Homeowner detained after masked burglary suspect shot, killed in north Harris Co., Pct. 4 says

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- An investigation into a deadly shooting in north Harris County is underway after deputies say a masked man broke into a home and was shot by the homeowner.

Deputies arrived at the 16900 block of Spring Creek Oaks Court after officials said there was a call that shots had been fired.

Some neighbors spoke to ABC13 about the incident that they say they found disturbing.

"It's just kind of freaky because these things don't happen here," neighbor Gina Stanley said.

Stanley told Eyewitness News she was asleep when her phone started going off.

"I picked it up and that's the first thing I saw was the release from Precinct 4, and I was like, 'I think that's my street,'" she said.

For several hours, her street became a crime scene. Stanley lives two houses down from the home at the center of the investigation.

"I stood up and looked out the window and saw all the vehicles, and I'm yelling at my husband to get up," she said.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, a man wearing gloves and a mask entered the home through a back door, waking the homeowner. Deputies said three other adults and two children were also inside.

A sheriff's office spokesperson said the suspect and the homeowner got into a fight that escalated outside. Investigators said the suspect left but later returned, escalating the situation further.

"At some point, the homeowner retrieved a handgun and shot the suspect, who then fled and leaped across the fence into the walking trail where he was found," a sheriff's office spokesperson said.

On Wednesday evening, the neighborhood is quiet and calm, but the investigation into why the masked suspect broke into the home is still underway.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said no one else inside the home was hurt. When asked whether the homeowner could face charges, investigators said that decision will be up to the district attorney's office.