Source: fhm / Getty
An armed female bystander came to the rescue at a graduation party when a gunman opened fire during the event.
Authorities say the suspect, 37-year-old Dennis Butler, pulled out an AR-15 style rifle and began shooting at dozens who were attending a birthday-graduation party outside of an apartment complex in Charleston, West Virginia, on May 25.
The unidentified woman, who was attending the party, pulled out her pistol and fatally shot Butler. Thankfully, no one at the event was harmed, according to CBS News.
“Instead of running from the threat, she engaged with the threat and saved several lives last night,” Chief of Detectives Tony Hazelett told news outlets Thursday.
Police spokesman Tony Hazelett said the startling shooting stemmed from an incident that occurred earlier that evening.
Butler was driving through the complex shortly before the party began, but he was warned to slow down because of children playing in the area.
He left but later returned with his rifle and began firing into the crowd from his vehicle.
After fatally shooting Butler, the woman waited for police to arrive at the scene and cooperated during the investigation. No charges will be filed against her.
According to Hazelett, the woman who fired back at Butler did not have any background in law enforcement.
“She’s just a member of the community who was carrying her weapon lawfully,” he said, BBC News reported.
As for Butler, it’s unclear how he obtained his weapon. Police say he was not allowed to carry as a convicted felon.
The scary incident occurred just a day after the gruesome mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas that claimed the lives of 19 children and two adults on May 24.
The woman’s heroic action saved lives and may have prevented another mass shooting.
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