Georgia homeowner fatally shoots 3 teens in masks who tried to rob him, sheriff's office says
FOX NEWS - A Georgia homeowner fatally shot three teenagers who were purportedly trying to rob him and two others on Monday night, officials said.
The teenagers — ages 15, 16 and 16 — approached the residence in Conyers, a city roughly 25 miles southeast of Atlanta, with their faces covered in masks, according to the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office.
The trio "attempted to rob three individuals in the front yard" of the home, and one of the teenagers "brandished a gun and fired shots" at those in the front yard.
One of the intended victims of the attempted robbery returned fire, shooting all three teenagers, authorities said in a news release. One of the teenagers died at the scene, while the two others died at a nearby hospital.
Sheriff Eric Levett said deputies responded to the scene after a report of shots fired. When they arrived, the dead teenager was bordering the street and the driveway, and one of the other teens who was shot "was a little bit down the street, where it appears he was running."
Investigators said the three people who were on the Conyers property and neighbors have been interviewed, but no one has been charged. Levett confirmed two weapons were found at the scene and told reporters it's possible this could be a "stand-your-ground" type of case, based upon preliminary information.
Witness Carlos Watson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he woke up to the "sounds of gunfire."
"I heard somebody yell for help ... then I heard it again, and that's when I came outside," Watson said. "There was one gentleman laid out and our neighbor Mr. Jenkins was helping him out."
He said the situation seems to have been "a home invasion that went bad for the invaders," and said the community is a "nice area" that doesn't see random crime often.
Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office at 770-278-8000.