Kent man who killed intruder had gun permit

Seattle Times staff

A Kent man who shot and killed an intruder inside his condominium Saturday had a concealed-weapons permit, police said.

The 28-year-old homeowner, whose name hasn't been released, shot the unidentified suspect when he returned home around 6 p.m. and saw the man inside, according to Kent police. Police spokesman Paul Petersen said the homeowner "legally possessed the weapon."

The deceased man, believed to be in his mid-20s, has been identified by the King County Medical Examiner's Office, but officials are still trying to reach his family, Petersen said.

Neighbors reported hearing between four to five gunshots, but there were no witnesses other than the homeowner and his girlfriend, Petersen said. After the man was shot, he ran through a broken sliding-glass door and died in the backyard. The glass door was broken before the confrontation, and it's possible that's how the man entered the locked home, Petersen said.

The man who was killed was dressed in black and wore a black hat. He was carrying a satchel-type bag that contained some stolen property from the couple's home, Petersen said.