Woman pulled gun from fanny pack and threatened to shoot children dead on the playground, telling one she was going to 'light him up': Police

An Indiana pistillate is down bars aft brandishing a gun astatine children successful a park, threatening 1 that she would "light him up," Hoosier State constabulary say.

Ashley Nicole Maxwell, 31, stands accused of myriad charges, including 2 counts each of intimidation wherever the suspect draws oregon uses a deadly weapon, and intimidation involving a threat to perpetrate a forcible felony. The suspect is besides charged with 1 number each of unlawful possession of a firearm by a superior convulsive felon, transgression recklessness with a deadly weapon, unlawful carrying of a handgun, unlawful carrying of a handgun by a idiosyncratic with a anterior felony condemnation successful the past 15 years, and driving portion suspended.

The underlying incidental occurred astatine Columbian Park successful Lafayette connected Sunday evening, according to the Lafayette Police Department.

Around 5:55 p.m., the suspect constabulary responded to reports of an equipped idiosyncratic successful the area, according to an affidavit for probable origin obtained by Indianapolis-based Fox affiliate WXIN.

Officers spoke with respective children whose ages ranged from 7 to 14 years old, according to the charging document. The witnesses relayed a communicative astir a pistillate successful a pinkish bonnet and a bluish shirt.

The pistillate had pulled a weapon retired of her fanny battalion and brandished it astatine them earlier aboriginal threatening to stroke up the park, the children said.

The gun-toting pistillate besides threatened to sprout immoderate of the children, according to the witnesses. In 1 instance, the pistillate threatened a kid straight by saying she would "light him up," constabulary said.

As the probe continued, constabulary obtained a licence sheet fig said to beryllium to the conveyance the fishy near the parkland in, according to the affidavit. A hunt of records past led investigators to different idiosyncratic whom they termed a known confidant of Maxwell.

Less than 20 minutes aft arriving astatine the park, constabulary spotted the suspect driving the conveyance connected 21st Street, instrumentality enforcement stated. A postulation halt was performed astatine the intersection of Thompson Street and Lincoln Street, astir fractional a mile from the park.

There were six children successful the car with Maxwell, and her driver's licence was suspended, constabulary said. The suspect was said to beryllium wearing a bluish garment and a crossbody satchel erstwhile she was pulled over.

Officers besides allege they could odor marijuana connected Maxwell's breath, according to the affidavit. When constabulary questioned her astir the odor, the suspect said she had a associated successful her pocket, constabulary claim.

Maxwell was besides charged with 1 number of possession of marijuana.

The suspect was subsequently booked into the Tippecanoe County Jail. During the jailhouse intake process, officers recovered a pinkish bonnet successful 1 of Maxwell's pockets, constabulary said.

As the probe continued, constabulary went to the defendant's residence to inquire astir firearms. A antheral determination said determination were nary guns inside, denied constabulary introduction and support to search, and said they "were not getting into his safe," according to the affidavit.

Later, officers obtained a hunt warrant and allegedly discovered antithetic kinds of ammunition and assorted firearm accessories wrong the house. Then, constabulary discovered a achromatic market container successful the backyard containing a Taurus GC2 9 mm handgun, magazines, a achromatic integrative holster, 2 cellphones and a baggie containing assorted kinds of ammunition, constabulary said.

Investigators determined Maxwell had precocious made a telephone telephone to 1 of the residents asking them to fell the weapon and ammunition determination extracurricular of the house, according to the affidavit.

The suspect is being detained connected a $200,000 surety and $20,000 currency bond. She is adjacent slated to look successful tribunal connected July 17.