Mom Fatally Shoots Armed Intruder to Protect Her Baby

A terrifying late-night home invasion in Joliet, Illinois, ended with a mother defending her baby and fatally shooting an armed intruder.

According to the Joliet Police Department, the incident happened late last Friday night when an unknown man forced his way into the home. Police said the intruder, who was wearing gloves and carrying a screwdriver, was not known to the homeowner.

Investigators believe the woman, who was home alone with her baby, heard the man breaking in and quickly hid with her child inside a bedroom closet. Armed with a handgun, she waited as the suspect made his way upstairs.

When the intruder entered the bedroom, police say the mother fired a single shot, hitting him in the head. Officers responding to the scene found signs of forced entry and discovered the man dead on the second floor. The woman and her baby were found unharmed in an adjacent room, with the firearm nearby.

Authorities confirmed the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene by the Will County Coroner’s Office. His identity has not yet been released.

“The case remains under active investigation, and the victim is fully cooperating with detectives,” police said in a statement.