Slain Clarion University student armed, looking for drugs [Armed homeowner kills armed burglar]

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | November 03, 2005 | Gabrielle Banks

[grundle]

Police said a Clarion University of Pennsylvania student who was shot to death Oct. 19 after he broke into an off-campus residence with a friend was apparently looking for cocaine and was armed with a gun that had been taken from the son of a Pittsburgh school board member.

According to an affidavit filed last week, Mark Anthony Brentley Jr., 22, whose father Mark Brentley Sr. serves on the city school board, told police he believed his friends Kristopher Major Mills, 21, of Stanton Heights, and Jason Tyler Vaughn, 20, of the North Side, had stolen his 9 mm handgun from his apartment the day Mr. Mills was killed.

The weapon was recovered the next day at the rear of the home police said Mr. Mills and Mr. Vaughn had broken into -- at 285B S. Fifth Ave. in Clarion.

Mr. Vaughn told police they wanted to buy drugs, but the residents of the house told them they had none.

One of the residents, university student Zachary C. Snyder, said two men entered the house through a side door, wearing dark clothing and masks. They took his cell phone and led him through the apartment with his hands up.

His roommate, Christopher Rusnock, also a student, told police he heard Mr. Snyder approaching and he sounded scared for his life, so he got his .40-caliber handgun out of the closet.

Mr. Vaughn said Mr. Mills "would not take no for an answer" and pushed his way into Mr. Rusnock's locked bedroom. Mr. Rusnock said the masked intruder cocked his gun and said, "Break yourself, fool." Mr. Rusnock said he fired several shots.

Mr. Vaughn told police Mr. Mills fell in the hallway and dropped the gun.

[grundle]

The heading of this article is very misleading. When I first saw the heading, I had thought that this story was about a murder. But upon reading the article, I realized that it was about an act of self defense.

[TCats]

Sounds more like a drug deal gone bad to me.

[martin_fierro]

The PPG routinely misses the point.

[grundle]

Ping!

I see we started out threads within 12 seconds of each other. But they aren't duplicates, because they happened to different people in different cities.

[Semper Paratus]

Mr. Rusnock said the masked intruder cocked his gun and said, "Break yourself, fool." Mr. Rusnock said he fired several shots.

Ought get a line in the book about famous last words. LOL!

[wideawake]

Mr. Rusnock said the masked intruder cocked his gun and said, "Break yourself, fool." Mr. Rusnock said he fired several shots.

Goodbye gangsta.

We'll po' out a fo'ty fo' ya.

[grundle]

Ping!

[wideawake]

Not to me. It sounds like these guys thought they were going to rob some drugdealer, but they got the wrong house.

[walkerk]

Labeled as "victim" by WTAE-TV.

[L98Fiero]

Puh-thetic.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Mr. Rusnock said the masked intruder cocked his gun and said, "Break yourself, fool." Mr. Rusnock said he fired several shots.

A fool got broke, all right.

[Horatio Gates]

It sounds like a drug rip gone bad at the wrong house to me.

What's with the author of the article referring to everyone as Mister?

[dhuffman@awod.com]

Occludes the point, obfuscates it. Another BG bites the dust! And another one and another one bites the dust. Soon we'll be able to live in some serenity if not safety.

[Know your rights]

Funny how you never hear of people breaking into homes looking for the drug alcohol. Why is that, do you suppose?

[grundle]

Thanks for the screenshot that wrongfully labels him as a victim.

[grundle]

Because alcohol is legal. I'm a Libertarian, so I know very well about that.

[The Red Zone]

Beware of slain students walking around looking for drugs.

[Born Conservative]

Labeled as "victim" by WTAE-TV.

The poor guy...

[Born Conservative]

Public Higher Education Ping

[FreedomPoster]

Who knows? They may have had the right house.