ST. LOUIS — Police said a man acted in self-defense after he shot and killed an intruder early Friday morning inside a home in north St. Louis.
According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded to a report of a shooting and burglary just before 1 a.m. Friday to a home in the 4400 block of San Francisco Avenue, located on the edge of St. Louis' Penrose neighborhood.
Police said the 37-year-old man and his 36-year-old girlfriend were asleep in their bed. They woke up to find the woman's ex-boyfriend standing over them with a gun pointed at her current boyfriend. The man grabbed his own gun and shot the suspect multiple times.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, police said, and the man who shot him was taken into police custody. Both guns were recovered at the scene. Police released the suspect's name Saturday. He was John Bernard, 37, and he lived in the 3700 block of Cottage Avenue.
Police said in an afternoon update that the man who shot him acted in self-defense and the shooting appeared to be a "justifiable homicide."
"It's no random crime around here," said Roosevelt Buck who lives across the street. He wasn't surprised the suspect was known to his neighbors. "Our houses don't get broken into. We don't have break-ins... We have elements that come into our neighborhood and not that often."
Friends and loved ones spent Friday stopping by to comfort the victims.
"I don't like for people to lose their life period... But at the same time, because of the circumstances, I understand it," neighbor TK King said.
"And that's why you shouldn't be going to no one else's house trying to break in and everything because you never know what's going to be on the other side of that door," neighbor Nicole Jefferson added.
Police are not seeking charges at this time. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about the incident was asked to contact the Homicide Division at 314-444-5371. To remain anonymous, contact CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).
Resources for crime victims
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within the systems they encounter.”
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been the victim of an incident that caused trauma.
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