Baldwin Teenager Shoots Dad To Save His Mom

Harry Williams says his 13-year old nephew was forced to grab a shotgun and defend his mother who was being attacked by his father.

"He saved his mama's life, that's what he did," says Williams. "If you snap a gun on somebody and kick a door in, you're fixing to kill them, I believe that! If I snap a gun on you three times, Hell, it's going to be some fireworks sooner or later!"

Late Tuesday night, investigators says Joseph Pruitt held his wife at gunpoint inside their Williams Drive home and threatened to kill her. When Pruitt's gun jammed, deputies say that's when the boy grabbed a shotgun from another room and shot his father twice.

"You have to wonder what all was going through his mind," says Baldwin County Sheriff Hoss Mack. "Ultimately, he stood in defense of his mother who he believed was about to be shot and possibly even killed and he intervened in this in a way he felt he had to do."

Pruitt was rushed to USA Medical Center and underwent emergency surgery. The boy was questioned by detectives. Investigators say it's unlikely the teen will be charged in the shooting. Mack says if Pruitt survives, he could be charged with attempted murder later this week. The Baldwin County District Attorney's Office will review the case.