...a woman defends herself from a career criminal.

Hours after he and another inmate escaped jail after beating up a security guard, a South Carolina inmate was fatally shot after he broke into a woman’s house, officials said.

Bruce McLaughlin Jr., 30, was shot in the head by the woman after he kicked in her back door on Tuesday, according to Pickens County authorities.

After he entered the home, McLaughlin grabbed a knife sharpening tool from the kitchen and headed toward the woman’s bedroom around 3 a.m. Sheriff Rick Clark said the woman was home alone and had undergone concealed weapons training at some point prior to the incident.

"This was a big guy. If she hadn't had a weapon there's no telling what would have happened," the sheriff said. "I gave her a big hug. I told her how proud I was of her."

Clark said the incident was “a shining example” of why owning and knowing how to properly use a gun is important.