Resident shoots, kills attempted burglar at West Melbourne apartment

Police in West Melbourne are investigating after an attempted burglary turned into a deadly shooting inside an apartment complex early Sunday morning.

According to the West Melbourne Police Department, officers responded to an apartment at the Reserves of Melbourne off Doherty Drive for reports of a shooting inside an apartment.

Officers learned that multiple, possibly armed, subjects had forcefully entered an apartment. According to police, one suspect had a gun.

The apartment’s resident, armed with their own firearm, shot multiple times and struck two of the subjects.

One was transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead. The second person who was shot also went to the hospital, where they are currently being treated.

Many in the neighborhood were caught off guard. “Oh my God. Sick, wow,” said Sarah Goodman, who has a relative in the apartment complex.

“I noticed six police cars and the yellow tape way out there,” Miles Svikhart, a resident, said. “Yes, it’s very scary,” a resident said.

After getting over the initial shock, people we talked to felt like the people in the apartment really had no choice.

“I mean, I’m a proud Second Amendment person myself. So if you invade my home, I’m going to protect my space,” Goodman said.

“The homeowner had to do something,” Svikhart said. “It’s self-defense. That’s why you have a gun. If he didn’t have that gun, I’m sure he’d be in a lot more trouble.”

At this point, no charges have been filed against the person who shot the home invaders. The State Attorney’s Office will handle that decision.

In the meantime, police are working to find out the motive and if they knew each other.

West Melbourne police say at least three people were in the apartment at the time of the home invasion. No one involved in the incident has been identified.