CHARLOTTE -- A man accused of shooting a young east Charlotte mother during an attempted home break in is still behind bars.
Reco Dawkins Jr., 23, made his first appearance in court on Tuesday.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say he shot 21-year old Samantha Bunce last week while she was in her home with her infant son.
Reco Dawkins Jr. appeared in court through a video conference from jail and didn't say one word to the judge. Police say he's responsible for the shooting that put a young mother of two in the hospital.
"They broke in while she was feeding her son, and she was not going to let them get up there to her or to him," said the victim's military friend, Holly Lyn Ritchie.
Police say Reco Dawkins Jr. and another suspect kicked in the front door of Semantha Bunce's home on Matlea Court. She was home with her infant son.
"I heard a door knocked down and next thing I know, I hear about four or five gunshots," said neighbor John Marshall.
The suspects shot at Bunce, and she was hit twice according to her friends, but the baby wasn't injured. Friends say Bunce's military training and her maternal instincts kicked in to protect her child.
"She took immediate action...grabbed her husband's gun and fired back," said Ritchie.
Ritchie visited Bunce in the hospital on Sunday.
"She looked good. She was in pain, obviously, but she was up moving a little bit, eating some solid food, so she was doing well considering what happened to her. She's a hell of a fighter," said Ritchie.
Ritchie set up a GoFundMe page to help with Bunce's medical expenses. It's already raised more than $40,000 in six days.
"Her and her family are very thankful for everything everyone has contributed, from donations to prayers. Just general awareness of what happened to her...she's very grateful for all of it," said Ritchie.
Ritchie says Bunce wants to go home as soon as possible but hasn't been given a date yet as to when she'll be released from the hospital.
As for the suspects, Dawkins will be back in court on Nov. 20. A judge set his bond at $1 million.
There is no word from police on whether they've arrested anyone else in the case.