



WHITE CENTER, Wash. – A suspected burglar is dead after the homeowner opened fire, killing him.



It happened early Monday morning just south of Seattle on 13the Avenue Southwest.



“We need patrol in this neighborhood,” said neighbor Dale Meadows. “For what it’s worth it’s a great place to stay, we just need a little patrol.”



Investigators say the call to 911 came around 2:30 this morning. The man inside the home believed several intruders were making their way into his home from a backyard window.



“Initially he thought there were three suspects,” said King County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Abbott. “So far the investigation is proving that not to be true, it just appears to be one suspect that acted alone at this time.”



Deputies say the 35-year-old homeowner, while on the phone to 911, opened fire with a gun killing the intruder.



So far investigators believe in this case, the homeowner was within his right to defend himself.



“You have every right to protect yourself or your family if you’re in fear for your life or safety, and it appears that’s what happened in this instance so far,” said Abbott.



“It’s good in the daytime but in the nighttime it’s not good,” said Meadows.



Meadows and several others living in this white center neighborhood tell Q13 News that burglaries and property crime are a troubling issue.



“I don’t know what it is about over here but it’s a magnet for trouble,” said Meadows.



While the investigation is ongoing the suspect and any criminal history has yet to be released by the sheriff’s office.



Meanwhile some in the neighborhood, who already feel uneasy about crime, wonder how the homeowner must feel after having to take a life to defend himself.



"I’m not glad he did it, but you got to do what you got to do,” said Meadows.



The KCSO shared data with Q13 News which showed burglaries in the area, both commercial and residential, were down year-to-year.