OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma prosecutor said Monday that no charges will be filed against a 23-year-old man who fatally shot three teenage intruders in his home, but that the woman who drove them there is being charged with first-degree murder.
Authorities say Zachary Peters was home alone when he shot Maxwell Cook, Jacob Redfern and Jakob Woodruff with an AR-15 rifle March 27 at his home just outside the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow.
"It is the opinion of this office that Zachary Peters acted justifiably ... when he used deadly force to defend his home," said Wagoner County Assistant District Attorney Jack Thorp. "It was clear he operated completely within the law when he used deadly force," Thorp later told The Associated Press.
The spellings of the names and the ages of the teens differ in some public records, but Wagoner County Deputy Nick Mahoney said the latest information is that Cook and Redfern were 18 and Woodruff was 15.
Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliott said he supports the decision not to charge Peters.
"We support the right of our citizens, the right to bear arms and to defend their homes," Elliott said. "In this such case, we feel strongly that's what took place here."
Oklahoma is one of 24 states that have laws allowing citizens to shoot someone if they believe the person threatens their safety, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.