An owner fires and kills three masked men in a possible ground defense case

An owner in Georgia shot and killed three young men in his home early Monday morning, according to Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett.

The authorities identified the three dead as minors on Monday night – two people aged 16 and another aged 15 – but they did not reveal their names. The sheriff's office told ABC News that he was waiting to release information about teenagers, all from Conyers, Georgia, until all three families were notified.

The owner, who was not identified by MPs, was taken to the post for questioning.

"It could be a case of type 'stand your ground', based on the preamble [information] that we have learned so far, "said Levett at the information meeting.

The three teenagers would have approached the house and tried to steal three people in the yard, said Monday evening the sheriff's office. One of the suspected robbery suspects allegedly brandished a handgun and fired shots at the residents before one of them retaliated. The three suspects of attempted robbery were killed during the exchange, authorities said.

The victims of the attempted robbery suffered no injuries. No charges have been filed against anyone in the case.

(PLUS: Florida & # 39; s stand your ground & # 39; shooter found guilty of manslaughter)

MPs found two guns on the scene but have not yet determined who the weapons belonged to, Levett said.

The men were found outside the house when deputies arrived. One man was declared dead at the scene and the other two were taken to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead.

A neighbor told WSB, an Atlanta ABC affiliate, that he heard gunshots around 4 am on Monday and ran out to see what had happened.

"It was five shots and then it sounded like a handgun.And I heard someone carrying an assault rifle.And it's a series of shots that came out, "said neighbor Carlos Watson at the station.

(PLUS: George Zimmerman accused of harassing a man working on the documentary Trayvon Martin)

The legal phrase "stand your ground" became a national story in 2012 when George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin, 17, following an altercation in his Florida neighborhood.

Zimmerman was charged with murder but said he had no choice but to shoot Martin because he feared for his life. In July 2013, a Florida jury acquitted Zimmerman.