Little Falls Man Says He Shot, Killed 2 Alleged Intruders

LITTLE FALLS  (AP) —  A Morrison County man has been arrested after he told police he shot and killed two teenagers who were allegedly breaking into his home on Thanksgiving Day.

The sheriff's department says police visited his home near Little Falls on Friday afternoon. Officers say 64-year-old Byron David Smith immediately confessed to killing two people the previous day about noon.

Deputies found the bodies of an 18-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy in his basement.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says a preliminary investigation led authorities to arrest Smith for second-degree murder.

Morrison County Sheriff Michel Wetzel says people have every right to defend themselves and their homes, but circumstances suggest Smith went beyond that point.

Smith is scheduled to make an initial court appearance Monday afternoon.

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