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The incident happened in Hartford County on Wednesday, Dec. 27 just before 6 p.m., when a caller told authorities that a person had pulled out a gun during a fight at a Walmart in Manchester at 420 Buckland Hills Dr., according to Manchester Police.
Officers soon arrived at the scene and found two suspects as they were leaving the store, identified as Hartford residents Jaida Harris, age 20, and Maya Dawson, age 23.
After an investigation, it was determined that Harris and Dawson had arrived at the Walmart together and had become involved in a heated verbal dispute with other customers. At one point, Harris pulled out a loaded gun from Dawson's handbag and began waving it around in the store while also threatening customers, police said.
The gun was not fired at any time and it was eventually put back in Dawson's bag. Once the duo tried leaving the store, they were stopped by responding officers, who soon seized a loaded firearm with 17 9mm rounds of ammunition from them, according to authorities.
The firearm was later identified as a ghost gun with no serial number or identifiers, police added.
Following their arrests, the duo were both charged with:
- Four counts of second-degree breach of peace;
- Second-degree conspiracy to commit breach of peace;
- Violation of lower receiver instructions;
- Large capacity magazine;
- First-degree conspiracy to commit threatening;
- Conspiracy to commit risk of injury;
- Conspiracy to commit reckless endangerment.
Additionally, Harris was also charged with:
- Risk of injury to a minor;
- Four counts of first-degree reckless endangerment;
- First-degree threatening;
- Criminal possession of a firearm;
- Criminal use of a firearm;
- Carrying a pistol without a permit;
- Interfering with an officer.
It was also determined that Harris allegedly had an active violation of probation warrant as well. She is now being held on bonds totaling $800,000 and appeared in Manchester Superior Court on Thursday, Dec. 28.
Dawson is now being held on a $250,000 bond and also appeared in Manchester Superior Court on Thursday.
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