Man dead after St. Roch homeowner shoots him during suspected generator theft: NOPD

A St. Roch homeowner fatally shot one of two men suspected by New Orleans police of trying to steal the homeowner’s generator early Friday (April 19).

The homeowner, a 33-year-old man, heard an alarm indicating his shed had been opened, then saw two males in his yard, NOPD spokesman Gary Scheets said in a statement.

The homeowner “armed himself with two handguns, went outside and confronted the suspects who were trying to steal his generator,” Sheets said. One of the males confronted by the resident “turned around and faced” the homeowner, police said. The homeowner then fired his gun, hitting one of the men in the chest, police said. The second fled the scene.

Police arrived in the 2300 block of Franklin Avenue shortly after 2 a.m., and found the wounded man on the ground, having been shot more than once, Scheets said. Police said he was taken to a hospital, where he died.

The man who died was an adult, Scheets said, but his age and the age of the male with him who fled the scene were not immediately available. The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office has not yet identified the man who was killed.

NOPD’s statement on the fatal shooting, issued Friday afternoon, said investigators are gathering evidence. It does not say how detectives came to the initial determination that the two men were trying to steal the homeowner’s generator, nor does it say whether either of the two men were armed. The statement refers to the homeowner as a “victim” and the two men he confronted as “suspects.” However, the department did not immediately respond to questions Friday about whether police consider the fatal shooting to be justified, or whether the person who fled the scene would face charges.

Anyone with information about the fatal shooting is asked to contact NOPD Homicide Detective Sasha Tousant, the lead investigator on the case, at 504-658-5300 or provide information anonymously through Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.

Earlier: St. Roch man shoots person who police say was trying to steal his generator: NOPD

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Emily Lane covers criminal justice in New Orleans for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Reach her at elane@nola.com. Follow her on Twitter (@emilymlane) or Facebook.

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New Orleans Police said one of two males who were trying to steal a generator from a St. Roch home was fatally shot by the homeowner early Friday, April 19, 2019. (File photo/)