US man shoots and kills three teens in front lawn encounter

A man shot and killed three teenagers on his front lawn in the southern US state of Georgia during an alleged robbery attempt, police said, raising the prospect of no charges if the shooter is found to have acted in self-defense.

Georgia is one of 27 US states with so-called "stand your ground" laws, which establish a right to use lethal force to defend oneself or others against a perceived threat.

Police in Conyers, a small town near Atlanta, said the shooting occurred Monday when the three youths, one of whom was 15 and the other two 16, approached a house before dawn.

"To this point, the investigation has revealed that the three now deceased individuals had their faces covered as they approached the residence and attempted to rob three individuals in the front yard," a Rockdale County police spokesman said in a statement.

"One of the attempted robbery suspects brandished a handgun and fired shots at the residents before one of the intended robbery victims returned fire," the spokesman, Lee Thomas, said.

"The victims of the attempted robbery were all uninjured, but the three attempted robbery suspects were all shot during the exchange of gunfire and succumbed to their injuries, one on scene and two at a local hospital after being transported."