From the media report the three thugs were previously known to police.  (ie.  Potential repeat offenders).

DETROIT –  You don’t want to mess with this mom!  – A Detroit woman surprised a trio of armed teen thugs when they came to try and rob her house.

Instead of sitting back and watching them steal her stuff, she locked and loaded a rifle — and then fired it as she chased them back outside.   The dramatic incident was caught on surveillance camera.

Footage shows the three teens trying to kick down her front door.  But, as they start to make their way inside, the woman pops up with a gun. She starts firing to try and scare them off, and they all run away.

One of the boys, armed with a handgun, tries his luck again and rushes the door.  But he soon scuttles off again after hearing bullets being fired in his direction.

The woman, who does not want to be identified, told WXYZ Detroit she “didn’t have time to get scared” as she rushed to protect her children.

“I let them know I had a gun once they were in the house and they challenged me and said ‘no you don’t have a gun’ so that’s when I shot off the first round,” she said.   “I wasn’t feeling anything at the moment, I got scared afterward,” she added.

No one was hurt in the incident, and cops arrested the three suspects soon after.  (read more)