A man who shot an intruder in his Orange County home died after someone fired back

An exchange of gunfire during a home invasion robbery in western Orange County early Sunday left one resident dead and one of the intruders injured, according to the sheriff’s department.

Three armed men broke into a home on U.S. 70 near Buckhorn Road at about 12:30 a.m. and demanded money, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Three people were in the house at the time, and one of them fired a shotgun at the intruders, hitting one of them.

One of the intruders returned fire, hitting the resident, before all three fled, according to the sheriff’s office. The resident was taken to Duke University Hospital, where he died during surgery.

The sheriff’s office has not released the man’s name, pending notification of his family.

The two other residents of the home reported being held at gunpoint but were not physically harmed, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies arrived at the home about 12:40 a.m.

The sheriff’s office says its deputies found one of the intruders in the parking lot of a business nearby. They say Clarence Brandon Hayes, 28, of Durham had a gunshot wound to the abdomen and underwent surgery at a nearby hospital.

A K9 unit tried to locate the other two intruders but concluded they were no longer around. The residents of the home described them as men wearing masks and all black clothing, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office asks anyone who saw or heard anything near the intersection of U.S. 70 and Buckhorn Road between 12:30 and 1 a.m. to call investigator Dylan Hendricks at 919-245-2951.