Ill. Mom Hid in Closet with Baby During Home Invasion, Then Fatally Shot Intruder By Sean Neumann

An Illinois mother shot and killed an intruder who broke into her home late last Friday night while she was home alone with her baby.

The Joliet Police Department said in a news release last weekend that the woman did not know the intruder, who was wearing gloves and holding a screwdriver during the break in.

Officers were responding to a call at the house when they discovered signs of forced entry, leading them to enter the house and find the man dead on the second floor with a gunshot wound to the head. The police department said the woman was found in an adjacent bedroom with her baby and the weapon when authorities arrived at the scene.

“A preliminary investigation indicates the victim, and her child hid in a bedroom closet, and she armed herself after hearing someone forcibly enter the home,” police said. “It is believed that when the male suspect entered the bedroom, the victim discharged her handgun, striking him in the head.”

Officials with the Will County Coroner’s Office pronounced the man dead at the scene.

“This case remains under active investigation, and the victim is fully cooperating with detectives,” police said. “Identification of the suspect and the manner of death will be determined by the Will County Coroner’s Office.”

No other information about the shooting was released publicly. PEOPLE has reached out to the Joliet Police Department for an update about the ongoing investigation.