BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — One person is in the hospital after a shooting in Brookhaven.
Police responded to a burglary call on Ashford Creek Drive off Ashford Dunwoody Road around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Neighbors told Channel 2's Kerry Kavanaugh there have been problems in the Decatur complex before.
Police report an uptick in burglaries in the area, heading into the holidays.
They say when the suspect went to thehome, he likely thought no one was home.
"I hope that somebody is taking note of this so that nobody else has his front door kicked in,” neighbor Joshua Rice said.
Neighbors on Ashford Creek Drive say it's happened before, but never ended quite like that.
According to Brookhaven police, a suspected burglar rang the bell at this townhome several times. He got no response, and police described what they did next.
“He made forced entry into the home (and) encountered the resident inside the home who fired one shot," Officer Carlos Nino with the Brookhaven Police Department said.
Nino says the homeowner's shot struck the alleged intruder in the head. Paramedics rushed him to the hospital as detectives swarmed the community off Ashford Dunwoody road.
“An incident like this definitely makes you, you know, think twice," neighbor Jason Brickell said.
"I’m very surprised and shocked," neighbor Debbie Hunter said.
Neighbors say while unsettling they don't fault their neighbor.
Police and neighbors say they've been dealing with similar burglaries in the area.
"They come during the day, they've kicked in the front door, same MO," Rice said.
"Well I'm glad that they were able to deter the person that was trying to break in,” neighbor Debbie Hunter said. “I'm glad that they were able to do that and that they weren't hurt."
Police say the homeowner called in a burglary in progress and that he shot while defending his home. Investigators say their evidence supports the homeowner's story.
"If someone were to come in to my house in this situation, I'd probably do the same thing. It's unfortunate, but," Brickell said.
I’m just very surprised and shocked,” one neighbor tells Kavanaugh.
Police say the person shot was undergoing surgery.