Great-Granny Fatally Shoots Home Intruder Who Attacked, Stabbed Husband — 80-Year-Old Woman Applauded For Her Bravery

A great-granny is being applauded as a courageous woman after she bravely confronted a home intruder. The 80-year-old woman fatally shot the person who forcibly entered her house and attacked her husband.

Barb Moles, an 80-year-old woman with eight grandchildren and three great-grandkids, bravely stood up against a home intruder who attacked her husband last week in Washington. The intruder not only beat up Moles’ husband John, but even stabbed him. Fortunately, both the senior citizens are alive today because of Barb.

The incident happened on a Thursday night, last week, when Moles was at home with her husband. The two had the company of their adult son, but it was Barb who confronted the burglar. After her husband had been gone for a few moments after 8:30 p.m., Barb heard a commotion and decided to investigate.

She was greeted with a horrific sight in the kitchen. Barb discovered her husband on the floor, bleeding. John, a retired Boeing worker, had been attacked with a knife and beaten with a crowbar, authorities said, reported KOMO News. He could only manage to utter three words to wife.

“I’ve been stabbed.”

Instead of cowering with fear or reaching for the phone to call 911, Barb raced to the bedroom to retrieve a gift her husband had given her for Christmas a few years ago. The great-granny pulled out a 0.38 caliber revolver. With the gun securely aimed in front of her, Barb waited for the home intruder to walk into the bedroom. Hiding behind the bedroom door, Barb intended to overwhelm the attacker stealthily.

However, hearing no signs of the intruder, the great-granny tiptoed into the hallway, where she came across the home intruder. The burglar could only utter the word “gun,” before Barb pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger four times, reported New York Daily News. It isn’t clear if the great-granny had properly aimed for the intruder, but she managed to hit him with three out of the four bullets that she shot.

https://www.facebook.com/KOMONews/posts/1066042443464087

The home intruder was later identified as Steven Sheppard of Gold Bar. According to police records, 25-year-old Sheppard was an ex-con who spent time in prison for robbery, reported Q13 Fox.

"I just did what I had to do:" 80-year old great-grandma breaks silence after shooting & killing intruder. #KOMOnews pic.twitter.com/KRbTkU6NtT

— Lindsay Cohen (@lindsaycohen) May 5, 2016

The young home intruder might have targeted the Moles, likely thinking he had a good chance of escaping with the loot with just two old people in the house. What he did not anticipate was being confronted, let alone shot, by one of the two senior citizens, shared police in Sultan, Washington. Speaking about the incident, Barb later made the following statement.

“I was just intent upon stopping him. I didn’t have any other thought in my head. I just knew I had to stop him.”

Barb’s husband was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center, where he is currently recuperating. Though the attack was fierce, the senior citizen miraculously survived and is currently listed in stable condition, reports Fox News. Asked about her courageous act, Barb said the following.

“You know, never in my whole life did I ever anticipate having to take another life – especially at age 80. Give me a break here! I felt like if I hadn’t, my son and I might both be dead and my husband might have bled to death on the kitchen floor.”

“You know how mothers are with their kids. That’s the way I am with my husband. I just protect his back. I’m not just the typical granny – in case you haven’t noticed.”

The home intruder was pronounced dead at the scene. While the police are still investigating the case, deputies believe he might have broken in the house of the Moles to steal prescription medicines. The great-granny said all her vitamins were strewn across the kitchen floor.

[Photo by George Frey/Getty Images]