New details paint a tense scene in the moments before a homeowner shot and killed a stranger who broke into his residence in the region.
The Saratoga County incident happened at around 11:30 a.m. Friday, June 14, in Malta at the Northway Estates mobile home park on Route 9.
Sheriff’s deputies said someone called 911 reporting a shooting inside one of the units. When deputies arrived, they found a man dead from a gunshot wound. Nobody else was injured.
In an update Monday, June 17, investigators said the deceased man forced his way into a stranger’s home and attacked a resident. He then chased the resident into a bedroom where other occupants had hidden.
One of the residents armed himself with a shotgun and fired two shots, killing the suspect.
Deputies identified the man as 49-year-old Kurt Hubbard, a resident of the Locust Grove Motel in Malta. The agency did not speculate on a motive for the break-in.
Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo thanked the residents of Northway Estates and other members of the community for coming forward and assisting with the investigation.
“As I stated Friday, I am confident that there is no threat to the community,” Zurlo said. “At this time, the investigation has not revealed any criminal conduct by the resident who appears to have been defending himself inside of his home from a subject who was not known to him.”
Zurlo added that the shooting investigation “is far from over” and his office would not be commenting further until it concludes.
