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Shot Teen Said To Be 'Garage Hopping'

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The surviving teen from a fatal April 27 shooting in Missoula, Montana, has reportedly told police that he and his friend were "garage hopping."

Diren Dede and a friend, both high school exchange students in Missoula, were out around midnight on April 27 when Dede entered an open garage. The homeowner, Markus Kaarma, opened the inside door and shot four times, killing Dede.

Kaarma has been charged with deliberate homicide, but his lawyers say the family was scared of the intruders because of two recent burglaries. Police are investigating if Kaarma had been drunk or smoking marijuana when he fired.

The case has brought attention to the new phenomenon of "garage hopping," and raised a new debate over Montana's "castle doctrine" laws, under which residents have a wide latitude to defend their homes.

Montana Public Radio's Sally Mauk joins Here & Now's Robin Young to discuss the case.

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This segment aired on May 8, 2014.

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