Man shoots dead, wounds two crooks he caught breaking into his car after confrontation escalates. Wounded suspect, 17, exchanged gunfire with car owner.

Things couldn't have gone much worse for a pair of alleged crooks in Atlanta last week.

What happened?

A man was walking out of the Publix grocery store in the Peachtree Battle Shopping Plaza around 4 p.m. Friday when he noticed two people breaking into his car, WXIA-TV reported.

The car owner decided to confront the pair — and when the situation escalated "the victim chose to take his weapon and defend himself against the people that were breaking into the vehicle," Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Timothy Peek told the station.

The car owner shot one of the suspects dead, WXIA said.

The second suspect — a 17-year-old male — took off toward Peachtree Hills and traded gunfire with the car owner, the station said. But police soon caught up with teen, who was wounded in his wrist, the station reported.

Police told WXIA the wounded teen was still being treated Saturday at Grady Hospital, and that after he's medically cleared he'll be transported to Fulton County Jail.

But there's way worse stuff in store for this kid.

Murder charge — for the teen suspect

Police charged the 17-year-old with felony murder, entering auto, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a person under 18, the station said.

Why a murder charge for the teen when he wasn't the one who fatally shot the other suspect?

Well, WXIA noted that under Georgia law, if a suspect is killed during the commission of a crime, responsibility for the death is placed on any alleged accomplices.

Anything else?

"It appears to be this was a group of people who decided to come out and commit crimes, and unfortunately it led to the death of someone," Peek added to the station, also noting that police know "the victim's vehicle was entered" and "some of the victim's property was recovered on the scene but not inside the vehicle where it was originally left."

Police haven't released the identity of the suspect who shot dead in the incident, WXIA reported, adding that cops also haven't filed other charges amid the continuing investigation.

Police: Victim defends himself, shoots at men breaking into car at Buckhead shopping plazayoutu.be