Friday, January 6th, 2012
Sarah McKinley, a young mother whose husband died of cancer in mid-December, shot and killed an intruder on New Year’s Eve who had broken into her home while she was alone with her 3-month-old baby, Yahoo! News reports. From the news story:
Sarah McKinley says that a week earlier a man named Justin Martin dropped by on the day of her husband’s funeral, claiming that he was a neighbor who wanted to say hello. The 18-year-old Oklahoma City area woman did not let him into her home that day.
On New Year’s Eve Martin returned with another man, Dustin Stewart, and this time was armed with a 12-inch hunting knife. The two soon began trying to break into McKinley’s home.
As one of the men was going from door to door outside her home trying to gain entry, McKinley called 911 and grabbed her 12-gauge shotgun.
McKinley told ABC News Oklahoma City affiliate KOCO that she quickly got her 12 gauge, went into her bedroom and got a pistol, put the bottle in the baby’s mouth and called 911.
“I’ve got two guns in my hand — is it okay to shoot him if he comes in this door?” the young mother asked the 911 dispatcher. “I’m here by myself with my infant baby, can I please get a dispatcher out here immediately?”
The 911 dispatcher confirmed with McKinley that the doors to her home were locked as she asked again if it was okay to shoot the intruder if he were to come through her door.
“I can’t tell you that you can do that but you do what you have to do to protect your baby,” the dispatcher told her. McKinley was on the phone with 911 for a total of 21 minutes.
When Martin kicked in the door and came after her with the knife, the teen mom shot and killed the 24-year-old. Police are calling the shooting justified.
Image: 12-gauge shotgun, via Shutterstock.
Monday, June 20th, 2011
Parenting magazine has published its annual list of the 100 best cities for families to live in, ranking cities based on 8,000 pieces of data covering school quality, home affordability, job availability, crime rates, and green space. The top 10 cities are:
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Austin, Texas
- Boston, Massachusetts
- St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Seattle, Washington
- Louisville, Kentucky
The magazine said this about Washington, DC, its top choice:
The history, the government, the breathtaking architecture and inspiring monuments—you don’t have to be a child to get an amazing education in this city. Our nation’s capital is also known for its plenitude of museums—in fact, there are 44, second only to the Big Apple! If your kid enjoys visiting the National Air and Space Museum, imagine fostering his love of airplanes with trips to nearby Gravelly Point Park for front-seat views of the takeoffs and landings at Reagan National Airport. The Capital Crescent Trail, a hard-surface trail from Georgetown to Bethesda, MD, developed on an abandoned rail bed, is a great bike trip that is off the beaten track.
Family dinner nights are easy at quirky local favorites like Matchbox restaurants or Busboys & Poets—both provide a place adults and kids can enjoy. And, of course, any child growing up in Washington, DC, will have a special place in his heart for the famous cherry blossoms and festival held each spring.
The bottom 5 cities are all in California (Fresno, Long Beach, Bakersfield, Riverside, and Anaheim), preceded by Las Vegas, Nevada.
Check out these Parents.com features on best places to raise your family:
The 10 Best Cities for Babies
90 More Best Cities for Babies
The Best Big Cities for Babies
The Best Small Cities for Babies
How do you feel your city should rank as a place for families to live?
