Is the semicolon correct here?

Question

In response, she froze;

Teardrops followed.

Answer 1

A period would also be fine, but the semicolon is fine too.

Answer 2

Semicolons should be used to separate two related independent clauses. According to Purdue OWL, a reliable source on writing, "An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought." You can use this information to determine whether a semicolon is appropriate in any given sentence.