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80-year-old man shoots home intruder in Statesville

STATESVILLE, N.C. — A home intruder shot an 80-year-old man Wednesday night, Statesville police said.

The intruder forced his way in through the back door of the man's Buffalo Shoals Road home at about 11 p.m.

The victim was able to grab a handgun and shot the assailant and they continued to wrestle with it. That was when the intruder got hold of the gun and shot the victim. The injured intruder fled with the victim’s money.

Early the next morning, Marcus D. Brown, 40, of Statesville showed up at Carolinas Medical Center-Concord with a bullet wound.

Investigators responded to the hospital and arrested Brown after linking him to the home invasion.

The victim was hospitalized and both are expected to recover.

Brown will be facing several charges, including first-degree burglary and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury.

The home invasion in Statesville joins a list of several others in less than two weeks.

Investigators also responded to home invasions on Park Drive, Stockton and Cherry Streets.

Among the victims, another man was stabbed, and 81-year-old Rick Main was robbed and beaten.

“I'm disappointed, I'm not surprised,” Main said.

“The violence in Statesville increased disproportionately to other places for such a small town.”

Statesville police Chief Joseph Barone said the department investigations unit is working tirelessly to solve these cases and restore order and a sense of security to the community.

Barone also said extra officers have been brought in to work additional hours patrolling neighborhoods and work with the investigations unit to solve recent crimes.

Investigators are trying to determine if the cases are connected.

Te’era Daniels lives near the home invasion on Buffalo Shoals Road.  She said her son woke up her, after discovering its aftermath outside.

“I look outside, and there were ambulances, police cars, fire trucks everywhere,” she said.

Daniels said her home was burglarized in November, but thankfully no one was there.

“It's time to make moves to get up out of this neighborhood because they're coming in my house, and now they're coming in houses around me,” she said.

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