2 Men Killed During Attempted Home Invasion After They Posed as Police Officers — and Residents Returned Gunfire By Latoya Gayle 16

Two men were allegedly impersonating police officers and attempting to gain access to a Texas home — before they were fatally shot by the residents.

At around 11 p.m. local time on Friday, Aug. 22, the Houston Police Department (HPD) received a call about a home invasion attempt in Houston.

The caller explained that two masked men had been at their house “stating they were police and here to serve a warrant,” HPD Lieutenant Khan said during a press conference, per KHOU 11. 

The suspects were wearing bulletproof vests, ski masks and badges around their necks at the time of the incident, local outlet Click 2 Houston reported, citing investigators.

As suspicions began to arise about the authenticity of the men being police, the suspects shot the resident through the door of the house. Both men were then struck when the homeowner returned fire, the outlet reported.

Lieutenant Khan said the two men were pronounced dead at the scene, despite officers’ CPR attempts.

“Right now, we don’t have ages on the suspects,” she added in the press conference, per KHOU 11. “They look to be younger, maybe at the most in their 30s.”

Khan said the homeowners were not injured in the incident, and the suspects were ultimately unsuccessful in forcefully entering the property. 

A child who was in the house was also unharmed, ABC 13 reported, citing the HPD.

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Khan said in the press conference, per KHOU 11, that the homeowners “became suspicious because they had a Ring camera too, and the suspects were saying they had a warrant.”

“But, you know, it’s just two people, and they’re masked up, and no police cars, no lights or anything like that,” she continued. “So, they immediately became suspicious, and thankfully, no one else was hurt.”

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Detectives have spent hours speaking to people within the neighborhood amid their ongoing investigation into the incident, Click 2 Houston reported.

The HPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, Aug. 24.

Anyone with relevant information is being asked to contact Houston Police Homicide or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.