Burlington homeowner confronts axe-wielding man with shotgun

BURLINGTON, N.C. — No one was injured Sunday morning when a man showed up at another man’s doorstep with an axe, according to Burlington police.

Around 9 a.m., officers with the Burlington Police Department responded to a home in the 700 block of Edinburgh Court.

According to investigators, the suspect used an axe he found in the yard to try to break in the back door of the home, which was occupied. The homeowner confronted the suspect with a shotgun and pointed it at him, according to police.

The suspect, identified as William Lawrence Cowan, 29, of W. Front Street, fled the scene on foot.

Cowan was arrested and charged with breaking or entering a building with the intent to commit felony/larceny. He was being held at the Alamance County Detention Center under a $5,000 bond.


Suspected burglar shot after breaking into Gulfport house

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) – Gulfport Police are investigating a shooting after a man was shot at a home on West Virginia Avenue Saturday morning.

Authorities say the man who was shot reportedly broke into the home. After being spotted by the tenant who lives there, police said a struggle ensued and a gun was fired.

The suspect who broke into the home was shot but was able to run away from the house, said authorities. He made it about two blocks before falling. He was taken by AMR to Memorial Hospital. His current condition is unknown.

Police say the suspect may be linked to other break-ins around north Gulfport. They also believe this is the second time he forced his way into this particular home.