‘Investigator of the Year’ shot, killed after allegedly breaking into neighbor’s home, sheriff says

ATLANTA ( WANF /Gray News) - A homeowner shot and killed an off-duty Atlanta police investigator who allegedly broke into his home.

According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a home around 5 a.m. on Friday about a person shot.

Deputies identified the person shot as Aubree Horton, who joined the department in 2015 and was assigned to their fugitive unit.

Horton also recently won ' Investigator of the Year' at the department's annual "Crime is Toast" awards breakfast.

Deputies said a video showed Horton "experiencing a mental health episode or under the influence of narcotics attempt[ing] to break into the front door of a residence."

The homeowner allegedly shot Horton in self-defense, according to deputies.

Law enforcement later determined that Horton lived about half a mile from the home where the shooting occurred.

This is a developing story.