Would-be robber shot in the neck by pregnant mother defending her family during 7-year-old daughter's birthday celebration: Police

A pregnant woman bravely defended her family from a would-be robber by shooting the assailant in the head and the neck during a special visit to Arkansas, according to police.

A family from Mississippi celebrated their daughter's seventh birthday by making a trip to Little Rock, Arkansas. The family marked the special day by visiting the zoo and a waterpark on Memorial Day. However, the jubilant celebration took a violent turn for the worse around noon when the family was attacked with their two children nearby.

While loading their vehicle in the River Market parking garage, a man allegedly assaulted and tackled the father from behind. The father suffered a fractured rib.

The assailant purportedly then punched the mother — who was in the front seat of the car. According to police reports, the pregnant woman pulled out a gun and shot the would-be robber. The 25-year-old mother shot the perpetrator in the head and the neck, according to the police report.

Police responded to the shooting. Upon their arrival, they found the alleged assailant on the ground near the vehicle, and he was rushed to a local hospital. The man is said to be in critical condition and still in the hospital.

The Little Rock Police Department identified Markevious King, 37, as the man who suffered a gunshot wound.

The pregnant woman told police that she shot the man in self-defense.

“Ah, just a fractured rib, and my wife has a couple of knots on her forehead where he apparently punched her,” the father said in an interview with KARK-TV.

“A lot of things could’ve happened and we never know what he was really planning or anything, or if he was trying to kidnap our girls or just trying to steal the car or what,” he added.

The husband noted that they were prepared for violence because they live near crime-stricken Memphis.

"We live near Memphis, and this kind of happens to people here all the time. So, I mean, it’s not something we are going to let shine down or shadow down on our lives because we do like to travel," he said.

The pregnant woman who shot King and saved her family has not had any charges filed against her, according to police.

Family visiting from out of state speaks out on River Market shootingwww.youtube.com

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