Webb
DECATUR — Erica A. Webb is denying charges that she pulled a gun during an argument with her boyfriend and fired a shot while children aged 9 and 4 were present in her home.
The 28-year-old defendant, free on pretrial release, has entered pleas of not guilty in Macon County Circuit Court to charges of reckless discharge of a firearm and illegal possession of a gun.
A sworn affidavit filed by the Decatur Police Department said the incident dates to the night of Aug. 11 at Webb’s home in the 3400 block of Dove Drive.
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Witnesses are quoted as saying arguments between Webb and her 33-year-old boyfriend are frequently overheard but this one was punctuated by the sound of a gunshot.
One 16-year-old neighbor said that in the moments before the shot was heard, the boyfriend had been standing in the front yard and Webb appeared to be on the front porch.
She then heard the boyfriend yell out “You’re waving around a pistol; I should call the police on you,” according to Officer Luke Roberts, who signed the affidavit.
Webb is quoted as replying with an expletive and then came the sound of the shot.
“(The witness) advised she had been present in the past when houses belonging to neighbors of hers were shot, and she said she was familiar with the sound of a firearm being discharged,” said Roberts.
The 39-year-old mother of the witness also told police she had heard the shot and knew herself what gunfire sounded like.
“(The mother) said she has previously been shot in the past and is familiar with the sound of a firearm being discharged,” Roberts added.
Both Webb and her boyfriend denied anything had happened. Roberts said Webb carried on getting her children dressed while officers waited for a judge to sign off on a search warrant for her home.
That search subsequently found one live .22-caliber bullet lying on the floor of a bedroom and police also seized a full box of .22 ammunition and a .22-caliber handgun fitted with a light and laser sighting device.
Roberts said Webb is not allowed to own firearms after having a firearm owner’s identification card denied to her previously.
The defendant is due to appear in court for a pretrial hearing Oct. 29.
Industry experts say Black women increasingly are considering gun ownership for personal protection due in part to concerns over surging crime in cities.
Does this gun make me look fat? Firearms spur fashion niche
Women now have more choices when it comes to clothing they can wear to hide that they’re carrying a firearm. Check out these holsters, corsets, camisoles and other clothing designed to be flattering, feminine — and functional — for the pistol-packin’ mama crowd.
Fashion and Firearms
Does this gun make me look fat?
For decades, women have had few choices when it comes to the clothing they can wear to hide that they’re carrying a firearm. They could wear baggy T-shirts or coats, or put it in a purse and hope it didn’t get swiped or that they didn’t have trouble getting it out in an emergency.
Enter holsters, corsets, camisoles and other clothing designed to be flattering, feminine — and functional — for the pistol-packin’ mama crowd.
Above photo: Marilyn Smolenski uses a mock gun to demonstrate how to pull a handgun out of an undergarment she designs for concealed carry at her home in Park Ridge, Ill. (AP Photo/Tae-Gyun Kim)
Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid