An 82-year-old Vietnam war veteran beat a home intruder to death after the suspect forced his way into the South Carolina home and allegedly attacked the man's wife.
Herbert Parrish and his 79-year-old wife, Lois, were at home on Monday afternoon when the alleged intruder, 61-year-old Harold Runnels Jr., knocked on their back door.
"I opened the door and he said he was looking for his little white chihuahua and wanted to know if I saw it," Lois said.
After Lois told Runnels that she hadn't seen the dog, the suspect reportedly forced his way into the house and struck the couple with the handle of his knife, slashing Lois' forehead.
"I felt, we're gone. He's going to kill us and take what he can take," Herbert said. "He was not going to go out that door and leave us alive. That's the way I felt. That's why I said, 'I've got to do something quick and get the edge on him. Get the advantage on him.'"
Herbert claimed, at that moment, he grabbed his shotgun off of the wall and began "hitting him in the head with the barrel and I know I must have hit him at least ten times right in the face, just as hard as I could hit him."
Authorities described Runnels Jr. as "bloody and unresponsive" when they arrived at the scene. The alleged suspect died at the hospital from the injuries sustained during the attempted crime.
In addition to the gash on her forehead, Lois suffered an injury to her index finger, while Herbert suffered a minor injury as well. Both are expected to make a full recovery.
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