ORION TOWNSHIP, MI — An armed intruder, identified as 67-year-old Galen Gavitt of Unionville, was fatally shot by his ex-girlfriend’s stepson during a break-in at their Orion Township home yesterday.

Gavitt had a personal protection order and an extreme risk protection order against him. The protection order aimed to prevent harassment and contact, while the extreme risk protection order allowed for the confiscation of firearms due to threats posed by Gavitt. Two firearms were confiscated from Gavitt, yet he still had one when he broke into the home.

Despite these orders, he broke a rear window with an axe and entered the home. The ex-girlfriend, 62, and her stepson, 36, attempted to barricade themselves in an upstairs bedroom. Gavitt fired a shot through the bedroom door, causing the stepson to fall. Gavitt then pointed a .38 caliber revolver at the stepson and stepped over him to reach the ex-girlfriend, who had locked herself in an adjoining bathroom.

As Gavitt attempted to enter the bathroom, the stepson fired a single shot, striking Gavitt in the head. Deputies attempted life-saving measures, but Gavitt was pronounced dead at the scene.

This incident underscores the importance of firearms in self-defense situations, especially when legal protections like orders are insufficient to stop a determined threat. The investigation is ongoing.