Argentina's fiery debate about self-defence was reignited on Saturday, as the country awoke to the news that a 16-year-old teenager had been shot dead, after being caught carrying out a robbery.

The teenager, identified later only as Yoel, was allegedly attempting to rob the home of a doctor in the City neighbourhood of Parque Chacabuco.

The 16-year-old died early Saturday morning from gunshot wounds to the head.

The owner of the home, Doctor Ernesto Crescenti, has been placed under investigation for the shooting.

On Tuesday, family and friends of the slain teenager bid him farewell with a dramatic funeral procession in the Zavaleta shantytown — also known as '21-24'.

Yoel's body was transported through the neighbourhood in an ambulance and taken to the Flores cemetery for burial. Video footage later emerged on social networks, allegedly showing locals firing commemorative gunshots into the air.

"If we had arrested him beforehand, today he'd be alive," a source close to the police investigation told Perfil.com this week, confirming that investigators were sure the young man had been involved in the break-in at Crescenti's house.

Press reports this weekend alleged Yoel was previously a member of a violent gang specialising in car theft.

Investigators believe Yoel and other gang members entered Crescenti's home at around 8.50pm on Friday evening in Parque Chacabuco, which is five kilometres from the Zavaleta villa.

Crescenti was returning from a holiday to Punta del Este in Uruguay. His daughter had driven him home from the airport, before he clashed with the gang.

The doctor, who says he was fired upon twice before returning fire with a Glock revolver, is a respected oncologist.

-TIMES/PERFIL