A woman has been praised after she shot a gunman who opened fire at a party.
The woman, who has not been named, was at a birthday party in Charleston, West Virginia, when Dennis Butler began shooting at a group of 40 people last week.
According to police, Butler, who had an extensive criminal past, used an AR-15-type rifle during the attack.
However, the 37-year-old was shot and killed by the woman, who fired back at him during the assault.
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Fortunately, no one else was injured in the attack, which occurred on May 25.
Tony Hazelett, the spokesperson for Charleston Police department, praised the woman's bravery, saying that she almost certainly 'saved several lives' that day.
"We quickly learned that the victim turned into a gunman," he said during a press conference.
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"She's just a member of the community who was carrying her weapon lawfully.
"And instead of running from the threat she engaged with the threat and saved several lives."
Mr Hazelett revealed that Butler had been told to slow down while driving through the area, where a group of kids were playing at the party that day.
He said that after leaving the scene, Butler returned later with a semi-automatic rifle and shot into the crowd.
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However, the woman pulled out her own pistol and fired back, killing him.
Mr Hazelett also stated that the woman would not face any charges for the incident.
The Kanawha County Prosecutor’s office is currently reviewing what happened.
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Police are also still trying to work out how the rifle came to be in Butler's possession.
Official records show that he was not allowed to own any kind of gun, and was also wanted on charges of handling stolen goods from earlier this year.
Butler had an extensive criminal record, having been arrested 20 times, according to Kanawha magistrates' court.
Six years ago, he faced charges of unlawful and malicious wounding following the shooting of a woman in Charleston’s East Side.
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Dominic Smithers