A New Jersey man who was renting a basement apartment was fatally shot by his landlord Sunday while trying to break into the unit with a harpoon.
Amir Ali, 33, was shot while trying to force his way inside the home in Lodi around 11 p.m., according to the Bergen County prosecutor’s office.
Ali reportedly tried to use a handheld harpoon while trying to access the apartment through the house’s front door before trying to break a window and smash his way inside.
The 62-year-old homeowner confronted the victim — believing he was a home invader — before shooting three times.
He told ABC New York he only realized afterward it was Ali, who had recently begun renting the apartment without any issues. He said the suspect didn’t speak during the incident.
Authorities found Ali unconscious at the scene and rushed him to Hackensack University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The homeowner, who was not identified, has not been charged; an investigation is ongoing.
“I really didn’t want to have to do this,” the homeowner told ABC.
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