Mom who killed home invader: 'It was either him or me, and I wasn't going'

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Homicide detectives are investigating a deadly home invasion in Cobb County.

Marietta police said a 911 call came in from the 90 block of Griggs Street around 2:30 a.m. Thursday.

Police told Channel 2's Liz Artz that a woman called and said someone was breaking into her house, and that she had shot and killed him.

The woman was identified as Shaquita Green. She said she doesn’t know who barged into her home in the middle of the night, but she said he was armed and threatened to kill her three children.

“It was either him or me and I wasn’t going. My kids weren’t going to get hurt and they weren’t going to see me get hurt,” she said.

Green said the man, who police later identified as Keandre Funches, 27, kept asking for her husband, who wasn’t home. After forcing the family to the back of the house, she was able to get her gun and open fire.

“That’s when I stepped in front of them and said, ‘You don’t have to do all of that,’” Green said.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Suspect critical, officer recovering after shootout in DeKalb County
• Interrogation tapes show man confessing to killing teens behind grocery store
• Elaborate credit card scheme at movie theater could affect hundreds

Police said when they arrived, they found Funches had been shot and killed. Police canvassed the area and talked to neighbors.

Green and her husband, who arrived minutes after the shooting, were taken away for questioning. Family members took the three children.

"The small children are now in the care of other family members, and as just normal protocol, the female is now at the Police Department being interviewed by our detectives," said Marietta police Public Information Officer Chuck McPhilamy.

Artz spoke to neighbors, who were shocked.

"It's very alarming because in this neighborhood, nothing really happens," Jasmine Garry said. "We're all family here because most people here have lived on the street their entire lives, so it's really shocking, to say the least."

Green’s husband believes there is another suspect who brought the home intruder into the neighborhood.

“They better catch him before I get them,” William Green said.

Police said witnesses identified that man as Javarian Mitchell. Investigators said Mitchell was the person that let Funches into the home.

Officers said the suspects were at the home to meet another person who lived there.

Shaquita Green said her kids were traumatized by the incident, but are doing OK. She said she was upset that Marietta investigators interrogated her for so long.

“We both work full time. We’re parents. So for them to tear up my house and keep my firearm and I’m the victim, I don’t appreciate that,” she said.

This wasn’t Shaquita Green’s first involvement with home invaders. Court records show in 2013 she was considered a material witness in an Illinois case in which one of two home invaders were shot.

She said in the most recent case, she had no choice but to open fire.

“I thank God it played out the way it did. I hate that someone had to lose their life, but he shouldn’t have come and brought his a** in my house, excuse my language,” she said.

Mitchell has been taken into custody and has been charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, false imprisonment, cruelty to children and felony murder.

Cox Media Group