A man tragically died following a heart attack after reportedly confronting thieves who ‘opened fire’ at him.
In the King’s Forest neighborhood of Atlanta, Javon Brown had risen for work at 4:30am on Friday (January 17) when he and his wife, Tasha, heard ‘noises’ and ‘scraping’ from outside along with the alarm of their pickup truck going off, as reported by Fox 5 Atlanta.
Tasha observed from her window that it seemed two young individuals were on their driveway on King George Lane, attempting to ‘break into his truck’ to steal it.
The father of three then took action, grabbing his gun in an effort to scare the intruders away.
Tasha recounted how her 48-year-old husband yelled ‘down the driveway’ at the trespassers, ordering them to leave both his property and his truck.
Following this, she claimed she heard gunshots as the suspects began firing.
“I have three small children at home,” Tasha explained. “So I was trying to hustle them to safety.”
While finding cover, Tasha was constantly worried whether Javon had been struck by a bullet.
Neighbors confirmed the incident, saying to Fox 5 that they were awakened by a multitude of gunshots during the early morning hours.
One neighbor recalled: “I was asleep, probably around 4:30 or so, and I heard gunshots – maybe eight or nine. It was coming from two different directions.
“I just thought it was too close and laid back down.”
Police confirmed that Javon did not suffer any gunshot wounds, but he tragically passed away following the encounter as his wife desperately tried to save him.
Tasha stated the alleged burglars fled, but when Javon re-entered their home, he could only utter a few words before collapsing.
She described: “He was able to speak. He was not hit. But then he went into cardiac arrest over the shock.
“He dropped down. I did CPR. I called 911 until I couldn’t feel my arms and hands, but it wasn’t enough.”
By the time emergency services arrived, Javon was found deceased inside the doorway of his home, according to authorities.
The Atlanta Police Department is working with the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office to continue the investigation.
With the suspects still at large, Tasha is left to cope with the aftermath of this sudden tragedy.
“You work so hard. You do the right thing,” the grieving widow told reporters.
“You take care of your home and take care of your family and someone feels entitled to come and try to take it from you.”