Albuquerque, New Mexico — A store owner in Albuquerque, New Mexico, shot and killed a would-be burglar who had allegedly dug a tunnel through the wall of his smoke shop over the weekend. The incident occurred in the International District, and the identity of the shop owner has not been disclosed yet.
The shop owner claimed that he was sleeping in his smoke shop when he was awoken at about 3 a.m. by a scratching sound in the wall. An hour later, the intruder burst through the wall wielding a large hammer and what looked like an ax. The shop owner claims he grabbed his gun and told the man to get out, but the intruder came towards him. The owner then opened fire and called the police. The trespasser was dead when first responders arrived, and the incident is being investigated as a justifiable homicide.
This wasn’t the first break-in attempt at the store, as the shop owners said they had seen two other attempts before. In fact, the owners had already boarded up a hole in the wall that was created by a previous attempt. However, the intruder had dug a new hole that was just big enough for a man to crawl through, and it was through this hole that he entered the smoke shop.
In the video above, you can see the shop owners invited local news network KOB 4 inside to show the bizarre way the alleged burglar broke into their store. The shop owner had started sleeping at the store after the first break-in attempt, and he says he was woken up around 3 a.m. by an odd scratching sound coming from the side wall. Little did he know, a man had been tunneling his way through the wall, and about an hour later, the man broke through.
The incident once more highlights the growing need across the USA for law-abiding business owners to defend themselves with firearms and protect their merchandise and livelihood.
The shop owner claimed that he acted in self-defense and was glad that the police classified the incident as a justifiable homicide. The owners have boarded up the second hole and will be installing more security cameras soon.
The Albuquerque Police Department is continuing to investigate the incident, and detectives are working with the District Attorney’s Office. The incident highlights the importance of taking measures to secure one’s business and protect against potential intruders, as well as the need for individuals to be prepared to defend themselves in dangerous situations with lethal force if necessary.