(Updated 11-22 to more clearly reflect a possible motive.)
The Salem Lakes man who died after returning fire in a robbery attempt at his home last week had a gun handy because he'd been robbed two weeks earlier, according to a friend who spoke to investigators.
23 year-old Joseph Riley was struck by four bullets when three men kicked in his door and barged into his living room Nov. 15th. Before collapsing, Riley was able to fire several rounds himself, striking two of the intruders.
In criminal complaints filed Wednesday, Matthew Peyton, who was in the kitchen at the time of the shooting, was quoted as saying that Riley had started to keep a handgun on his living room coffee table because of the earlier break-in. Riley had been robbed and struck with the butt of a gun, Peyton said.
The complaint details the first moments following the arrival on scene of a sheriff's deputy. The deputy said she immediately saw pools of blood underneath Riley and Eva Lofton, a woman who'd been in the home when the assault occurred and who was also hit.
Riley's eyes were beginning to roll to the back of his head, and he had slow, shallow breathing, according to the deputy. Lofton was described as being "fairly calm," but cried out a few times that she'd been shot and was in a lot of pain.
According to District Attorney Michael Graveley, Lofton was hit a total of 8 times and had damage to major organs. At last report, Lofton, a mother of two, was in stable condition.
The four defendants, including the intruders and a fourth man who stayed outside during the robbery attempt, all appeared in court Wednesday to face formal charges. According to the complaint, one defendant, Anthony Harris, indicated to investigators that they'd been tipped off that the victim would have "marijuana and cash" and would be "soft," meaning an easy target.
The three oldest sat stoically during their separate appearances, but the 4th man, 18 year-old Demarco Hudson, at times sobbed and rocked in his chair. While none of the defendants has an extensive record, Hudson reportedly didn't have any convictions to his name. Hudson was one of two defendants who were struck by Riley's return fire. Hudson still has a bullet embedded in his chest near his heart, according to what was said in court on Monday.
A joint preliminary hearing for all of the defendants was scheduled for Nov. 30th.
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