SAN ANTONIO – Police say a homeowner and two suspected intruders opened fire on each other in a possible home invasion on the Northeast Side early Wednesday morning.
Investigators said around 5 a.m., 27-year-old Andrew Wharmby heard a knock on the door of his home in the 8200 block of Quail Creek. He then heard a noise coming from the garage and grabbed a shotgun.
Investigators said Wharmby confronted the two unidentified men in the kitchen area and fired at them, fatally wounding one suspect and critically injuring the other.
One of the suspected intruders was carrying an assault rifle and fired back at Wharmby, hitting the man in the face, police said.
"They were looking for something else than just breaking in," said neighbor Rosalba Fletcher. "I don't think it was just a burglar breaking in, something had happened."
Neighbors say Wharmby is a quiet, agreeable person -- a student working on his PHD in science.
But they say there's something odd about an assault rifle being used for a home invasion.
"It seems to me that in a normal break-in, you're going in with a pistol," said Gordon Dunkley, who lives near break-in. "You're not going in with an AK-47."
The suspect who was critically injured ran out of the home and was driven to a nearby hospital by his girlfriend. He was then airlifted to San Antonio Military Medical Center, police said.
Investigators are questioning the girlfriend, but have not said if she will be charged.
Wharmby was carried out of the home in a stretcher and taken to a hospital, but police said he is expected to recover.
Police said Wharmby is not expected to face charges. He's likely protected under the Texas Castle Doctrine, which allows the use of deadly force to protect a person's home.