A broken door at the home in the 1600 block of Griffith Street is evidence of the forced entry that took place early Monday morning.
Police say around 1:10 a.m., a man broke into a woman's second-floor apartment and made his way into her daughter's room.
"Coming out from my room, and open lights and one guy inside. I don't know this guy," the mother told Action News. "I said, 'What are you doing?' This guy coming inside, push me."
She told Action News she didn't recognize him.
Police believe the intruder was in his 40s.
Sources tell Action News that a neighbor heard a commotion and confronted the suspect.
A struggled ensued and at some point the intruder was shot in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after.
"I said, 'Help me, help me,' she recalled.
She said that if her neighbor didn't rush in to help, "this guy kill me."
"I'm shocked. For this to happen right next door, it is shocking," said neighbor David Garfinkel.
Homicide detectives are investigating.
There has been no word yet on whether any charges will be filed in this incident, or whether this was a random or targeted act.