Mother of infant trades gunfire with intruders while breastfeeding

Semantha Hunter-Bunce, a 21-year-old mother from North Carolina, is making headlines for her valiant effort at fighting off home intruders during a particularly sensitive moment. Semantha exchanged gunfire with two home intruders, wounded one, and sustained injuries…while in the middle of breastfeeding her four-month old.

Hunter-Bunce, 21, is a combat medic in the National Guard. Last week, she was breastfeeding her infant son Bentley when two intruders broke in. They thought the residents were out, were startled by Semantha’s presence–and opened fire on her. Hunter-Bunce was struck twice, but fired back with her own weapon; she was able to frighten the two men off. Bentley was unharmed, and Semantha Hunter-Bounce’s injuries, to her arm and stomach, are not life-threatening. She’s currently recovering in the Carolinas Medical Center. According to her husband Paul, she has one more surgery to go before being released.

Hunter-Bunce recently took to Facebook to thank the outpouring of support she’s received from her community–and from the internet at large–in the wake of the attack:

I would love to personally thank each and every one if you for your support during this time. No words can truly express the amount of gratitude I share for new each of you during this time of utter tragedy. To those family members and friends who traveled near and far to be with me and support me during my time of recovery, to those strangers whom I’ve never met who have taken their generous time to donate and to support my family during this time as well, I appreciate you all equally! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the undying support. It means the absolute world to me and my family to have your support during this time of tragedy.

The “support” Hunter-Bunce refers to is a GoFundMe page, set up by friend and fellow veteran Hollie Ritchie, to help defray the medical and child care expenses the Hunter-Bunces have incurred as a result of the break-in. As of this afternoon, the family has received over $40,000 in pledges–against an initial request of $15,000.

In addition, one of the two intruders–23-year-old Reco Dawkins–has since turned himself in. The second intruder remains at large.

(Photo credits: Semantha Hunter-Bunce via Facebook, GoFundMe)