Former CNN Anchor Speaks Out In Favor Of Guns After Husband Fatally Shoots Armed Robber

A former CNN anchor who survived a harrowing robbery attempt said on Monday that her right to bear arms saved her life, and anyone who believes otherwise can "shut the fuck up."

Lynne Russell and her husband Chuck de Caro, a former CNN reporter, were held at gunpoint in a motel room in Albuquerque, New Mexico, last week. After a gunman forced his way into their room, Russell slipped a handgun into her purse and passed it to de Caro while the intruder was looting through their belongings. A shootout ensued, and de Caro killed the gunman. De Caro himself was hit three times, but is expected to survive, police say.

Russell, who has a concealed carry permit along with her husband, said on Monday that having a gun "absolutely" saved the couple's lives. She told FOX411 the ongoing gun control debate "is just ridiculous" and we all have "the right to protect ourselves."

“If you don’t want to carry please don’t. Then, shut the fuck up about it. Make your own decisions," Russell said.

The former sheriff's deputy and licensed private investigator added that "criminals will always have guns."

"I’m sure that the man who shot my husband did not have a gun permit," Russell said. "The rest of us legally obtain our gun permits. If you committed a violent crime you can’t get a gun permit. Simple law.”

Watch the full report from FOX411 below: