Son Defends Mother Who Shot Him During An Argument

Karina Taylor says her boyfriend's jealous mom stalked her and did everything she could to sabotage their relationship.

She said, “I was scared of her. I was scared she might try and kill me.”

Karina said she was also harassed with vile text messages and phone calls.

“I was a bitch, a whore, a stalker,” said Karina.

But no one ever expected 64-year-old Linda Cooney to go as far as she allegedly did—shooting her own son during an argument over his girlfriend.

Now, Kevin Cooney has been left paralyzed and his mom is on trial for attempted murder.

Prosecutors said in court, "Linda Cooney will use fear, intimidation, manipulation, to get whatever she wants at whatever costs necessary."

Testifying from his hospital bed, Kevin sobbed and told the juror a surprising story. He says the shooting was his fault. That he attacked his mom and she shot him in self-defense.  

He said, “I was just in a rage. I grabbed her by the throat. I punched her a whole bunch of times.”

In a 911 call played in court, Linda managed to avoid saying how her son was shot.

Linda: “My son, my son has a gunshot wound to the neck.”
911 operator: “Somebody shot him in the neck?”
Linda: “Yes.”
911 operator: “Did somebody else do the shooting or did he do it himself? Hello, hello. Ma'am, did he do this himself or did someone else do it?”
Linda: “No, no.”
911 operator: “No, what?”

Then, her other son, Christopher, who is a police officer from Las Vegas, also called 911.

Christopher: “Hi there. I am trying to keep myself calm but my mother just called me and she said that she was attacked by my older brother at my house and that she shot him.”

Incredibly, this isn't the first time Linda has claimed she shot a family member in self-defense.

Over twenty years ago, she shot and killed kill her husband, James Cooney, a wealthy tax accountant, in Palm Beach, Florida. She was found not guilty after she testified he attacked her with a knife.

Reporter Christine Stapleton covered the 1992 trial for the Palm Beach Post.

INSIDE EDITION's Les Trent asked her, "When she was acquitted, what was the reaction?"

Stapleton said, "I think people were very surprised. I know the family was very surprised."

Linda even used the same gun in both shootings—a .357 magnum.

Back in 1992, when Kevin was 11 years old, his testimony helped get his mom acquitted.

Stapleton said, "He came into the courtroom with a little superhero action figure in his hand and he said he didn't know if he would be able to help his mother, but he wanted to."

Now, he's 32 years old, paralyzed, possibly for life due to a bullet fired by his own mother. Yet, he's coming to her rescue one more time.

Linda Cooney denies stalking her son's girlfriend. If she is convicted of attempted murder, she faces up to 65 years in prison.