News Anchor's Husband Shoots Robber Dead

The husband of a former news anchor has been injured after he was involved in a fatal shooting with an armed robber at a New Mexico motel.

Lynne Russell, who hosted CNN Headline News between 1983 and 2001, had stopped at a Motel 6 in Albuquerque with her husband Chuck de Caro after a long day of travelling.

But when she returned to the room after getting something from her car, a man was at the door with a handgun.

Ms Russell, 68, told KOB-TV: "He pushed me into the room and that's when my husband came out of the shower and saw what was happening.

"We tried to calm him, confuse him and do everything we could do to just come out of it in one piece."

The robber grabbed her husband's briefcase, but then began shooting at Mr de Caro who was hit three times.

Mr de Caro returned fire, hitting the man and killing him.

Ms Russell told The New York Post: "It was a gun battle, and Chuck was bleeding heavily, but he didn't stop firing because the man was firing on him."

Officer Tanner Tixier, of Albuquerque Police, said it appeared to have been a random robbery attempt.

He said: "They weren't targeted for who they were. We believe the offender didn't realise the victim's husband was in the motel (room).

"He believed he had an easy target. That turned out not to be the case obviously."

Officers found the body of the would-be robber in the car park.

Patrick Clawson, a former colleague of Ms Russell, said Mr de Caro suffered gunshot wounds to the abdomen, groin and arm but was expected to survive.

Mr de Caro is a former special forces officer. He underwent surgery at University of New Mexico Hospital.

He told The New York Post: "I was determined to save my dream girl's life - even if it cost my own."

Ms Russell managed to hide behind furniture during the shooting and was unhurt.

She was the first woman to solo anchor a primetime network news show in the US.