According to court documents, a woman accused of shooting her husband at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C., did so because she claims he was molesting children.
The call came in around 7:40 p.m. Thursday for reports of a man shot on the eighth floor of the hotel. According to police, the suspect had barricaded herself inside one of the rooms by that point.
Officers entered the room and began speaking with the suspect through the door, according to court documents. Officers asked the suspect, Shanteari Weems, 50, of Randallstown, Maryland, to leave the room, but she responded by indicating that she wanted to shoot herself.
During the conversation, police say they asked Weems if there was a person who had been shot inside the room, to which he responded, “he’s a child molester.”
The victim then told the officers that he was inside the room and had been shot in the head and leg, to which Weems told him to “shut up” and threatened to kill him.
Police eventually entered the room and immediately arrested Weems. They claimed to have discovered two handguns inside the room, one in Weems’ purse and the other in an unlocked safe.
According to court documents, while Weems was detained, she told officers on the scene more about her relationship with the victim. Weems claimed that she and the victim had been married for five years and that they lived in Baltimore.
Weems also revealed that she owns a daycare in Baltimore County and that she had recently received several calls from daycare parents accusing her husband of molesting their children.
Weems allegedly told police that she did not intend to kill her husband, but rather to injure him. She did, however, tell police that she intends to commit suicide.
Police say they discovered a letter inside the room, allegedly written by Weems, that backs up that claim. The letter goes on to say that Weems hoped to paralyse her husband and that she wants justice for the children at her daycare.
The letter is then followed by an informal will and testament.
According to court documents, after being arrested, Weems waived her rights and agreed to an interview with detectives. During the interview, she told investigators that she and her husband met in D.C. on July 20, and that she received calls alleging that her husband was molesting children at their daycare while they were there.
Weems claims that the calls made her emotional, so she decided to confront her husband about the allegations. According to Weems, the situation escalated into an argument during that conversation, and at some point during the argument, her husband stood up and walked towards her. Weems claims this is when she pulled out her gun and shot her husband.
Weems then told police she didn’t want to kill her husband and that she could have done it while cops were trying to break into the room.
Weems also told detectives that she does not normally bring a gun with her on her “frequent” trips to D.C., according to court documents.
According to police, the husband was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries following the shooting. There has been no update on his condition.
In response to the allegations levelled against the husband, Baltimore County Police issued the following statement to FOX 5:
“Baltimore County detectives are currently monitoring the recent developments in Washington D.C. Due to the sensitive circumstances leading up to this incident, the Baltimore County Police Department continues to support the families impacted, and the daycare facility in Owings Mills remains closed as this investigation moves forward.”
Weems has been charged with murderous assault. She is being held incommunicado. Her next court appearance is set for Monday.
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