Police say a mom pulled a gun on another woman at a Connecticut Chuck E. Cheese and has been arrested and charged after the incident in Newington this week.
The mom who police say pulled the gun in Chuck E. Cheese, going so far as to chamber a round before the situation de-escalated, has been identified in the press as Tawana Bourne, 30.
The mom who pulled the gun at Chuck E. Cheese has a State of Connecticut pistol permit that is valid, NBC Connecticut reports, and the sparring females were separated before any injury or firearm discharge occurred. Reports indicate the altercation broke out at around 8 pm Monday at the Newington location of the chain and that, after police arrived, Bourne was charged with “breach of peace, three counts of risk of injury to a minor, threatening in the second degree and reckless endangerment in the first degree.”
In response to the incident, Chuck E. Cheese issued a lengthy statement about the near-gunplay this week. The release began:
“We are aware of an incident that occurred in our Newington, Conn., store on the evening of Monday, Feb. 4, in which a patron threatened another patron with a handgun. The store manager and staff acted immediately, followed proper safety procedures and contained the incident until local police officers arrived. As a result, there are no injuries to report and we are thankful for the dedicated service of community law enforcement and the swift actions of our alert staff members.”
Chuck E. Cheese also clarifies that the chain is reviewing its safety procedures in light of the incident and says that the woman was legally in the clear due to her valid permit but still violated private property rules about weapons in the kid-friendly establishment :
“In all of our stores around the country we display very visible signs prohibiting entry with weapons or firearms without exception. While the patron in question has a valid State of Connecticut pistol permit, she was in clear violation of this order on private property and our staff acted accordingly.”
The statement concludes:
“In the interest of our patrons, Chuck E. Cheese’s will work with the police fully during their ongoing investigation and therefore cannot offer more detail at this time.”
Do you think moms (and dads) should be able to carry guns in Chuck E. Cheese or similar establishments?
