In an incident a county prosecutor called “one of the most heroic acts of self-preservation I have ever heard of,” an 85-year-old Idaho woman shot and killed a home intruder. This incident is a prime example illustrating the wisdom of being armed, especially for women.

The home invasion occurred on March 13 at 2 a.m. when Derek Ephriam Condon, 39, broke into the home of Christine Jenneiahn, which she shares with her disabled son. Condon was “dressed in a military jacket, black ski mask, and pointing a gun and flashlight” at the mother, according to the authorities.

Officials indicated that the Jenneiahn and Condon knew each other.

Early that morning, Jenneiahn was sleeping in her Bingham County home off 134 West 600 North, according to the review. The only other person in her home was her adult disabled son, David Jenneiahn, who was in his room downstairs.

EastIdahoNews.com has seen the home and it is out of the way from neighbors.

Christine Jenneiahn told investigators that she was woken up by an unknown man. He was later identified as Condon.

The assailant struck Jenneiahn and placed her in handcuffs in the living room at gunpoint. He asked for her valuables and threatened her with a pistol after she told him she did not have many valuables.

She told Condon that there were two safes downstairs in the home. He left Jenneiahn handcuffed in the living room. He went downstairs multiple times and rummaged through several rooms.

Eventually, Condon discovered that Jenneiahn’s son was in the home and got angry at her for not telling him. He made multiple threats and told her that he “would kill her,” the review revealed.

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When Condon went downstairs again at some point, Jenneiahn dragged the chair she was handcuffed to into her bedroom and got her .357 Magnum revolver, which was under her pillow.

She then went back into the living room and “hid the revolver” between the armrest and cushion of a couch next to where she was sitting while she waited to see what Condon did next, the review detailed.

“Her memory of exactly what happened next remains somewhat unclear,” according to the review.

She told investigators that at some point, Condon came back into the living room and threatened to kill her as he continued to burglarize her home.

Jenneiahn ultimately made the decision that it was “now or never” and drew her gun and “engaged Condon, striking him with both her shots.” Officials told EastIdahoNews.com she shot him in the area of his chest.

Condon returned fire and emptied a 9mm pistol, hitting her multiple times in her abdomen, leg, arm and chest.

Condon went into the kitchen, where he died from his wounds.

Jenneiahn fell to the floor, still handcuffed, in the living room, where she remained for about 10 hours, the review said.

The mother called 911 after her son came into the room and gave her the phone. She was later transported to a nearby hospital where her wounds were treated. The authorities deemed her actions a justifiable homicide. “Had Derek Condon survived, I would be charging him with multiple felonies, including attempted murder, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated battery and grand theft,” said the officer who investigated the matter.

The officer also affirmed that the incident “presents an easy analysis of self-defense and justifiable homicide.”