A Tampa Bay homeowner and gamer was interrupted by three masked and armed men as he played video games, resulting in the anonymous homeowner shooting two of the men dead and wounding another who is now under arrest and facing charges.
Early last Friday morning, the homeowner was awake and playing video games until he heard the glass of his laundry room door shatter. Seeing an arm reach to unlock the door, the homeowner went for a firearm to defend himself.
He grabbed a weapon and fired on the three intruders, fatally wounding two of the men.
Two 21 year old men, Luis Casado and Khyle Durham, were both killed after breaking into the Wesley Chapel home, according to Fox23.
Police say Jeremiah Tramel, 19, survived the shooting and was taken to a Tampa hospital. Tramel has been charged with two counts of second-degree homicide and one count of home invasion robbery, according to WTSP.
The homeowner shot the first two men in quick succession before firing on Tramel until his gun jammed. Police say that Tramel ran out the house, wounded, where a neighbor held the teenager at gunpoint while the homeowner hurried to find another gun.
The two men held Tramel until authorities were dispatched to the scene. Tramel has since been arrested, and will also be held responsible for the death of his two alleged accomplices.
In a Facebook post, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office stated:
Preliminary information indicates that three armed suspects attempted to enter a house, where they were then shot by the home owner. Two suspects succumbed to their injuries at the scene, while one remains in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
All parties involved are accounted for and there is no threat to the public.
https://www.facebook.com/pascosheriff/videos/200998691295536/
Discussing the charges filed against Tramel, Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said that “He is accountable for the deaths because it was during the commission of a felony that he was involved in that those two people died.”
When referring to the deceased home intruders, Sheriff Nocco added, “These two individuals have very violent criminal histories, extremely violent.”
The homeowner believed he was a target because he was a gun enthusiast who would regularly post his firearms to social media.
Sheriff Nocco hinted at there being a preexisting relationship between the intruders and the victim.
The investigation is ongoing.