A young woman shot and killed a masked man who allegedly broke into her apartment in Philadelphia’s Frankford section early Wednesday morning, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
Officers responded around 5 a.m. to an apartment building on the 4600 block of Castor Avenue. Investigators believe the 29-year-old man wore a ski mask when he shattered a second-floor window, reached in to open the door, and entered the apartment. The resident told police she heard someone breaking windows and encountered the intruder inside.
Apartment Intruder Encounter and Shooting
Chief Inspector Scott Small explained the sequence of events to reporters, stating, It appears this individual broke the window, and was able to reach in and open the door, and then entered this woman’s apartment and that’s when the shot – or shots – were fired.
The woman fired at least two shots, with one bullet striking the man in the head. Officers found him lying on the bedroom floor. Small stated that it does not appear the man had any weapons on him.
Investigation and Relationship
Once authorities removed the mask, the resident recognized the intruder and told police they had a prior relationship. While Small noted it was initially unclear what type of relationship they had, a police source told Action News that the man is the woman’s ex-boyfriend.
The woman is cooperating with authorities and turned a semi-automatic handgun over to officers. Homicide detectives are interviewing the shooter, and police are reviewing surveillance footage from near the scene. No arrests or charges were reported as of Wednesday morning, and police have not disclosed whether the gun was legally owned.
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