Former special forces soldier saves wife from robber during naked gun battle

Ripped from the pages of a Wild West story — the first woman to ever solo-anchor a primetime network news show survives a wild shootout at a motel along historic Route 66, thanks to her former soldier hubby.

Lynne Russell was attacked by a gunman in Albuquerque, New Mexico when she and her husband stopped at a Motel 6 for the night, during a cross country road trip.

The 68-year old former news anchor, who anchored CNN Headline news from 1983 – 2001, says she was cornered after the attacker appeared out of nowhere at her motel door.

The suspect was trying to get the couple to hand over their money and valuables, according to the NY Post.   Russell’s husband burst out of the shower – still naked – and managed to get a hold of the couple’s handgun during the confrontation.  Russell told NBC news their .35 caliber weapon was in her purse and she told the suspect there may be some valuables inside, then handed the bag to her husband.

65-year old Chuck de Caro — a former Special Forces officer who now works as a national security strategist—engaged in a gun battle with the suspect.

De Caro was bleeding heavily, after he was shot three times, twice in the abdomen and once in the leg, but still managed to kill the gunman. De Caro was still well enough to speak from his hospital bed after the shootout, according to the article.

Russell, the first solo anchor on network news, recounted the tense exchange with the attacker before the shootout.  She told the Post, “He pushed me into the room and onto the bed and closed the door. We tried to calm the man, ask him not to point the gun because we really couldn’t think what we could give him. It felt to me he was used to doing this, that whatever happened wouldn’t bother him.”