Recently, a 75-year-old woman was home alone in Oakland, California, when criminals broke into her house around 2 a.m. Reportedly, the intruders were armed, so the elderly woman was forced to take defensive measures. The woman stood her ground, firing at the suspects, who then returned fire before fleeing the scene.
Twitter account, Defensive Gun Use Tracker, posted an update on the story, titled, “July 26, 2023: An elderly Oakland, CA, woman exchanged gunfire with two armed intruders who broke into her home in the middle of the night. Despite the intruders firing 17 to 20 rounds at her, the woman wasn’t injured and they ultimately fled.”
July 26, 2023: An elderly Oakland, CA, woman exchanged gunfire with two armed intruders who broke into her home in the middle of the night. Despite the intruders firing 17 to 20 rounds at her, the woman wasn't injured and they ultimately fled.https://t.co/s9OSadBAM1
— Defensive Gun Use Tracker (@DailyDGU) August 1, 2023
The break-in occurred in the Chabot Park neighborhood around 2 o’clock in the morning. Two men kicked down the house’s front door and began searching the house with guns drawn. The armed criminals burst into the woman’s bedroom, demanding she hand over her valuables. Instead of complying with the intruders, she decided to take matters into her own hands and stand up to these individuals. The woman grabbed her handgun, a .357 magnum, and was able to fire a single shot at the intruders.
The criminals returned fire before fleeing the residence. Fortunately, the elderly woman was not hurt by the exchange of gunfire. The 75-year-old is being called a hero by her neighbors for her brave actions that thwarted the intruders. According to the woman’s daughter, “It’s absolutely unbelievable what she was able to do.”
The woman is also being called a “superwoman” for the defensive actions which protected herself and her home. “It’s amazing. She is a superwoman. We’re all just lauding her and just amazed at her wherewithal that happened on,” her daughter continued.
Calvin Walker, a neighbor of the woman, said, “She had the presence of mind to reach into her nightstand and get a weapon. And she had it under her covers, and when she saw an opening, she fired a shot.” The intruders fired roughly 17 to 20 shots in return before leaving with valuables. “We went over afterwards and we saw gunshots all in the walls,” Walker continued.
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Oakland City Councilmember Treva Reid stated, “It’s a miracle that she’s alive after the number of shots that were fired in her home.” Other neighbors agree that the elderly woman is a hero who did what was necessary to ward off these dangerous intruders. “This woman is a hero,” said one neighbor. “She kept her wits about her.”
The woman’s daughter shared a hopeful message that her mother’s actions would be a warning, causing criminals to think twice about committing home invasions. “I believe that this is a message also for the criminals, that people in Oakland, we’re tired of the lawlessness. People are standing up. People are fighting back,” she said.
Another person stated that criminals are risking their lives when committing such crimes, given that residents in the area are armed. “They’re really – they’re playing with their lives because all these people out here are armed,” said neighbor Lynn Baranco. Reportedly, similar crimes have occurred in the area recently.