The resident, who neighbors say is the homeowner’s nephew, told deputies the men had a small caliber handgun and “struck him in the head with the firearm.” He then fired at them with an automatic weapon. When police arrived, they found the two men near the door with multiple gunshot wounds.
The men, whose names have not been released, were flown to University Hospital.
Butler County dispatchers reported Sunday afternoon that one man died at University Hospital, and the other man was scheduled to be released from the hospital Sunday night.
The house where the shooting took place is modest, with debris and a pile of crushed beer cans littering the side yard.
Jim Lakes, who lives across the street, was perplexed about the incident.
“What’s strange to me, and I’m not trying to be derogatory, is why two burglars would pick on that house when you have multihundred-thousand dollar houses over there,” he said, waving his arm toward the nearby valley.
Lakes said he didn’t hear the gunshots and he was shocked that his dog, a German shepherd who he said is trained to attack, didn’t bark when the gunfire erupted.
Guy Metcalf, a longtime neighbor, said the residents have always been quiet, good neighbors.
“There have never been no problems, like anything period,” he said. “Never, nothing.”
The Butler County Crime Scene Unit is investigating the incident.
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