Dallas mom of 2 shoots man in head after he attempts to steal her car with toddlers inside, says "I had to do what I had to do"

A mother of two shot a man in the head on the evening of Fourth of July when he tried to steal her SUV with her two children inside, Dallas police confirmed.

Michelle Booker-Hicks of Duncanville was at a local gas station when an employee alerted her that a man, later identified as 36-year-old Ricky Wright, was starting to drive away with her car that had her 2-year-old and 4-year-old sons in the back seat. Desperate to save her kids, Michelle got into her car, grabbed a gun from the glove box and shot Wright in the face after he refused to stop.

Authorities said Michelle's car crashed into a telephone pole and Wright was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. He is in serious but stable condition, according to police who also said an investigation is ongoing.

Fortunately, the children were not hurt in the incident.

Narrating, Michelle said:

I proceeded to jump in my backseat and told the gentleman to stop, to get out the car. He would not get out of the car. He turned around and looked at me. 

I reached over the armrest to get my glove compartment and that’s when I fired at him once I got the gun from my glove compartment.

She also revealed that she had just recently obtained the gun in order to defend herself, though she does not have a license to carry. (Texas state law allows people to carry guns inside their car even without a license.)

She continues:

I wasn’t necessarily worried about my car. I was more worried about my kids. 

I had to do what I had to do to defend what was mine, which are my kids.