MILWAUKEE — A woman told police she was forced to shoot and kill an intruder who broke into her home.

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A spokesperson for the Milwaukee Police Department said in a news release that they are investigating the circumstances that led to the deadly shooting Monday morning. Police did not identify the victim or the person who pulled the trigger.

The woman who lives in the house told WTMJ that she had been in the shower when she heard her 12- and 14-year-old children screaming, and immediately raced to her room and grabbed her gun. The woman, who did not want to be identified, told the station that the suspect was already being attacked by her two dogs, but that she shot him multiple times when “he wouldn’t stop coming.”

While Milwaukee police said that a 39-year-old woman was arrested in connection with the shooting, she was released and has not been charged. The police department said the incident was referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office for review.

The mother told WTMJ that her children are scared, and the family plans to move once they find a new place to live. She told the station that she bought the gun 10 years ago after discovering a man sleeping under her child’s bed.

“I knew I’d be able to do it [shoot the intruder],” she told WTMJ. “To protect my kids.”

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