Mom Home Alone Feeding 4-Month-Old as Intruders Break in, Grabs Gun & Starts Shooting
Semantha Bunce was 21 years old in November 2015. Even years later, that particular month is one she will likely never forget.
Nov. 3 began as a normal day. Her husband, Paul Bunce, and their daughter were not home.
Semantha was in their Charlotte home with their son Bentley. Nothing could seem more peaceful and ordinary than this mother breastfeeding her 4-month-old at home.
Then, two men invaded the home. They kicked down the front door and entered, making it clear that their advance was no accident.
Their presence alone would have been terrifying, especially to someone with the responsibility of protecting a vulnerable infant. The terror reached a new level when they fired at Semantha from the stairwell.
She had been feeding Bentley upstairs. Semantha was shot by the intruders near her bedroom door, but she made sure her baby would not be harmed.
First, she put Bentley in his crib upstairs. Then, she found her gun.
Semantha was a combat medic for the National Guard. From the bedroom door, she was able to confidently fire back at the men in order to protect Bentley and herself.
The mother did suffer from at least two gunshot wounds, but thankfully the baby was unharmed. Her serious injuries required multiple surgeries, and recovery at Carolinas Medical Center certainly wasn’t easy.
According to ABC News, Semantha said from her hospital bed, “My recovery would not have been as successful or as expedient without each of your prayers.
“My breast milk supply has decreased, unfortunately, but I’ve had women reach out to me and offer to donate breast milk to us so he didn’t have to suffer.”
Paul shared his thoughts with WSOC about the gunfight that took place in his home, specifically about his wife shooting back at them. “I think it was a shock to the intruders just as much as it was to her,” he stated.
At least one of the suspects, Reco Latur Dawkins Jr., was arrested.
Four days after the invasion, he turned himself in and was later charged with attempted murder, felony breaking and entering, and conspiracy to commit felony breaking and entering.
A friend of Semantha’s, Hollie Ritchie, started a GoFundMe for the family, and in a little over two years they surpassed their $15,000 goal. The $66,000 they ended with proved that people love and support this incredible (and incredibly brave) woman and her family.
On May 7, 2016, Semantha posted a photo of her two children on Facebook with part of the caption reading: “Love you both more than you will ever know.”
We were happy to see a positive update since the attack and know this mother really means the words she wrote exemplified by her courage to fight back to protect her family.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
