Mom Kills Man Hiding Under Daughter’s Bed — Now She’s Being Charged with Murder

A Tennessee mother is facing a first-degree murder charge after police say she shot and killed a man she allegedly found hiding under her teenage daughter’s bed in the middle of the night.

Kendra Scott, 36, has been charged with first-degree murder and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony following the deadly July 16 shooting in Memphis, according to court records and an arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.

The chilling incident unfolded around 1:40 a.m. in the 3000 block of Travis Road, where Memphis police responded to a report of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found an unresponsive man lying in the front yard with a gunshot wound to the back of his head, according to the affidavit.

The man, tentatively identified as Rodderius Morton, was pronounced dead at the scene. His age has not been released.

Police said Scott was at the home when officers arrived and allegedly told them she had come home and “saw a dude under my kid’s bed.”

“I did what I had to do,” Scott allegedly told police, according to the affidavit.

A neighbor told investigators he came outside after hearing a gunshot and saw a man who had been shot near Scott’s front porch. The neighbor also claimed he saw Scott standing in the front yard holding a gun and saying, “I shot him, I shot him.”

But the case quickly grew more complicated after police spoke with a juvenile who was inside the home at the time.

According to the affidavit, the juvenile told investigators they had invited Morton into the home around 1:20 or 1:30 a.m., without Scott’s knowledge. The juvenile’s name has not been released.

The juvenile allegedly told police Scott arrived home shortly afterward and began yelling, “Who’s at my house?”

According to the affidavit, the juvenile said they were afraid of Scott, who allegedly had a gun in her hand and had previously warned that if she ever “sees a boy in my house I will put a hole in his ass.”

Police said Scott then discovered Morton hiding under the juvenile’s bed.

The juvenile told investigators Morton gathered his belongings and left the home. Moments later, the juvenile said they heard a gunshot.

Scott’s attorney, Blake Ballin, told PEOPLE in a statement that the incident “started with the worst nightmare of any parent.” Ballin also claimed the juvenile involved was a 13-year-old girl.

“One of the key questions in this case will be whether anyone could act rationally in this circumstance,” Ballin said.

Scott is currently being held without bond, according to Shelby County public court records. Her first arraignment hearing is scheduled for Friday, July 24.