Most people are aware that the maternal instinct in women is so strong that many will do whatever it takes to protect their children from harm. Unfortunately for a convicted child molester in Indiana, he had to learn that lesson the hard way.

According to reports at wlfa.com and wthr.com, the man, Bruce Pierce, tried to rape a 12-year-old girl at an Indianapolis hotel in late May. But before he could rip more than her tank top and underwear, the girl’s mother shot Pierce several times, sending him to the hospital with multiple bullet wounds and a sure lesson learned.

Details are a little sketchy as to why the mother left her 12-year-old daughter in a hotel room with a convicted child sex offender. According to one report, the child’s grandmother told police the victim and her sister woke her up on May 24 when their mother didn’t come home. They went to the Baymont Inn to look for her and found the mother with Pierce in the hotel lobby.

The 12-year-old girl, who was feeling sick, stayed in Pierce’s hotel room while the mother and the other daughter took items to the car. While they were loading the car, the girl said Pierce invited her to sit on the bed. At that time, court documents say she told police Pierce grabbed her arms, pinned them to the bed, and began ripping her clothes off. The victim was able to escape her attacker when her mother opened fire.

According to reports, Pierce had a gun on or near him during the assault. Unlike the mother, he apparently wasn’t able to get off any shots during the melee.

Court records show Pierce pleaded guilty to child molesting in two separate cases, in Hendricks and Morgan counties, in 2016. Pierce is charged with attempted rape, attempted child molestation, unlawful possession of a firearm and confinement, all felonies in the state Indiana.

While anti-gun activists will tell you that normal Americans almost never use firearms to save themselves and their families from violent criminals, this incident reminds us once again that episodes of armed self-defense occur multiple times daily throughout the United States. While the gun-ban group Moms Demand Action works tirelessly to take away gun owners’ rights, this mom in Indiana went into action when her daughter faced imminent harm at the hands of a very bad guy.