OAN’s Brooke Mallory
3:42 PM – Sunday, October 1, 2023
One neighbor who spoke to reporters praised Oklahoma’s gun laws after a man in the state intervened when his girlfriend’s ex-husband allegedly broke into their house and threatened their lives.
“People just be breaking into other people’s houses over here and… I guess that’s what’s going on. And I’m just glad that it’s open carry in this state because people need to be able to protect [themselves],” said a Oklahoma resident identified as “Gabrielle.”
The couple’s residence on Flannery Drive that was broken into early on Wednesday is next door to Gabrielle’s home.
Oklahomans who follow the law and are 21 years of age or older are allowed to openly or covertly carry weapons without a permit.
According to the shooting’s affidavit, the male and female residents were at home when they heard their dog barking, which prompted the male homeowner to investigate further, according to KOKH-TV.
The uninvited guest, 34-year-old Mauricio Alexander Delarosa, then rushed in and was confronted by the male homeowner inside.
Police were informed that Delarosa was the woman’s estranged spouse.
According to police documents, the new lover and the estranged spouse had never met before, but he knew that she was present inside the residence.
After they both exchanged words, the male homeowner reportedly grabbed his gun before the offender charged at both her and the boyfriend. Delarosa was then hit in the chest by a single shot.
Delarosa had also called his estranged wife more than 170 times between Tuesday afternoon and the shooting on Wednesday morning, according to police documents.
Delarosa purportedly ran from the house after being shot, and he was later found unconscious in another neighbor’s yard.
According to authorities, he was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment and would be sent to the local jail afterwards.
According to Gabrielle’s statements to OKC Fox, she cautioned criminals that many men and women in the state are armed and will shoot if they are provoked in an attack.
“I guess they see targets, but I’m telling you, you think them single moms aren’t armed, or, you know, them single dads or people are not going to protect their home. You come in them doors you know and you’re not invited you might get filled up with holes. And that’s just the honest truth,” Gabrielle said.
Gabrielle also told reporters that better street lighting and safety measures were needed since she claims that violence has only grown in the Midwest City area since a large school closed down the year prior.
After Delarosa’s hospital visit, he was charged with stalking and first-degree burglary.
The male homeowner and his girlfriend requested to not have their identities publicly released.
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