Chicago area woman shot 7 times thankful attacker was caught after manhunt, police standoff
CHICAGO (CBS) – The woman who was shot, along with two of her children, in her Matteson home earlier this month detailed the horrors they experienced.
Police arrested Antoinette Newsome's ex-boyfriend, Lander D. Coleman, who her family believes entered her home and hid for hours before shooting her and two of her children.
"That had to be the most terrifying thing I've ever been through in my life," said Newsome.
She's recovering from the seven gunshot wounds she sustained back on May 18.
"I woke up to a gun in my face," she said.
Newsome said she wants others to see what domestic violence did to her and her family. Matteson police said Coleman, the father of three of her children, shot her while she was sleeping.
"My two babies was in the bed," she said. "My baby got out and she said, 'Mommy, please don't die.'"
Newsome survived physically, but she'll live with the experience forever.
Newsome said doctors couldn't remove three bullets from her chest. She also has three pins in her hand. She won't be able to use her arm properly again. She was also shot in the chin and head.
Newsome's 12-year-old son, Junior, heard the shots from the next room and tried to help his mom. He was shot too, once in the arm and once in the leg. Her 23-year-old daughter was sleeping downstairs when she was shot and beaten.
"To shoot kids? What type of monster are you?" she said.
The suspect was then seen on surveillance video running from her home with a gun in his hand.
On Friday morning, almost two weeks after Newsome and her children were shot, Coleman was found in Roseland with a gun. He was involved in a nearly 10-hour standoff with the FBI, SWAT, and police. Law enforcement officials said he shot himself and had a graze wound to his head.
"It's finally over," Newsome said.
She also credited the FBI, Chicago and Matteson police for helping track down Coleman.
"They worked hard," she said of police. "They worked so hard in the little time that they had, and they caught him."
Police found Coleman two days after CBS 2's story detailing what happened during the May 18 attack inside Newsome's home.
Days before the attack, Newsome was granted an order of protection after what she called years of domestic abuse. She said she tried to add their kids to the protective order, but a judge denied the request, and Coleman was allowed to ask for "parenting time."
As for what she'd say to other survivors of domestic violence, Newsome told them, "Never give up. The system is hard to navigate through. Never give up. Keep pushing. Stay safe. That's all you really can do."
Newsome was one of 28,000 people in Cook County who filed for orders of protection in just the last year.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can call the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at 877-863-6338 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
The Network, an advocacy group for domestic violence victims, also put together a toolkit for how to create a safety plan.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County's Office offers guidance on getting protection orders and has a help center.
