CLEVELAND, Ohio — A 26-year-old homeowner fatally shot an armed robber early today in the homeowner's driveway in the city's North Collinwood neighborhood.

The robbery suspect, 23-year-old Waymone Williams, had been ordered by a judge to take a one-day class about the consequences of carrying a gun to commit a crime. The homeowner had a concealed-carry permit.

Williams, of East 120th Street, had one prior criminal case. He pleaded guilty in December to carrying a concealed weapon, obstructing official business and tampering with evidence. Charges of aggravated burglary and failure to comply with police were dropped.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John Russo sentenced Williams Jan. 10 to 18 months of probation and ordered him to take the gun class.

Waymone Williams

The court record doesn't indicate whether Williams had attended the class about the consequences of carrying a gun to commit a crime. A court bailiff was checking with the probation department. Williams' attorney could not be reached.

Police were called at 12:30 a.m. today and officers found Williams with multiple gunshot wounds outside a home in the 900 block of East 178th Street. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Investigators reported that the homeowner and a woman were getting into his car when two men wearing masks and gloves walked up to them.

"One of the males was in possession of a handgun and the other male was in possession of a crowbar," Sgt. Sammy Morris said. "The male with the handgun struck the homeowner in head with the handgun and attempted to pull him out of the vehicle."

The homeowner grabbed a handgun in his car and fired multiple times, striking the robber in the torso. The robber fired once, but the bullet missed the homeowner, Morris said.

"During the shooting, the second suspect stole the female victim's purse and fled the scene," Morris said.

The homeowner was treated at St. Vincent Charity Hospital for a laceration on his head. The woman was not injured.

The homeowner has a concealed-carry permit, Morris said.

The city prosecutor will review the case. Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 216-623-5464.

Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said this shooting is not the common outcome when a concealed-carry permit holder is confronted by someone who would do him harm.

"The most common result is the person with the permit pulls out a gun and the suspect runs away. No shots are fired, as the suspect realizes, 'I picked the wrong person,'" Irvine said.

In this case, it may have been too dark for the robber to realize the homeowner had grabbed a gun, Irvine said.

And if Irvine had the opportunity to talk to the homeowner he would say, "I'm sorry for the situation and glad you were prepared and able to survive it."

It sounds like a justified shooting, Irvine said, but "if it bothers you, get some counseling. There's no shame in it. The vast majority of permit holders don't want to shoot someone."