Woman shoots intruders; 1 dead
The victim of a home invasion fought off two attackers early Thursday by shooting both in the head, killing one, police said.
One of the intruders, Darreon Carter, 18, died in a Tulsa hospital. The other, Daniel Holman, 23, is in critical condition, police said.
The incident was Tulsa's second deadly home intrusion in as many days.
Capt. Travis Yates said the woman was walking through a dark parking lot about 3:50 a.m. at the Brighton Park apartments in the 4800 block of South Darlington Avenue after a trip to a fast-food restaurant. As she opened her apartment's door, the men demanded money and forced their way inside.
The woman initially cooperated, but when one intruder told her to undress, she pulled a snub-nosed revolver from her purse and shot him, police said.
A struggle for the gun broke out, and her boyfriend tried to help, police said.
Although she took blows to her head, the woman was able to shoot the other intruder. She fired five shots in all, Yates said.
"It seemed to be a courageous act, protecting their home and their life," he said. "They were shaken up, but it was sort of impressive — they weren't hysterical."
Brighton Park typically doesn't see much criminal activity. Yates said there were no immediate signs that the woman knew the attackers.
"We believe that this was totally an opportunity crime," he said. "Somebody saw a woman walking up to an apartment, and they decided to commit a crime, and here we are."
The woman held the wounded intruders at gunpoint until help arrived. Her boyfriend collected two screwdrivers that the men had used as weapons, police said.
Officers found Carter and Holman in the apartment's entryway. Carter was unresponsive; Holman was conscious, but his condition was deteriorating quickly, Yates said.
Medics took both men to St. Francis Hospital, where Carter died. Holman remains in critical condition with bullet wounds to his head and stomach, police said.
Police took the tenants to headquarters for questioning, but Yates said he didn't expect them to be arrested.
The woman's name was not immediately available, and there was no answer at the apartment later Thursday.
Police said two other recent home-invasion robberies also seem to have been crimes of opportunity.
Seeing open doors, robbers entered the home of Stephen Rodolf, near 26th Street and Peoria Avenue, in June and the home of Rabon Martin, in the 1400 block of South Carson Avenue, on July 6, police said. People in each home were assaulted by the armed robbers.
Three suspects have been charged in the Rodolf robbery and assault, and one of them is also charged in the Martin robbery. One of the three suspects, Ryan K. Smith, has not yet been arrested.
Smith, 21, is described as black, 6 feet 3 inches tall and 170 pounds.
Thursday's shootings happened about a day after another home invasion that left a resident dead.
Police said masked intruders ransacked a home in the 600 block of East 27th Place North before fatally shooting Corey Lajuan Johnson, 30.
The assailants, who are at large, made gang-related remarks during the ordeal and took property from the home.
They were black, wore hooded jackets and had cloths covering their faces, police reported.
Anyone with information about Ryan Smith or any of these home-invasion robberies and assaults is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 596-COPS. Tips can also be sent to the Police Department online or via text message at tulsaworld.com/crimestoppers.
The Crime Commission offers rewards for information that leads to arrests, and tipsters can remain anonymous.
