Holly MatkinIndianapolis, IN – A armed robbery suspect was fatally shot by an Indiana homeowner during a midnight home invasion on July 29.
It was the second time in the past eight years that Howard Murphy has shot an intruder to defend himself inside his house, WRTV reported.
“If they don’t want to understand, then I guess I’m going to have to make them understand,” Murphy told the news outlet, referring to the criminals who have broken into his home.
The latest incident occurred in the 900-block of West 34th Street near the Crown Hill Cemetery shortly after 4 am. On July 29, WISH reported.
Murphy said he heard someone break out a side window of his house, so he grabbed his gun and headed downstairs to confront the intruder, according to WANE.
Murphy said the suspect, later identified as 64-year-old Steve Sheppard, was inside his living room when he intercepted him rifling through his belongings.
He said he’d never met Sheppard before.
“He took a video game system and threw it at me, and after that shots rang out,” Murphy said, recalling the moment he defended himself against the suspect.
Sheppard, who was allegedly armed with a knife, was hit by at least one of the rounds, WANE reported.
“It happened so fast,” Murphy told WRTV.
He was still holding the knife when he ran to the upstairs area of the home, according to Murphy.
“I honestly didn’t even know if he had been shot because he was still moving around and running around,” he told WANE.
The homeowner said the intruder ultimately died in an upstairs bedroom.
According to Murphy, he lost thousands of dollars’ worth of electronics earlier the same week after someone broke into his residence, WANE reported.
He said he does not know if Sheppard was involved in that incident or not.
“I hate that it happened,” Murphy told WANE. “I hope these other guys learn a lesson from it. If not, there’s plenty of spots over in Crown Hill [Cemetery]. I don’t want it to be like that, but just like the average worker, I work hard for what I’ve got. If you come and take it, there’s consequences behind that.”
Murphy was also the victim of a home invasion at the same address in November of 2014.
“He took a gamble thinking I wasn’t there, and I happened to be there,” he said, referring to the suspect involved in that break in.
Murphy said the suspect grabbed for an object and was preparing to hit him, so he shot him in the leg, WANE reported.
The intruder fled the scene but was later apprehended and convicted in connection with the burglary.
“It’s depressing because, you know, you work so hard to get what you want, for somebody to come in and just take it,” the frustrated homeowner told WRTV. “You shouldn’t have to be armed inside of your own house. It’s sad, but it is like that over there in this neighborhood.”
