SUMMERVILLE, SC — A Summerville homeowner stopped a burglary in progress Friday morning, protecting his neighbor and her child after they fled to his home for safety during the incident.

According to the Summerville Police Department, officers responded just before 9 a.m. to reports of a man breaking into an occupied home in the Weatherstone subdivision. The homeowner, fearing for her and her child’s safety, escaped to a neighboring house.

The suspect pursued them and attempted to break into the neighbor’s home. He was carrying what police described as a “burglary tool”—a category that includes items like crowbars, lock picks, or screwdrivers used to gain unlawful entry. The neighbor, armed with a handgun, confronted the suspect.

Fearing for his life and the lives of the mother and her child, the neighbor fired at the suspect, striking him in an extremity, which means he was shot in the arm or leg. The suspect fled on foot but was quickly apprehended by police on Delafield Drive.

The suspect was transported to a local hospital for treatment of the non-life-threatening gunshot wound and was later taken to the Berkeley County Detention Center. He faces charges including two counts of attempted burglary and possession of burglary tools.

Neither homeowner nor the child was injured. Police have confirmed that the armed neighbor acted in defense of himself and others and will not face any charges.

A Lesson in Preparedness

The first homeowner’s quick thinking to escape to the neighbor with her child when she had no other options to defend herself likely prevented something extremely bad from happening. The fact that the suspect followed them to the neighbor’s home implies this was not a simple robbery. The neighbor’s preparedness to defend himself and his neighbors with a legally owned firearm ensured that no one was harmed and the threat was stopped.