The homeowner had left his house and was getting into his vehicle in the driveway Tuesday morning when a man confronted him with a knife for an apparent robbery, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The homeowner shot the man, who died at the scene.
The incident was reported just after 6 a.m. Tuesday in the 1500 block of West 156th Street. Deputies who arrived found a man in his 30s suffering from several gunshot wounds to the upper body.
Investigators recovered a knife from the scene, in addition to the firearm used by the homeowner.
The incident was the second fatal shooting in Compton in two days.
At about 8:50 a.m. Monday, a man was shot and wounded at Harris Avenue and Pauline Street, the sheriff's department reported.
The wounded man was taken to a hospital, where he died Tuesday, according to the sheriff's department. His name was not immediately available for release. No arrests were reported and no suspect information was available.
Anyone with information on either case was urged to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323)890-5500, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.