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PROVO CANYON, UT – An armed resident defended himself after a man unlawfully entered an occupied home in the South Fork neighborhood of Provo Canyon on the evening of March 5.

According to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred around 8 p.m. when an adult male suspect entered the property while several people were inside the residence. A resident confronted the suspect and verbally told him to leave the property.

Authorities say the suspect pushed the resident aside and attempted to force his way into the home. The confrontation caused alarm for the other occupants inside the residence, who locked themselves inside a bedroom while the situation continued to unfold.

The resident who initially confronted the suspect was armed with a handgun and again ordered the suspect to leave. Investigators say the suspect then attacked the resident. In response, the resident fired several shots in self-defense.

The suspect was struck once by gunfire and fled from the home. According to investigators, he ran to a nearby aircraft hangar before returning to the property, where he stole a truck parked outside the residence and attempted to flee the area. Property was damaged during the suspect’s escape.

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Utah County Sheriff’s deputies responding to the incident observed the fleeing suspect and conducted a traffic stop. The suspect was taken into custody without further incident.

During a search of the property, deputies located an unloaded handgun that investigators say the suspect had stolen during the incident. Authorities later identified the suspect as Lance Hunter of Aurora, Colorado. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment before being released back into custody.

Hunter was booked into the Utah County Jail on multiple charges including burglary of a dwelling, theft of a firearm, theft of a vehicle, criminal mischief, vehicle burglary, and assault. Authorities also reported that the resident who confronted the suspect suffered minor injuries during the attack.

Investigators said the suspect has no known ties to the Provo Canyon area, and the case remains under investigation.

Situations involving unlawful entry into an occupied home can escalate quickly, particularly when the intruder becomes violent. In those moments, residents may have only seconds to respond in order to protect themselves and the other people inside the home.

The Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms, in part so they have the means to respond when faced with an immediate threat to personal safety inside their own home.