A Texas grandmother was not going to let anyone take her hard-earned money, but her family believes she had a little help fending off a would-be robber.
The incident took place Tuesday when a 23-year-old man made the mistake of trying to rob a food truck set up in a Houston parking lot, according to KHOU-TV.
At about 1 p.m., a man pulled up at Elite Eats and asked what the truck served. The cook, Keshondra Howard Turner, 53, showed the man, who pulled a gun and got out of his vehicle, the Houston Police Department said.
Turner tried to slam the truck window shut, but the man forced it open. His gun jammed. Turner’s did not. She shot the man several times, and he staggered about 50 feet before he fell to the ground, police said, according to KHOU.
Jacqueline Mitchell, a family member, praised God for Turner’s survival, according to KTRK-TV.
“Thank God,” Mitchell said. “She’s a godly woman. That’s why the gun jammed, because God jammed it because when (the suspect) opened that window, he could have shot her, but it jammed.”
“People need to get a job instead of trying to rob people, because some people are trying to make an honest living,” Mitchell said.
Police say this southwest Houston grandmother was cooking in her food truck this afternoon when a man pulled up with a gun demanding cash. They say she grabbed her gun and killed the suspect in self defense. #KHOU11 https://t.co/wMeiKInvse pic.twitter.com/sN99YsZUvw
— Matt Dougherty (@MattKHOU) March 28, 2023
The 23-year-old man, who was not immediately identified, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Per KHOU, they said Turner is licensed to carry a gun.
Turner’s son said his mother had no choice in the shooting.
“My momma is a great person, you know? Good-hearted, looking out for everybody. She’d give the shirt off her back,” Derick Howard said.
Family members said their food truck has been operating in the same location for three years with no problems.
“She’s a Godly woman, that’s why the gun jammed, because God jammed it,” Howard said of his mother.
Houston police said that when the incident was over, Turner suffered a panic attack. No one has been charged in the case; police called it a “self-defense” shooting, according to KTRK.
“I hope she’s all right because I know right now she’s going crazy because that’s not even (like) her,” Howard said, per KHOU.
He said keeping a gun at the truck was the price of doing business.
“Nowadays, you have to,” Howard told KTRK. “It’s bad.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.