Decatur, IL – A young mother in Decatur is being hailed as a hero after she defended her two children during a terrifying home invasion, exchanging gunfire with armed intruders and wounding one of them.
The incident took place around 4 a.m. on February 10, when 22-year-old Alexia Templar was awakened by the sound of breaking glass and footsteps inside her home. Alone with her two children—one just five months old—Templar quickly grabbed her phone and called her partner, who was at work. On the call, he urged her to retrieve the firearm they had in the home and prepare to defend herself.
As she stepped out of her bedroom, she came face-to-face with two armed intruders. Templar immediately issued a warning: “I have a gun, so get out of my house, or I will shoot you.” Instead of retreating, the suspects opened fire.
A Mother’s Fight for Survival
Holding her baby on her hip, Templar fired back while taking two bullets—one in the arm and another in the hip. Her older child ran up to her as the gunfight continued, forcing her to shield them inside a closet while she pleaded for their lives.
“I was already shot, and I was just screaming, ‘Please don’t kill my kids. Please don’t kill me,’” she later recounted.
Despite her injuries, she managed to hit one of the attackers, later identified as 24-year-old Deonte Stone, in the lower back. The intruders fled the home, and shortly afterward, her partner rushed her to St. Mary’s Hospital, where doctors determined her injuries were non-life-threatening. Miraculously, neither of her children was hurt.
Suspects Arrested and Charged
Decatur Police quickly tracked down the injured suspect. Stone was later found at another residence suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken into custody along with 25-year-old Colton Clark and a 16-year-old male. Authorities recovered a stolen PlayStation 5 Pro from the juvenile’s home.
All three suspects have been charged with attempted murder, home invasion, and aggravated battery with a firearm. Stone and Clark are being held at the Macon County Jail, while the minor is in the Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center.
Left Without a Home
While Templar survived the attack, the trauma lingers. Bullet holes riddle her home, and she no longer feels safe returning. The young mother and her family have since been staying in a hotel.
Reflecting on the night, she expressed gratitude that her children were unharmed. “I wasn’t worried about myself. If something happened to me, it would have been worth it as long as my kids were safe.”
The case is a chilling reminder of why the right to self-defense is critical. For Templar, it was the difference between life and death.
she needs training, and needs to keep a gun with her at all times we are our own best protection
Not the best, but overall, good job momma bear.
This is why the death penalty should have never been abolished!
Those kids are animals.
Good job Mom. May God bless you!