A 67-year-old woman killed an intruder when he refused to leave her house after he barged in early last Wednesday morning.
67-yr Old Woman Defends Her Home
The homeowner, a 67-year-old woman, told deputies that she heard the front door handle shaking around 3 a.m. and went to investigate.
“She thought it might be her husband returning from work, so she opened the door,” authorities said.
The woman told Putnam County Sherriff deputies she thought it might be her husband returning from work so she opened the door. That’s when she said Best forced his way into the home.
The woman was armed with a firearm and told Best to leave her home multiple times. She said Best raised up both arms, and she saw he had a gun in his hand. She said she shot him because she feared for her life.
The homeowner was not alone in the residence, which was also inhabited by her 90-year-old mother, who is an Alzheimer’s patient.
Intruder Shot and Killed
“Fearing for her life, she shot Best one time. After the shooting, she called 911,” authorities said.
Deputies said they found 64-year-old Reginald Best suffering from a single gunshot wound at a home in Interlachen.
He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Intruder Called Emergency Dispatchers Before Intrusion
Before the shooting, authorities received several erratic calls from Best and another woman on Silver Lake Drive.
“During one of the calls, Best had told dispatchers he was hiding from his neighbors and there were people in orange standing outside his residence,” authorities said. “In the call from the other female, she told dispatchers Best had jumped out of the window at 172 Silver Lake Drive with a firearm and ran down the street.”
Deputies were en route to the calls when the shooting occurred.
“This call for service is a perfect example of why I continue to support and fight daily for the rights of law-abiding residents to own firearms,” Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach said in a Facebook post.
“All firearm owners have a responsibility not only to themselves, but also to their families to maintain proficiency with a gun, as our victim here today clearly has.”
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