Would-be car thieves nearly shot kids while they slept. Now the kids' father and neighbor face eviction for returning fire.

Two Tennessee men face eviction from their respective apartments after they returned gunfire on suspects who tried to steal a car parked nearby.

On May 22, Terrance Montgomery received a call from a concerned neighbor in his apartment complex in Raleigh, an area of Memphis. The unidentified neighbor claimed that he saw people in a white vehicle attempt to steal the red Hyundai belonging to Montgomery's girlfriend. Montgomery claimed that her car had been stolen before and that it had been recovered, only to be targeted once again.

To prevent yet another vehicle heist, Montgomery threw on some flip-flops, grabbed his gun for protection, and headed outside to deter the would-be thieves, who were driving off. He claimed that once the suspects spotted his weapon, they began firing a weapon of their own and that their bullets nearly struck children sleeping in another unit.

"They open[ed] fire, shooting out my neighbor's window," he claimed, adding that he then fired back at the suspects "two to three times."

The neighbor whose window was destroyed and whose kids were imperiled is Cedric Verner. When Verner heard the gunshots, he grabbed a gun as well to protect his family and property. "I grabbed my gun … [and] returned fire," Verner explained. He added that the individuals in the white vehicle had "almost kill[ed]" his kids, the bullets missing them "by inches while they were lying in bed asleep."

Verner and Montgomery claim they fired a total of four or five shots and only in response to the shots fired by the suspects. Neither of the two men has been charged with a crime. "We were protecting ourselves," Montgomery insisted.

Despite their claims of self-defense, both men have since received a notice from Avery Park, the leasing company which owns their apartment complex, ordering them to "vacate the premises" within three days. The letter allegedly accused the men of being a nuisance and threatening the safety of other residents.

When Verner contacted Avery Park to explain his version of events, he claimed a representative from the company told him that he "can’t stop anyone from coming on the premises and trying to steal anything" from him.

The men are fighting the eviction, taking Avery Park to General Sessions Civil Court. Now, a judge must first sign off on the eviction order before they can be forced out of their apartments.

"We were the victims, but in some type of way we’re getting evicted," Montgomery stated. "What are we supposed to do?"

No suspects from the white car have been identified. Avery Park did not respond to requests for comment from FOX 13 Memphis or Fox News Digital. TheBlaze made several attempts to contact its office by phone but received only a busy signal.

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