Homeowner shots robber who sprayed him with mace

A defensive gun use in Las Vegas, Nevada:

A Valley man is safe, but only after being forced to defend himself in his own home.

It all happened in just a matter of seconds, a door broken in, mace sprayed, and shots fired. Unfortunately, someone ended up dying, but fortunately, it wasn't the person who tells Action News he was simply minding his own business in his own home.

The crime scene reflected one of the more rare home invasions, in which the victim came out the victor.

Royce Gubler lives right across the street from where his neighbor was forced to shoot a man Thursday night near Rancho and Vegas.

"That is your domain, and when people come in, they should realize the risk involved," says Royce.

Inside Friday, crews began cleaning up the remnants of the scene.

Following his lawyer's advice, the homeowner didn't want to go on camera, but told Action News off-camera that a man broke through his door and sprayed him with mace.

Blinded, he fired four shots with a .22 pistol, killing the intruder, while a co-conspirator took off in a getaway car outside.

"I'm very happy when the homeowner is coming out on top, and not the bad guy," says Royce.

In this case, the homeowner says police warned him prior to the shooting that someone may be targeting him because he's known to keep around $35,000 cash for his hobby: high-stakes poker.

The homeowner also says he normally doesn't even keep a gun on him, but is thankful he had one Thursday night. . . .