Car Thief's Horrible Miscalculation Turns Out to Be Deadly After He Targeted Armed Former Marine – Who Was Just as Heroic as You'd Expect

A former Marine in Maple Valley, Wash., didn't expect to encounter a car thief breaking into his truck as he prepared to walk his dog Tuesday morning. Then again, the thief didn't expect to run into an armed former Marine either.

The thief, identified only as a 27-year-old male, and his girlfriend were reportedly driving a stolen Honda with stolen plates when they decided to break into a pickup truck. As the owner of the truck, the former Marine, came out to walk his dog, he saw the crime in progress and confronted the criminals.

In an instant, guns were drawn and bullets were flying through the air. The former Marine was deadly accurate, hitting the male suspect several times before he could hide behind the truck. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

The former Marine, identified by KING5 as "Keenan," 24, was also just as heroic as you'd expect someone with such a distinction to be.

His aunt reportedly witnessed the attempted carjacking and is positive her nephew's brave actions saved her life.

"He shoved me out of the way when the guy was going to shoot at us," Kristen Hague told KOMO-TV. She also said it looked like the thief had a gun and Keenan "pushed me out of the way and yelled 'gun!' and I don't think if he would have done that, I would be alive... I think he was defending me -- I totally see it."

More from KING5:

Though the incident ended badly for the suspect, Hague said the shooting was completely justified.

"My life was in danger; my nephew's life was in danger, and he did the right thing even though it ended really bad and really sad," she added.

The woman even reportedly attempted CPR on the suspect who had just tried to shoot her until medics arrived.

"Detectives say they recovered at least two weapons from the scene -- a .45 caliber apparently used by the thief and a 9 millimeter from the man who shot the suspect," KOMO-TV reports.

The deceased suspect's girlfriend was arrested in the incident and police learned she also had a felony arrest warrant for burglary.

Police investigate a stolen Honda that was driven to the scene of a fatal shooting in Maple Valley, Wash. on Sept. 24, 2013. (Credit: KOMO)

Police reportedly questioned the former Marine about the shooting -- then released him.

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