Kentucky child shot, killed alleged armed home invaders in self-defense, police say

A child in Kentucky shot and killed two men in self-defense after they allegedly tried stealing firearms from a safe within a home, police said.

The Manchester and Kentucky State police departments are investigating the home invasion that occurred on Saturday around 4:24 a.m., according to a Facebook post shared on Sunday. Manchester police officers responded to the child's home in Clay County and found two men who had been shot, the social media post says.

Kentucky State Police troopers, who were called by Manchester police to assist in the investigation, determined the two men injured men forcibly entered the home intending to steal the guns from a safe, the department's Facebook post reads.

It is unclear if any other adults were present in the home at the time.

Child shot and killed alleged home intruders before escaping home

During the break-in, the child living in the home saw the intruders and noticed they were armed, police said. Acting in self-defense, the child got a handgun and shot both men before escaping through a bedroom window, according to police.

The two deceased men were later identified as 44-year-old Roger D. Smith of McKee, Kentucky, and 51-year-old Jeffrey M. Allen, of Manchester, the department said. McKee died while being taken to a hospital, while Allen was pronounced deceased at the scene, police added.

Both men were pronounced dead by Clay County Coroner over the weekend, the Facebook post says. Police noted that the investigation is still ongoing.