Burglar who tried to shoot Puyallup-area man may have been shot himself

A burglar who broke into a Puyallup-area house and tried to shoot one of the homeowners might have been shot himself, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

It was just before 2 a.m. Sunday when a man who lives in the home in the 17700 block of 75th Avenue East heard an alarm go off indicating someone had opened a back door.

He woke up his roommate, who grabbed a handgun, and both men went downstairs to investigate the noise.

Deputies said they found two men in ski masks in one of the rooms. One burglar was holding a gun and a television; the other was holding a vehicle rim.

The armed burglar allegedly tried to shoot the roommates, but the gun wasn’t working properly, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.

The roommate then fired his handgun three times at the burglars, who dropped the items they were holding and ran out the back door.

A search dog was unable to find them.

Detectives believe one of the burglars might have been shot during the confrontation and are asking anyone with information to call them.

Four vehicle rims were taken from the home.

This story was originally published October 10, 2017 at 10:16 AM with the headline "Burglar who tried to shoot Puyallup-area man may have been shot himself."