LaVERGNE, Tenn. -- A LaVergne man told police he believes two would-be robbers followed him home. He became suspicious when he saw them drive up with no headlights and one of them come toward him with a gun.

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"He lifted up a firearm -- it appeared to a chrome pistol of some sort -- and he pointed it at me and demanded I take everything out of my pockets," said the man, who did not want his name used.

But what the potential offender didn't know was the victim had his own gun and fired first. He had recently purchased the gun and was planning on practice shooting earlier that day.

The two teens, 19-year-old Shane Singleton and 17-year-old Tevin Battle, were quickly arrested after neighbors called police because they heard gunshots.

"They just happened to rob the wrong guy," said LaVergne Police Chief Ted Boyd. "These suspects are lucky that they didn't get shot."

Boyd said the victim had every right to do what he did.

"People have the right to defend themselves if they are in fear of bodily harm or death," said Boyd.

Both are repeat offenders, and the 17-year-old was tried and convicted as an adult in Nashville for a similar crime.

"Both of them are on probation at this time," said Boyd. "We know the adult's on probation, he's told us, for 12 years for especially aggravated robbery."

The victim said he would not have done anything differently.

"It could have been a situation where it could have been me," he said. "The suspects could have gotten away and hurt someone else in the subdivision."