A Mississippi mother is being hailed as a hero after she shot a home intruder in order to protect her family.
The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office reports that deputies responded to a call of a man, later identified as 42-year-old Steve Lamar Goss, Jr., trying to enter a home while wielding a knife on Monday.
According to police, the unidentified caller described Goss and his vehicle to law enforcement and noted that his spouse and three children were hiding in a closet in the residence.
Deputies, after a brief chase, were able to locate and detain the suspect at a nearby convenience store after he had fled the home. Prior to his arrest, Goss is reported to have driven his truck into the house’s dining room after an unsuccessful attempt at breaking into the front door.
He then located the mother and children in the closet, said to be the family’s safe room, and was shot in the arm by the mom. Goss was taken to Greenwood Leflore Hospital to be treated for his injuries.
Goss was promptly booked into the Carroll Montgomery Regional Correctional Facility on four counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary. He had been out on felony bond for possession of a weapon by a felon.
During an interview with WLBT, Sheriff Clint Walker commended the mother for her bravery and called the incident a prime example of why families should have an emergency plan in place.
“We can all learn a lot from this family about the importance of having an emergency plan in place in our homes and, most importantly, the power of prayer. I thank the Lord for this father’s preparation, the bravery shown by the mother and children, and that what could have been a tragedy was transformed into a testimony of their faith in God,” Walker said.
Bond has since been denied for Goss.
