By: Teresa Mull

An independent security guard in Huntsville, Alabama is being hailed as a hero for stopping a man from entering a nightclub with an AK-47.

WAAYTV.com reports:

Private security officer, Latoya, said she was working at Club 3208 early Monday morning when a fight happened inside. [Samuel] Williams had to be removed from the club. Latoya explained when Williams was removed from the nightclub, he went to a car in the parking lot and retrieved an AK-47 and started shooting.

"Outside we did our job as security and made sure that everyone was back, and there was no one outside but the person and security," she explained.

Latoya said she was the only armed security guard at the club and knew she had to take action.

"He started to make moves towards the door, [and] he still was firing off shots. I decided that I had to make a choice–to go ahead and stop him from entering the club. I was behind a vehicle right here at this first handicap parking spot and basically just maneuvered around the vehicle as he maneuvered around the other side of it to make sure I was properly concealed and covered," she added.

Latoya shot Williams in the leg. Williams went to the hospital, where he was later arrested.

Latoya was ready to treat Williams if need be.

"I keep a trauma kit and tourniquet on me as everyone who carries should," she said.

"Latoya trains daily- in the gym, at the range and in hand-to-hand combat to stay proficient," local news station WAFF reports. "She’s dedicated to her profession, and she says that night, her training kicked in.

“’It could have gone very badly if he had made it inside the club, but luckily, we try to make sure we stay trained up, and that we’re very proficient at our jobs so that when something like this does happen, unfortunately, everything is second nature, and everything is muscle memory,’ Latoya stated. ‘You don’t have to worry about making any mistakes as long as you train yourself appropriately.’”

Teresa Mull is editor of Gunpowder Magazine. Contact her at [email protected].