Man fatally shot after allegedly trying to break into Essex home

ESSEX, Md. —
A man is dead after attempting to break into a home in Essex Saturday night. At around 9:45 pm, Baltimore County police responded to the 1000 block of Middlesex Road for reports of a shooting.

When officers arrived, they located an adult male suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives believe the man who was shot was attempting to break into the resident’s home. The homeowner then fired his gun, hitting the suspect, police said.

A neighbor who asked to remain anonymous recalled the moment she heard gunshots in the area. “I have been living here for 56 years, and it has changed within five years. It’s gone straight down the hill,” the neighbor said.

Randolph Rice, a Maryland trial attorney, said the state does not have a “castle doctrine,” but there are laws for self-defense. “What the courts have established and what the legislature has established is that there is a self-defense with deadly force defense when it comes to your home,” Rice said.

He said the Maryland State’s Attorney will determine if the homeowner believed they were in danger and if the person was indeed breaking in.

“If the homeowner believed that somebody was coming in the house and posing that threat, maybe with another weapon or some other device, or maybe just knowing that this person was a dangerous individual that could or has caused harm in the past, then yes, the homeowner could use that deadly force to protect themselves,” Rice said.