14-year-old home alone fatally shoots man seen pulling on door handles, Texas cops say

A Texas teenager at home alone fatally shot a man who investigators say may have been trying to break in, news outlets report.

The shooting happened in the morning on Thursday, Feb. 15, at a home on Houston’s east side, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on X, formerly Twitter.

Prior to the shooting, the man was reportedly seen knocking on doors in the neighborhood, Gonzalez said.

The sheriff’s office also received at least three calls reporting that the man was pulling on the doors of homes and asking for money, KRIV reported.

Deputies say the 14-year-old boy saw the man at the front door, wearing gloves and a backpack, and interacting with the doorknob, KTRK reported.

Both of the boy’s parents were gone, and his siblings were being dropped off at school, officials told KRIV.

Frightened, the teen grabbed a handgun, returned to the doorway and fired five or six shots at the man, Gonzalez told the outlet.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Gonzalez.

The sheriff’s office has not publicly identified the man — who is believed to be in his late 20s or early 30s — but officials say he is known to homeless outreach workers, according to KRIV.

Gonzalez says the teen and his family have been cooperative, KTRK reported.

“They have a right to protect their home. They have a right to feel safe in their home,” Gonzalez said, the station reported. “Ironically, there is a sign on the gate that basically says that, something to the effect that, ‘Intruders will be met with force.’ So, I think it’s very clear on the front gate.”