A 14-year-old Kentucky boy shot and killed two men over the weekend trying to steal firearms from his home’s safe, police said.
Clay County 911 received a call about a shooting in Manchester around 4:24am on Sunday. Manchester police found two people were shot dead and demanded assistance from Kentucky State Police, state police said in a news release.
Investigators discovered the two men inside the house who lived in the house and saw them holding firearms, state police said.
“The boy, acting in self-defense, retrieved the handgun and shot both men before fleeing through the bedroom window,” according to the release.
Manchester Police Chief Jeff Couch told NBC News on Wednesday that no additional residents were in the home. It is unclear how the teenagers were able to find the handgun “belonging to their father.”
The teens are not in custody, he said.
State police identified the two men as 44-year-old Roger D. Smith and 51-year-old Jeffrey M. Allen. Smith was taken to Health Manchester, where he died of injury. Allen was declared dead at the scene.
The Clay County Coroner confirmed both deaths. Inspectors conducted an autopsy on Monday. The investigation continues.
State police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
