking in, the man retrieved his firearm and confronted the intruder.
WSJV-TV reports the intruder arrived on a moped before he shattered the back window and broke into a residence in LaPorte County, Ind., Monday morning armed with a hatchet.
Following a tense confrontation, the homeowner opened fire and fatally shot the suspect, later identified as 23-year-old Jason Rabe. The suspect died at 9:15 a.m. of a gunshot wound to the upper left chest, according to LaPorte County Coroner John Sullivan.
The homeowner appeared to have the support of the local community.
“If someone is in [your] house, you have the second amendment right for a reason – to use it. Might as well,” local resident Michael Clizbe told WSJV-TV.
Others, like resident Steven O’Donnell, said the break-in worries him. “Definitely going to lock my doors every night,” he said.
While Rabe’s death has been ruled a homicide, LaPorte County Sheriff Mike Mollenhauer said he doesn’t expect charges to be filed against the homeowner.
“I don’t anticipate there would by any charges whatsoever,” he told the LaPorte County News.
The homeowner was reportedly “extremely upset” that he had to kill another man.
