Man killed in his own home after setting off booby trap he rigged himself

A man was shot and killed as a result of one of his own booby traps that he had set up in his home, when he opened his front door the Washington Post reports.

Ronald Cyr, 65, rigged his home with protective homemade devices to shoot at potential intruders and robbers. But police say that he called 911 on Thanksgiving to say he had accidentally been shot while opening his front door.

The authorities arrived at Cyr's property in Van Buren in the state of Maine on Thursday evening. While there, they found that it was protected with a booby trap designed to fire a handgun at anyone who tried to enter.

In spite of the emergency medical assistance that was given to the 65-year-old by paramedics, the US Border Patrol, and an officer, Cyr tragically succumbed to his injuries.

"Regretfully, Mr Cyr succumbed to the injuries he sustained from the gunshot," the force wrote on its official Facebook page.

Take a read of the post in full:

"During the early evening of Thursday, November 28, 2019, the Van Buren Police Department was dispatched to a residence on St. Francis Avenue answering to a 911 call from a male reporting that he had been shot. Officer Chandler Madore and the Van Buren Ambulance Service arrived on scene, assisted by the US Border Patrol, and provided emergency medical assistance to the injured man who was identified as the home owner, Ronald Cyr, 65. Regretfully, Mr. Cyr succumbed to the injuries he sustained from the gunshot.

While on scene, Officers discovered that the front door of the residence had been outfitted with a device designed to fire a handgun should anyone attempt to enter the door. Other unknown devices were also discovered alarming investigators to contact the Maine State Police Bomb Squad.

Following an extensive investigation that lasted into the early morning hours by the Maine State Police, the Maine State Police Bomb Squad and the Van Buren Police Department, it was determined that Mr. Cyr had been shot as the result of the unintentional discharge of one of his homemade devices.

The Van Buren Police Department was additionally assisted at the scene by the Maine Warden Service and the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office. [sic]"