Manor Gardens teen takes on home invaders

SHANNON Coleman is her family’s hero, after bravely fighting off home invaders at her home in Manor Gardens on Friday morning.

According to Shannon’s sister, Nikkie, the day started out as normal, with her getting up at 5am to open up for the dogs. Little did she know what the next hour would hold in store for her family.

“I finished making the breakfast and my dad’s lunch as I usually do, and when I was delivering the cups of coffee to my family I heard our little chihuahua let out a blood curdling scream. I thought it was a monkey in the house but then I was confronted by a man armed with a gun in the lounge,” she said.

Nikkie started shouting ‘get out’ and shoved the man’s hand upwards. The gun misfired and the man then hit her on the arm with the gun.

“He grabbed my shoulders and I managed to land a punch, then Shannon came in and decided to get him to take a hike, armed with a baseball bat and ready to take a swing!” she said.

Shannon said when she went through to the lounge after hearing Nikkie shouting, she first noticed the gun and realised this was actually happening.

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“My mom was right by me and we were both trying to get through and I pushed her out of the way and went to push the panic button. I went back to get my bat and went in to help Nikkie,” she said.

“The man saw Shannon and took off. We then saw another man outside, and we, along with our small white dog and our bigger blind dog chased them out of the property. If it wasn’t for Shannon, I don’t know what would have happened. She just kept her cool, no one else thought to push the panic button. She is our hero, she saved us!” said Nikkie. She said Shannon chased the men across the sports fields over the road, and took photos of the finger prints so she could show the police.

Nikkie said she heard the gun go off, but it didn’t really register that the man had a weapon.

“I heard a pop, but I just thought of him as a nuisance who was coming into our home. I didn’t want them to think they could rule this house, I wasn’t going to let this man think he could win,” she said.

Shannon said she wasn’t really scared during the ordeal and said she felt as if she was standing outside her body watching what was happening.

“I didn’t really register that something could happen to me, I just went into survival mode!” she said.

During the incident, Nikkie’s aunt, Alice, who lives in an outside cottage, was oblivious to what was going on.

“I hadn’t opened up yet, but ADT Security called to say the alarm had been activated and that I should stay inside. I heard the shouting though,” she said.

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Barbara, Shannon’s mother, said the men cut the electric fencing and broke the side gate to get into the back of their yard. She said the men had written a number 28 in black on the wall outside, which she felt could either be a gang name or the number of break-ins these men had committed. She warned residents to be aware of this. She said the only thing the men stole was her R79 phone, and she felt she had the last laugh with this!

“ADT were fantastic and responded within three minutes, and the detectives from SAPS were on spot. We are very grateful to them. It could’ve turned out a whole lot worse if it wasn’t for Nikkie and Shannon. We are here to tell the tale, there are too many people living in this house!” she said.

Alice laughed, saying the men were mad to go into a house where six dogs and three women lived!

Nikkie said Shannon was certainly the bravest girl she knew.

“No other 16-year-old girl would do this and it shows she was brought up right, and was taught to defend her elders,” she said.

Shannon downplayed her praise, saying she was just a fan of crime shows!