A North Carolina sheriff’s office says a two children armed themselves, then shot and killed a man who was strangling and assaulting their mother.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said on its Facebook page 46-year-old Steven Kelley was assaulting a woman August 8 at a home in Forest City where she lived with her three children.
The sheriff’s office explained, “During the assault, the deceased male was yelling that he was going to cut Nierman’s throat and kill everyone in the house.”
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1793713180704289&id=163547897054167
The woman’s 12-year-old son was able to find a gun and then his 15-year-old sister took the firearm from him and shot the assaulter twice striking him in the chest.
The sheriff’s office said the teenager’s 16-year-old sister was grazed by a fragmented bullet and treated at a local hospital, but quickly released on August 9.
The mother who was assaulted suffered severe bruises and contusions from the attack.
According to the sheriff’s office, “The investigation also revealed that the deceased male had threatened Nierman several times previously, and on Saturday, August 4, 2018 he had assaulted Nierman and fired multiple rounds from a firearm inside the residence to threaten and terrorize Nierman.”
Further investigation revealed that Kelley was a convicted felon, and had two active domestic violence protection orders against him.
The news release said district attorneys decided not to press charges, calling the case a “justified” shooting.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.