'When I saw the handle turn, I shot him':

home Alone girl, 12, shoots home intruder while hiding in the closet with gun



A 12-year-old girl is being hailed a hero for shooting a home intruder after she hid with a gun in the closet.

Kendra St Clair, from Oklahoma, was home alone when she heard someone break in.

She called her mother and asked what she should do, and her terrified mom told her to get the gun and hide in the closet and stay there until she thought the coast was clear.

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Brave: Kendra St Clair, from Oklahoma, was home alone when she heard someone break in. She called her mother and asked what she should do

Scene: Kendra St Clair was home alone in her Oklahoma home when Stacey Johnson broke in through the back door Quick thinking: Kendra shot the gun from the closet and the bullet went through the door, the intruder Stacey Jones, left, and another door, right



But when she emerged from her hiding space and went to the back door, she saw the intruder was still trying to break in and ran back into the closet.



Explaining what happened, Kendra told KX11.com: 'He opened the screen door and started pounding on the door. So I didn't answer it. And I called my mom. She said to go get the gun and hide in the closet.

'When I came out after I thought he was gone, he was standing there trying to open the back door. So I got really scared and I called 911.

' When I was back there (in the closet) on the phone with 911, I heard the bathroom light turn on that was leading to the closet. And when I saw the door handle turn, I shot him.

'I guess it went through the door, went through him, and went through the wall.'

The 12-year-old thanks her mom for teaching her how to keep her calm and protect herself.



Kendra explained: 'When I saw the door handle turn, I shot him. I guess it went through the door, went through him, and went through the wall' Mother Debra said: 'I thank God that Kendra was able to take care of her business the way she did. I don't know if I was in that position that I'd have been able to do the things that she's done'

'And her telling me that has made me happy that she kind of helped me through that.

'I see a lot of girls on TV that get their house broken into and they turn up missing and just knowing that that could have happened to me. I was scared.

'One of my friends told me that she couldn't do that, and I'm an inspiration to her and everybody in Calera.'

Mother Debra revealed they have received dozens of phone calls and support and said she is proud of her daughter.

'I thank God that Kendra was able to take care of her business the way she did. I don't know if I was in that position that I'd have been able to do the things that she's done,' she said.



'I think God was definitely looking down on us yesterday and taking care of my girl.'

The suspect, Stacey Jones, 32, was released from a Plano hospital today and is being held in a Collin County Jail.

He faces a felony first degree burglary charge and up to 20 years in prison.

