Renton Man Fires Three Shots To Ward Off Home Burglar

A Renton man’s home was burglarized twice in as many days, and the second time, the homeowner shot at the suspect.

On Tuesday, the owner of a home in the 200 block of Naches Avenue S.W. in the Earlington neighborhood returned to find he’d been burglarized, Renton Police said.

Shaken by the home invasion, he told police that he was unable to sleep that night.

He had reason to be worried.

On Wednesday, someone tried to break in again. This time, however, the resident was home and armed with a gun.

The second incident occurred about 10 a.m., said Renton Police Detective Robert Onishi.

The suspected burglar knocked on the front door. The homeowner peered outside but did not recognize the man knocking on the door, so he went upstairs. Shortly thereafter, the homeowner heard someone; however, he did not expect anyone else to be home.

The man grabbed his gun and stood at the top of the stairs. Eventually the burglar made his way toward the stairs and the two came face-to-face.

The homeowner took three shots. Police found a couple of rounds in the walls but are unsure if any of the rounds hit the suspect, who fled the home.

The suspect is still at large. He’s described as an African American man in his 20s, about 5-feet-7-inches with a thin build. During the burglary, the suspect wore a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants.

The incident follows several others in the region in which homeowners used their own guns to ward off burglars.

On March 30, a North Bend resident fatally shot a man who broke into his home and threatened to kill him.

And in Pierce County, a retired Puyallup police officer fatally shot someone who broke into his home April 4. The next day, homeowners near Gig Harbor and in Bonney Lake pulled guns when people tried to break into their homes, according to the Tacoma News Tribune.