The fatal shooting of a burglar in Joliet, Ill., by a mom defending herself and her baby is getting national attention and widespread support on social media by people applauding the woman’s courage and the fact she had a gun for personal protection.
According to CBS News, officers responding to a home invasion call found a man lying on the second floor of a Joliet home, with a bullet wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident unfolded late Friday evening. A mom at home with her baby heard someone breaking in. She reported armed herself and hid with the infant in a bedroom closet. When the suspect entered the bedroom, she opened fire.
According to a news release posted on Facebook by the Joliet police, the woman had never seen the suspect before. He was wearing gloves and carrying a screwdriver. Scores of comments from people reacting to the news release support what the woman did, and sympathized with her having had to do it.
One national organization is hailing the woman’s actions. The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) issued a statement Monday hailing the woman’s actions.
“There is nothing about the details of this case to suggest the woman did anything wrong,” CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb said. “She was home alone with her baby, a man breaks in late at night, she had a firearm and used it in self-defense. The circumstances are not unlike the details of hundreds of other similar cases which have happened in other parts of the country, each and every week.
“A person’s home is supposed to be their sanctuary,” he continued, “and when that is invaded by someone with obvious bad intentions, people are within their rights to defend themselves and their children. No amount of ‘Monday-morning quarterbacking’ by people who weren’t there changes the circumstances. Anyone calling this unjustified should step back and consider the greater tragedy which was prevented because this mom had a firearm and the wherewithal to use it.”
Police said there were signs of forced entry.
“How many real tragedies happen to innocent people because they had no gun with which to defend themselves and others in cases of imminent and unavoidable danger,” Gottlieb questioned. “This case underscores the importance of the individual right to keep and bear arms. It is sad this happened, but the outcome could have been much worse if this mom had been unable to defend herself and her baby.”
