He shoots intruder who turns out to be his dad

A Florida teenager shot and killed a masked home intruder on Tuesday - only to discover that it was his father.

Malachi Heisler, 18, saw a man holding a gun to his mother's head at around midnight, reported local TV station WPTV.

He said: "I had about five to six seconds to make a decision."

He shot the attacker in the head.

It turned out to be his father, John Heisler.

"By the time I did recognise him, the decision was made," Malachi said.

Heisler, 46, had earlier forced his way into the home wearing full black tactical gear, including a ski mask and thigh holsters.

The teenager grabbed his rifle and came face-to-face with the man who was assaulting his mother.

That is when Heisler started to turn his weapon on him, he said, leading to the teenager fatally shooting him in his head.

Restraining order

The attack came about five months after the teenager's mother, Madam Jolene Andrews, obtained a temporary restraining order against Heisler for another armed break-in attempt.

That order was later extended until May 2016, authorities said.

Authorities added that an investigation has been launched into the deadly home invasion, but the teenager is not expected to face charges.

County sheriff Bob Gualtieri said: "When you open the door and you see somebody dressed in all black, in fatigues, with a ski mask on and a gun in your mother's face... He did the right thing."

This article was first published on September 11, 2015.
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