Richard Irwin may be the Baltimore Sun's last hard-boiled reporter. Part of my fascination with the Police Blotter feature in the daily news lies in the brevity of these items as I imagine narratives unwritten. What's the story behind this vignette?
"Southern Baltimore
Shooting A female resident of the 600 block of S. Fulton Ave. was home about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday when she encountered a male intruder armed with a handgun. Police said the woman shot the intruder with her own gun. She called 911 and reported the incident, left her home and locked the front door, leaving the man in the house. Medics forced their way in and treated the man before he was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was in critical condition. Police traced the woman's cell phone and told the woman to return to her home. She did and was interviewed by police. Police spokesman Agent Donny Moses said no charges had been placed against the woman and that the incident was being reviewed by the state's attorney's office."
Did they know each other? This is a rough neighborhood, so I'm not surprised that the lady had a gun handy, but to shoot and critically wound the burgler, call the cops, then leave the house and lock the bad bad guy in? That's cold. Then the cops had to find her and tell her to come back to the house. I get the distinct impression that she left him for dead and went out for a beer. And what now? I'm curious to know more.