A prominent gun rights organization has praised a mother in Illinois for her quick thinking and bravery after she fatally shot a man who broke into her home.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) has issued a statement applauding and sympathizing with the woman, who was apparently at home alone with her infant child when the incident occurred late at night.
According to local sources, the woman heard a break-in and, after arming herself, fled to an upstairs closet with her baby.
She allegedly fired her firearm only after the suspect entered the bedroom. Police say there were traces of forced entry, and the woman, who is working with detectives, says she doesn’t know the man. The suspect, Shelby Hurd of Chicago, was discovered carrying a screwdriver and gloves that might have been used as a weapon, according to authorities.
“Based on what we know so far,” Gottlieb said, “the woman heard someone breaking into her home, so she armed herself and hid in an upstairs bedroom closet, and only opened fire when the suspect came into the bedroom. It appears to be a justifiable use of force under Illinois law.”
The CCRKBA sees the occurrence as a clear case of a person exercising their right to self-defense. Gottlieb claimed that the woman did nothing wrong and that the situation was identical to many other incidents of legitimate self-defense around the country.
“A person’s home is supposed to be their sanctuary,” Gottlieb continued. “And when that is invaded by someone with obvious bad intentions, people are within their rights to defend themselves and their children.” He also stated that critics should consider the greater tragedy that was prevented because the mother had a firearm and the “wherewithal to use it.”
Gottlieb concluded by questioning the possibility of even greater tragedy if the mother had been unable to defend herself, highlighting the significance of the right to keep and bear arms for personal protection. “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.”
