‘I don’t blame them’: Grieving father says he understands why homeowner killed his son during break-in

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) — A father is mourning his 18-year-old son who was shot and killed during a suspected home break-in in Missouri last week.

Blue Springs police identified the deceased as Tristen Barker, 18.

Police said the homeowner reported the break-in and then shot the suspect before officers arrived. Barker died at the scene.

His father, Allen Barker, said Tristen had high-functioning autism and was living in a home for people with special needs.

Allen Barker is trying to make sense of how his son ended up at the center of a deadly confrontation.

“Honestly, a lot of this feels like … feels like he was puppeteer or coerced, because this is such a departure from who he was,” Allen Barker said.

Barker said his son’s condition makes the circumstances harder to accept. He is questioning whether anyone failed to look out for Tristen Barker.

“You should check and see what is going on. If they had, this would have never happened,” Allen Barker said.

Despite the pain, Barker said he holds no anger toward the homeowner.

“I don’t blame them. They were doing what they felt they needed to do to protect their family. I wish it didn’t happen, but at the end of the day, they did what they felt was right,” Allen Barker said.

Blue Springs police have not named the homeowner or announced any charges. The investigation remains ongoing.