An 85-year-old Idaho woman shot an intruder in her home.
**85-Year-Old Idaho Grandmother Shoots Intruder in the Face**
An 85-year-old woman from Idaho has shot an intruder in her home, an act which the county prosecutor described during her trial as one of the most heroic self-defense actions.
According to a report shared on
Facebook by the Bingham County Sheriff's Office, a burglar identified as Derek Condon broke into the Idaho home of Christine Jenneiahn, an 85-year-old retiree, around 2 a.m. on March 13. The lady's son, who lives with a disability, was also at home at the time.
Jenneiahn was asleep at home when she was awakened by the intruder, who was wearing a camouflage jacket and a black ski mask, holding a pistol, and a flashlight aimed at her.
The intruder struck Christine in the head while she was in bed. Investigators found her blood on the pillow and the bedroom floor. Condon then handcuffed her and took her to the living room at gunpoint, where he inquired about her valuables. When the woman mentioned she didn't have much, the man pressed the gun to her head, the report stated.
The woman told the intruder that she had two safes on the ground floor. Leaving her handcuffed in the living room, the man went searching through other rooms for valuables. Moments later, upon realizing Christine's son was also in the house, the intruder became furious and threatened to kill the elderly woman.
While the burglar continued his search downstairs, the woman dragged herself back to her bedroom with the chair she was handcuffed to and retrieved her .357 Magnum revolver from under her pillow. She hid the gun between the armrest and a cushion upon returning to the living room, waiting to see the burglar's next move. Christine's memory of what happened next is a bit hazy. She told prosecutors that the man threatened her life again.
"I decided it was now or never, and I shot!"
The intruder fired back, hitting Christine multiple times in the abdomen and chest with his 9mm pistol. The burglar then moved to the kitchen, where he succumbed to his gunshot wounds. Ryan Jolley, the Bingham County Prosecutor, stated upon reviewing the case that Christine acted in self-defense and deemed the shooting a justified act of self-defense.
"The fact that Christine survived this encounter is truly incredible. It seems her resilience, determination, and will to live saved her that night," Jolley wrote.
Later investigations found a broken window at the back of the house and a screwdriver near where Condon broke in. Near Condon's body, there was a lock-picking kit, his car keys, a handcuff key, and a bag filled with items stolen from the house, NBC reported.