Alabama men shot in break-in attempt: "A Colbert County homeowner shot two men who reportedly were trying to break into his house early Wednesday, leaving both hospitalized recovering from multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said. Three Florence men face charges over the break-in bid, Colbert County Sheriff Ronnie May said. Charged with second-degree burglary were: Justin Peake, 22, 330 Reddoch Road, Florence; Holland Noah Elkins, 19, Darby Drive, Florence; Jason Douglas Reynolds, 18, 127 Patsy Drive, Florence. Peake was in critical condition at Huntsville Hospital on Wednesday night, while Elkins had surgery and was transferred to a private room at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence and was in stable condition. Authorities said the homeowner reported that the men were trying to kick in the back door at his home at 6720 Second St. The break-in occurred around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Investigators said the homeowner shot Peake and Elkins multiple times with a 9 mm pistol after they kicked in the back door of the residence, which is just past East Colbert Baptist Church. The sheriff said neither Peake nor Elkins were armed. Peake, who was found lying in the yard, was flown to Huntsville Hospital, where he remains in the intensive care unit. May said Peake's Mercedes was found by Florence police on Reddock Road in Florence, which is in the affluent Heathrow subdivision. "We were able to locate the driver (Reynolds), and he was interviewed by investigators and admitted that he took (Peake and Elkins) to the residence to burglarize the residence," May said."


North Carolina Store Owner Shoots Suspected Robbers: "The Catawba County Sheriff's Office said a business owner shot and killed a suspected robber, and hurt another one. Deputies said it happened at 3:15 a.m. Saturday. Randy Willis, owner of Willis Packaging on Highway 10, went to his store because the alarm was going off. When Willis got there, deputies said he saw a man coming out of his store with a shotgun. Willis and the robber struggled, and deputies said Willis pulled out a pistol and shot the robber, killing him. Deputies said another robber, 52-year-old Arnold Ray Jr., had broken into the store. Ray jumped Willis, and Willis shot him as well, this time in the shoulder. Deputies said the two men had broken into the store through the front window. They also said a woman, Jean Holman, dropped the two men off. Holman is charged with breaking and entering and larceny. The sheriff's office said Ray was taken to the hospital. Authorities have not released the deceased man's name. Authorities said Willis hurt several ribs during the altercations, but did not go to the hospital. Ray is charged with breaking and entering, larceny, robbery and kidnapping. Willis was not charged. Deputies said the case will be handed over to the district attorney.


FL: Storeowner Chases, Shoots At Armed Robbers: "Two men came in to John's Variety, 208 4th St. N., at about 8 p.m. Saturday, says Silva. Their faces were covered with something resembling a ninja mask, he says. They pointed what looked like a .45 caliber handgun at him. "They told me and a customer to 'get on the floor, give me your money,'" says Silva on the phone while tending to a customer looking for Tylenol. "I moved as if going down on the floor, reached for my gun, stood back up with the .380 in my hands and they ran like jackrabbits." Silva, 53, says he followed the men out of the store. "I let three rounds go," he says. "Unfortunately, I missed them." Not long after Silva chased the would-be robbers, St. Petersburg police arrested two men they say tried to rob the store. One, Benjamin Roland Jones, 19, 934 10th Ave. S., was picked up on Central Avenue. The other, Cory Jay Smith 21, was found hiding in a nearby lake and received a minor bite from a police K-9 dog, police said. Smith, 985 Melrose Ave. S., is being held in the Pinellas County Jail on a bond of $50,000. A former cook aboard the submarine U.S.S. Andrew Jackson and, more recently, a Merchant Marine, Silva says his actions were partly the result of his military training, partly instinctual."


Florida: Woman shoots home invader through abdomen: "Lynn Haven police were looking Friday for two suspects in a home invasion and attempted robbery. Melissa Galarza, of 817 Bradford Circle, answered a knock on her door Thursday evening, and two white males charged into the home and demanded "the money," a Lynn Haven officer wrote in an incident report. One of the men punched Galarza in the face twice and knocked her to the floor. The men covered her mouth to keep her from screaming and kept demanding the money, reports said. While on the floor, Galarza remembered she had a gun within reach on the bottom shelf of her coffee table. She drew the weapon, and the two men backed off before charging at her again. Galarza said she fired in self-defense, and the men fled her home together, report said. Galarza suffered minor injuries in the incident, officials said. Galarza's bullet went through the abdomen of one of the suspects, 26-year-old Matthew Andrews, officials said. Andrews went to a local hospital, where he was treated for his injuries. While at the hospital, Andrews was met by the Panama City Police Department and an investigator questioned him about the wound, said Capt. Mark Aviles."