Student kills burglary suspect with Samurai sword

On Monday, someone had burglarized college student John Pontolillo's Baltimore house and nabbed two laptop computers and a videogame system. Late that night, Pontoilillo heard noises in his garage. So he grabbed his samurai sword and went to check it out. When the prowler lunged at him, Pontoilillo killed him with the sword. The state's attorney's office will consider whether to bring any charges against Pontoilillo. From the Washington Post:

The student "was backed up against a corner, and either out of fear or out of panic, he just struck the sword with force," said city police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

Pontolillo, who rents the off-campus home, nearly severed the man's left hand, inflicting what police called a "spear laceration."

Donald D. Rice of Baltimore, 49, a repeat offender who had been released from jail Saturday, died at the scene.

Hopkins Student With Samurai Sword Kills Theft Suspect (Thanks, Sean Ness!)