Intruder With Gun Breaks Into Home, Runs Into Well-Armed Dad

A man involved in a home break-in in Monticello died after being shot by the person who lives there earlier this week, according to police.

In a press release, the Monticello Police Department said it happened on Wednesday at about 1:48 a.m.

Police were called to a home in the 300 block of South Sycamore Street for an in-progress break-in.

Officers said a 44-year-old man was at home with his 10-year-old son at the time of the break-in. Police also said the man was armed with a firearm and later shot the intruder after the intruder confronted the man.

The intruder, identified as 30-year-old Pattrick Michael O’Brien, died at the scene.

The resident of the home and his son were uninjured in the incident.

In a release on Friday, Monticello Police Chief Britt Smith revealed that just before 2:00 am on Wednesday, 30-year-old Pattrick O’Brine had broken into a home in the 300 block of South Sycamore Street. Once inside, a resident with a gun shot and killed O’Brine, the resident and his 10-year-old son were both inside and unharmed. Despite TV9 calling and requesting information on Thursday morning, Smith’s release did not explain why it took more than 48 hours to alert the public to a shooting death. Chief Smith said the investigation is ongoing and did not state whether or not the person who shot O’Brine would face criminal charges.

Deputies discovered O’Brine dead upon arrival at the scene. Jones County Attorney Kristofer Lyons explained that the investigation was still underway but added that the evidence pointed to the homeowner being justified in using deadly force.

The man who shot O’Brine has also remained unnamed since he is not facing any criminal charges at this time. No further information concerning the man’s place of employment has been released.

The incident remains under investigation.

TV9 was able to find court documents showing O’Brine reported living at the address where the shooting happened as recently as May 2022. In a separate court filing in September 2022, O’Brine claims he had a relationship with the woman listed as the owner of the home on Sycamore Street. That filing was seeking joint custody of the two children they had conceived during their relationship, though the two were never married.

In October 2022, the woman O’Brine claimed as the mother of his two children filed for a protective order against O’Brine citing domestic abuse allegations, though the specifics of the claims were sealed by a judge. Court records show no criminal charges against O’Brine for domestic abuse. Those same court records indicate the woman has since moved to a new address, though property records still list her as the deed holder on Sycamore Street.

Thankfully, this father was wholly prepared to protect his little boy from harm. There’s no telling what may have happened to the residents, especially if Patrick O’Brien believed that his children and former partner still lived at the property.