Teen Mom Shoots And Kills Intruder To Protect 3-Month-Old Baby

In a terrifying scene straight out of a horror film, Oklahoma teen mom Sarah McKinley shot and killed an intruder to protect her 3-month-old baby. The incident occurred on New Year’s Eve when McKinley, 18, was home alone with her newborn boy. Sadly, the baby’s father had died of cancer less than a week earlier, and McKinley says a man named Justin Martin had dropped by on the day of her husband’s funeral.

Martin, 24, claimed to be a neighbor but McKinley did not let him into her home that day. He returned on New Year’s Eve with another man, Dustin Stewart; this time he was armed with a 12-inch hunting knife. According to reports, the two men tried to break into McKinley’s home.

McKinley grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun, as well as a pistol, and called 911. “I’ve got to guns in my hand is it okay to shoot him if he comes in this door,” she asked the 911 dispatcher. “I’m here by myself with my infant baby.” [tagbox tag=”violence”]

“I can’t tell you that you can do that but you do what you have to do to protect your baby,” the dispatcher responded.

Eventually, Martin kicked in the door and came after McKinley with the knife. That’s when she shot and killed him. “I wouldn’t have done it, but it was my son,” McKinley told KOCO. “It’s not an easy decision to make, but it was either going to be him or my son. And it wasn’t going to be my son. There’s nothing more dangerous than a woman with a child.”

Stewart, 29, turned himself into police shortly afterwards, and police say McKinley was justified in shooting Martin. “You’re allowed to shoot an unauthorized person that is in your home. The law provides you the remedy, and sanctions the use of deadly force,” said Detective Dan Huff.

Our hearts just break for McKinley, but thank goodness she did what needed to be done to protect herself and her baby. Talk about mama bear instinct. Most moms I know don’t own a gun but we’d still do whatever it takes to protect our children, even the unthinkable.

(Photo: Good Morning America)