Homeowner Shoots and Kills Would-Be Robber Who Held His Family at Gunpoint, Cops Say

A 27-year-old Texas man was shot and killed while attempting to rob a home, police said. Terrence Ellies, of Port Arthur, was shot by the homeowner and pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.

Ellies had been one of three suspects that had allegedly forced their way into a home Sunday night and held a Port Arthur family at gunpoint, Beaumont Enterprise reported.

Two young children, including a 5-year-old boy, and their mother were reportedly in the home at the time, WWLTV reported.

When the 29-year-old home owner heard the commotion from another room, he armed himself with a rifle and confronted the robbers in order to protect his family, authorities said.

He fired several shots that struck Ellies. The two other suspects fled the scene.

No one else was injured, authorities said.

Authorities believed the home invasion was targeted, and the suspects may have known the homeowner, WWLTV reported.

A motive has not been released, and an autopsy has been ordered for Ellies, KBTV reported.

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