The following account of a brave woman who defended her life with a firearm appeared in an earlier edition of The Armed Citizen®:
In a story from 2024 that bears repeating, The Blaze reported that an 85-year-old Idaho woman was being hailed for her heroic actions after she fatally shot her attacker during a violent home invasion.
The incident began at about 2 a.m. when a 39-year-old man, who had parked a mile away, reportedly broke into the woman’s home through a window with a screwdriver, donning a military jacket and a black ski mask. The homeowner, who was asleep, was brutally awakened when the intruder bashed her in the head with his gun. Blood later discovered on her pillow substantiated the claim.
The man then dragged her to the living room and handcuffed her to a wooden chair, demanding to know where she kept her valuables. Angry that she didn't have much, he put his gun to her head. After learning there were two safes downstairs, the man left her handcuffed while he went for the safes. It was then that he discovered that her disabled son was also in the home, which only aggravated him even more.
When he left her alone again, the woman was able to drag her chair over to her pillow and retrieve a .357 Magnum revolver. She hid the gun and waited for him to return. After he threatened to kill her, the woman, in desperate fear for her life, shot at the man. Even though the assailant was struck twice, he was able to shoot back at the woman with his 9 mm pistol, striking her numerous times in the leg, arm, chest and abdomen. In his attempt to exit, he made it as far as the kitchen, where he died of his wounds.
The elderly woman was still handcuffed to the chair and remained on the floor for 10 hours before her son was able to bring her a phone so that she could call the police. Ultimately she was given life-saving treatment and taken to a hospital.
During their investigation, police found the man’s car near the home with footprints leading to the house. They also found a set of lock picks on his body and a bag containing some of the woman's possessions.
The incident was deemed a “justifiable homicide” under Idaho criminal code, according to reports, and the county prosecutor called it "one of the most heroic acts of self-preservation" he had ever seen. "Her grit, determination, and will to live appear to be what saved her that night," the prosecutor added. "[The homeowner] was justified in taking any and all means necessary to defend herself and her son that night." (TheBlaze.com; Bingham County, Idaho; 4/12/24)
