Maryland homeowner kills one of three masked men in driveway shooting

A Halloween night confrontation in Cockeysville, Maryland ended with one masked man dead and a homeowner telling police he fired in self-defense after being threatened in his own driveway.

Snapshot

Baltimore County Police responded to a 911 call Saturday night around 10:45 after a homeowner reported shooting at three masked men who approached and threatened him while he sat in his driveway. One of the men was armed with a handgun. Officers found one man, 20, dead nearby, while the other two turned up at local hospitals for treatment, according to Bearing Arms.

Key points

• The confrontation: The homeowner said three masked men approached him in his driveway and made threats, with at least one holding a handgun.
• The response: The homeowner drew his own pistol and fired several shots before the men fled, then called 911 himself, police said.
• The outcome: Police found the 20-year-old dead a short distance away and recovered a loaded handgun believed to belong to the group; the other two men were located at hospitals.
• The legal question: Bearing Arms notes Maryland's duty-to-retreat law outside the home could complicate the homeowner's self-defense claim, even if the four elements of self-defense otherwise appear to be met.
• The status: Police say there's no ongoing danger to the community, and the investigation into any connection between the men and the homeowner continues.

Quick take

Bearing Arms' Cam Edwards argues that facing an armed threat and having to turn your back to retreat shouldn't be read as a "safe avenue of escape," but acknowledges it will be up to Baltimore County prosecutors to decide how Maryland's self-defense standard applies here.

Read the full story: bearingarms.com