That’s good advice generally but when a catastrophic event like this happens, people are more likely to give their version of what happened. A person who is justified in self-defense but then tells the police on the scene that “I won’t talk to you without first consulting an attorney” will automatically raise a flag of suspicion . . . maybe it wasn’t self-defense. Where it truly is “self-defense”, starting with those very words seems important, “fear for one’s life”, descriptions of any threatening behavior w words by criminal etc. and don’t talk beyond the facts. Shooting someone for being a stranger and in one’s garage seems not enough for self-defense. Could be manslaughter. It is not a position any law-abiding person would ever want to experience.
So what?
You cannot talk your way out of an arrest. You can all too easily talk your way into one. Officer Friendly is there to arrest somebody. Just stop talking. The Police know the rules. Most of the time, they will follow them.
Observe that when Police are involved in a shooting, the very first thing they do is lawyer-up. The union representative tells them not to say another word to anyone, including fellow officers. Ordinary citizens are well-advised to follow the same procedures.
Suspicions are not evidence.
However, any statements you make can and will be used against you in a court of lsw.
Keep your mouth shut and call a criminal defense attorney. The law doesn’t care what the cops think, only what they can prove. Don’t do their job for them.