Two injured, one arrested in shooting on Wilkie St. in Lafayette
Lafayette Police are continuing to investigate a shooting Wednesday afternoon on Wilkie Street in which two people were injured.
Officers say they were dispatched to a burglary in progress at a residence in the 200 block of Wilkie Street around 12:03 pm on Wednesday. The victim was inside his residence when two people forced entry into his home, police say.
The victim armed himself with a handgun and fired shots, striking the two individuals, police say. They then fled the home and sought medical attention for their injuries at a local hospital. They remain in the hospital as of Wednesday night, a spokesperson says.
A third person, Antonio McClelland, 21, has been arrested and booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on one count of principal to aggravated battery and one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.
Police originally said three people were in custody. They say the investigation is ongoing and further arrests are expected.
‘I have the right to protect myself:’ [Spanaway] Washington man shoots, kills suspected home burglar
SPANAWAY, Wash. – A resident shot and killed a home intruder in Spanaway early Thursday, and a second suspect escaped, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies said the 31-year-old resident, Jerahme Smith, shot at two men who tried to break into his house near A St. E. and 165th St. E. around 4:00 a.m.
The homeowner told police he shot at the suspects as they kicked in his back door. The intruders then ran into the front yard where deputies later found one of the suspects dead. The other suspect ran off.
Smith said he has been renting the home with his wife and children for the past three years. Smith explained he and his sister were in the house when the suspects kicked down the back door. Smith said he acted in self-defense.
“When everything first started, the first thing I had to do was take a few breaths and calm myself down because I knew it could have gone one of two ways. I didn’t know who they were, I didn’t know what they had, but the first thing I did–and it’s the honest to God truth–is I took a few breaths to myself. That way I knew I was calm enough to make a proper judgment decision,” said Smith.
Investigators have not released any further information about the suspects but said that the man who died was 24-years-old.
While detectives continue investigating the case, Smith said he will continue standing by his actions.
“It kind of goes back to your rights. I have the right to carry and I have the right to protect myself and I have the right to protect my property,” said Smith. “Protect yourself. That doesn’t mean go looking for it, that means just be ready.”
People who live in the area said crime has been increasing in the neighborhood. One man said he recently bought security lights and a surveillance camera to help protect his home.
“If it ain’t one thing it’s another,” said the man, who asked to keep his identity private. “That kind of upsets me that we have this kind of crime going on in the neighborhood. It’s not a good feeling because we don’t know—it could be something happening tomorrow, tonight, you know? Same ol’ thing.”