Mother hiding in closet with baby shoots, kills home invader, Illinois cops say

Mitchell Willetts, The Kansas City Star on Aug 17, 2025

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An Illinois mother shot and killed a man accused of breaking into her home at night, police say.

The break-in happened at about 10:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, the Joliet Police Department said in a news release.

According to police, the woman heard what sounded like someone forcing their way into her home, so she hid in an upstairs bedroom closet with her baby, and armed herself with a gun.

When the man went into the bedroom, she opened fire, hitting him in the head, police said.

Officers arrived to find the man “unresponsive,” and he was confirmed dead at the scene, according to the department.

The man was wearing gloves and had a screwdriver, police said, adding that there were “signs of forced entry.” The woman told police she didn’t know the man.

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

Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 815-724-3020.

Joliet is a roughly 40-mile drive southwest from Chicago.

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