In a shocking incident on a tranquil Monday evening in Summerfield, Florida, 35-year-old Shawn Peterson and his girlfriend found themselves facing four armed intruders who forcibly entered their home. The couple, quick on their feet, sought refuge in their bedroom, barricading themselves behind a locked door. However, their loyal pit bull, “Zeus,” sprang into action, courageously charging at the attackers and ultimately paying a heavy price.
Zeus was shot three times, sustaining a head injury in the process. Despite the adversity, Peterson commended his faithful companion, stating, “He’s a good dog. He never leaves my side.” Recalling the terrifying moment, Peterson shared, “I just heard my back door get kicked in, and next thing I know, my dog ran out, and I heard a gunshot.”
The situation took a sinister turn when one of the intruders, identified as Shawn King, attempted to push his gun through the bedroom door. Undeterred, Peterson and his girlfriend swiftly retaliated. “The next thing I know, a guy was meeting me at my door with a gun, stuck the gun in my door. I slammed the door and the gun just started going off,” Peterson recounted.
Faced with imminent danger, the couple decided to confront the intruders head-on. In a cinematic moment, Peterson instructed his girlfriend to pass him his shotgun. With remarkable precision, he fired a single shot, striking King in the chest. The unexpected resistance prompted the intruders to retreat hastily, whisking the injured King away.
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The aftermath saw an anonymous individual depositing the fatally wounded Shawn King outside the Ocala Health Summerfield Emergency Room, where he was later pronounced dead. To address any concerns from the public, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office initiated a thorough investigation into the incident. Deputy Spokeswoman Lauren Lettelier assured, “We don’t take anything at face value. We want to dig deep and make sure that we are seeing what we’re seeing and what we’re hearing is being confirmed by the evidence. So, I assure you that this will be investigated fully to make sure this is indeed what happened.”