Intruder killed in Pierce County home invasion

An attempted home-invasion robbery in east Tacoma on Wednesday morning left a resident injured, one of the intruders dead from a gunshot wound and a second intruder at large.

At about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, two men with masks, black clothing and handguns forced their way into a couple's home, according to The News Tribune of Tacoma. The masked men woke the residents and demanded to know where they kept jewelry and a safe. They pistol-whipped one of the residents until his girlfriend reached under the bed for a shotgun and passed it to him. The resident and the intruders exchanged gunfire.

One of the intruders, 40-year-old Michael Price, tried to run from the house but made it only to the driveway, where he was found dead with a loaded handgun and some jewelry, police told The News Tribune. Police believe Price's accomplice fired the fatal shot, not the resident of the home. An autopsy revealed the wound was not caused by a shotgun, Ed Troyer, spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, told The News Tribune.

Troyer said police also believe the house, in the 6100 block of 72nd Street Court East, was specifically targeted, not chosen at random.

The accomplice drove from the scene, and police are still searching for him. Anyone who has information should call Crime Stoppers at 253-591-5959.