ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- A man shot in the neck by a woman when he allegedly broke into her Arlington home remains hospitalized in fair condition.

Police say the woman shot 23-year-old Brian Driscoll after she had demanded several times that he leave her house yesterday afternoon. Driscoll is listed in fair condition after undergoing surgery at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Arlington police Lieutenant John Serson said Driscoll faces burglary charges.

The woman, who has not been identified, was not injured. Police said the gun was properly registered and the shooting was apparently in self-defense, so no charges have been filed.

Home invader shot by armed woman

Originally ran here as:
"Arlington woman shoots alleged intruder"
by Laurel J. Sweet
Boston Herald
March 19, 2002

Arlington woman shoots alleged intruder

A terrified Arlington woman shot an unarmed intruder through the neck when he barged into her home yesterday afternoon and ignored her warnings to run while he could, police said.

"She warned him a couple of times to leave or she'd shoot him, but he continued to advance on her," Arlington police Lt. John Serson said.

"At one point he reached for the waistband of his pants. She was in fear for her life and fired one round into his neck."

The woman, who police did not identify, lives on Silk Street. Her neighborhood was plagued by a rash of home and commercial break-ins over the weekend, police said.

The alleged intruder, Brian Driscoll, 22, of Arlington, who Serson said is known to police, was in critical condition following surgery last night at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Neither he nor the woman were immediately charged in connection with the 3 p.m. incident. Driscoll called police for help after fleeing to a relative's apartment on nearby Fremont Street.

According to Arlington police Chief Frederick Ryan, the woman was alerted to Driscoll's presence in her front hallway by one of her dogs' frantic barks.

Ryan advised residents to remain vigilant while police investigate whether Driscoll was involved in the other break-ins.

The thieves "are taking anything of value they can get their hands on," he said.

The woman was licensed to have the handgun, but Ryan said it will be up to the Middlesex County district attorney's office to decide if she shot Driscoll in self-defense.