A TikTok video posted by @janabailey3, which has garnered 5.1 million views and more than 2,900 comments, describes the horrific Sunday morning in 2018 when her husband died during a gun battle with an intruder on their property. She said he essentially gave his life to defend and protect her, taking down the perpetrator in the process.
Jana began recalling the moment she was awakened by the sound of their dog barking hysterically on June 10, 2018. She said it was around 6:30 a.m. that Sunday when she noticed her husband entering their bedroom. Concerned, she asked him what the dog was barking at, but he didn't respond.
She said he simply went into the closet, where she could hear him loading his firearm. Shortly afterward, he exited the closet and said someone was outside. Alarmed by the possibility of an intruder on their property, Jana rushed to the window facing their backyard. She said that, at the time, they were in the process of digging a pond. So, she assumed the intruder was there for the equipment and that her husband would simply go outside and warn them to get off their property.
After Hearing Gunfire, Jana Went Outside to Find Her Husband Had Died From His Wounds
Jana continued explaining that she couldn't see clearly because of condensation that had formed on the bedroom window. However, she could hear her husband yell, "What the f*** are you doing here?"
Immediately afterward, there was a flurry of gunfire. She then reached for her phone to call 911. At the same time, her dog ran into the bedroom, and she closed and locked the bedroom door behind her.
Unfortunately, despite providing emergency services with their location, they were somehow unable to find the property accurately. She said the address actually led police to a different city, which meant she and her husband were on their own.
She eventually decided that she would rather die beside her husband than in a closet by herself. So, she bolted out of the bedroom and straight into the backyard, hoping to find her husband and the intruder fighting.
Instead, when she made it outside, she found a trail of blood on the ground. When she followed it, she found her husband, who had already succumbed to his wounds by the time she reached him. Jana said she remained by his side while on the phone with police until they arrived.
She confirmed that the intruder also died in the gun battle, and a few days later, she was notified that the man was originally from Tupelo, Mississippi. Luckily, she said her children were away that morning, and she subsequently moved to another property after the incident.
Reactions to the video came from commenters who admired the fact that her husband died protecting her. Others gave their sympathies, while other commenters didn't think the shooting was random at all.
One commenter wrote, "W husband though. Died protecting you. This is so sad."
Another commenter admired her bravery in choosing to join her husband despite the surrounding danger. They wrote, "Going through these comments and I'm not seeing anybody mention how brave you were getting out of that closet and joining your husband even if it meant that you would be losing your life beside him."
A separate commenter said the timing was a bit strange for a home invasion. They wrote, "6:30 a.m. is a weird time for a home invasion. Is anyone suspecting it was a hit? So so sorry for your loss."
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in the video, which are based solely on Jana Bailey's account shared on her official TikTok account, @janabailey3.
