Police said the homeowner told them he pulled his pistol and began shooting after one of the intruders put a gun to his head and ordered him to back up. Police said the weapon linked to Warren had been reported stolen in Florissant on Sunday.

Peggy Armbruster, who lives on Beethoven Avenue, across the alley from the shooting scene, said the man and his wife have lived in the neighborhood a long time and are “super, super nice people.”“The man takes his snow blower and clears my porch,” she said. “He takes care of a neighbor who is blind. He likes to tinker in his garage and he is back there a lot.”

Armbruster said her neighbor told her that he had been the victim of robbery attempts in the past. She said she had not noticed before that he was armed but said he is an avid hunter.

Erick Kayongo, 22, lives in a second-floor apartment in a building on Morganford Road with a walkway that overlooks the yard where the shooting occurred. He said he was inside watching a soccer game when he heard seven or eight shots. He ran outside onto the walkway and saw two people on the ground and the homeowner nearby. He called police.