An 85-Year-Old Woman Pulls Out Hidden Revolver When Armed Robber Least Expects It
With dramatic stories of self-defense appearing in our news feeds almost every day, you have to wonder how gun-control advocates have still pontificated about the evils of gun ownership with a straight face.
True, a few bad actors have used guns to hurt, terrorize and kill the innocent.
But how many of those bad actors have been — or could have been — apprehended, if one of those citizens had also been armed?
An incident reported Wednesday by EastIdahoNews.com showed how a potentially lethal situation became an example of heroism, thanks to an 85-year-old woman armed with a handgun.
According to EastIdahoNews.com, Christine Jenneiahn was sleeping at home during the wee hours of March 13, when a man officials identified Derek Ephriam Condon, 39, broke into her house around 2 a.m.
The report, released by Bingham County prosecuting attorney Ryan Jolley and shared by the Bingham County Sheriff’s office on Facebook, noted that Jenneiahn’s disabled adult son, David, was sleeping downstairs when the invasion happened.
Condon went to Jenneiahn’s upstairs bedroom, and awakened her while pointing a flashlight and a pistol at her head.
Based on the blood police found on her bed and her pillow, they believe Condon hit her in the head, though Jenneiahn doesn’t quite remember when or how it happened.
Clearly, though, Jenneiahn was in grave danger, and Condon was ready and willing to kill to get what he wanted.
And what was it that he wanted?
According to Jolley’s report, Condon took Jenneiahn to the living room and handcuffed her to a chair, demanding to know where she kept her valuables and pointing a pistol to her head when she said she didn’t have much.
Then, as the New York Post explained, she told Condon she had two safes downstairs, without disclosing that her son was sleeping in a downstairs bedroom.
When Condon discovered that, however, he was enraged.
Returning to the living room, Condon threatened to kill her for failing to tell him about her son, in addition to issuing multiple other threats.
‘Heroic’ mom, 85, fatally shoots masked intruder while handcuffed to chair protecting disabled son during gunfight https://t.co/IBzd73rk1W pic.twitter.com/qTAZTVLrHN
— New York Post (@nypost) April 11, 2024
However, what Condon did not count on was the remarkable resilience of this otherwise frail old woman.
Despite suffering multiple injuries at Condon’s hands, while Condon was rummaging through the house, Jenneiahn dragged herself and the chair back to her bedroom, where she retrieved the .357 Magnum revolver she kept under her pillow.
From there, she dragged herself and the chair back to the living room, where she hid the gun in a nearby couch.
When Condon returned, Jolley’s report explained, Jenneiahn decided it was “now or never.” She drew her gun and “engaged Condon, striking him with both her shots.”
Condon then emptied his 9mm pistol at her, striking her abdomen, leg, arm and chest, before stumbling to the kitchen, where he died from his gunshot wounds to the chest.
Jenneiahn then collapsed, unable to call 911 for about 10 hours, until her son brought her a phone in the morning. The police finally arrived at the scene around noon.
After investigating the scene, the police and Jolley concluded that this “case presents an easy analysis of self-defense and justifiable homicide. It also presents one of the most heroic acts of self-preservation I have heard of.”
Jolley was full of praise for Jenneiahn, crediting her “grit, determination, and will to live” for saving her life that night.
The Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, in sharing Jolley’s report in a Facebook post, likewise praised Jenneiahn’s incredible bravery and tenacity, saying that the department was releasing the facts of the case to explain that “that there was a victim involved that displayed heroism, fortitude, and a will to live that we’d be remiss not to share.”
Clearly, this story would have ended much more tragically had Jenneiahn not been armed in some way.
Moreover, Jenneiahn displayed a courage and resilience in protecting herself and her disabled son that would have been impressive for someone half her age, let alone for a woman approaching 90.
As has been demonstrated time and time again, guns have been the great equalizer in these kinds of situations, especially for those lacking in physical strength.
A frail old woman like Jenneiahn wouldn’t have stood a chance had she not owned a gun and had the presence of mind (not to mention the force of will) to drag herself and her chair to the bedroom where she kept the weapon.
The strict gun-controlling measures advocated by liberal lawmakers hinder the ability of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves against thugs like Condon. Such measures would have ensured the deaths of Jenneiahn and her son in an incident like this.
It’s nothing short of baffling that our liberal elites have long been (presumably) aware of stories like this and yet they still advocate for gun control measures.
But gun control was never really about protecting law-abiding citizens, now, was it?
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