The woman accused of opening fire inside the ticket hall of Dallas Love Field Airport last summer before being shot by a police officer has been found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a state hospital.
The 39-year-old woman had been accused of aggravated assault against a public servant after police said she fired several shots inside the airport before pointing the gun at a police officer. With the gun pointed in his direction, Dallas Police Officer Ronald Cronin fired several shots, striking the woman multiple times.
The woman spent about three weeks in the hospital recovering from her injuries before being booked into the Dallas County Jail on Aug. 16, 2022.
In a judgment obtained by NBC 5 on Monday, Judge Stephanie Huff ordered on Aug. 14, 2023, that the woman was insane at the time of the offense and that she should be committed to the maximum security unit of North Texas State Hospital in Vernon for no more than 30 days.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
The state hospital, which provides inpatient psychiatric services, is being charged with evaluating the woman's mental condition and must file a report with the court within 30 days.
According to Dallas Police, after being dropped off at the airport on June 25, 2022, the woman entered the terminal and went into a restroom. She exited minutes later with a dark-colored hoody pulled tightly over her head and with her hands in her pockets.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said she then went to the Southwest Airlines ticketing area and was seen walking around the kiosks. Her behavior, the chief said, drew the attention of a nearby uniformed Dallas police officer who was walking toward her when she stopped and said she had an announcement.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The woman, according to witnesses, began talking about her marriage, incarceration and made threats to blow up the airport.
In the airport surveillance video, the woman can be seen pointing the gun toward the ceiling where police said she fired two shots. She was quickly confronted by Cronin who police said ordered her to drop the weapon. Police said that she pointed the gun in the direction of Cronin and a bystander before she was shot by the officer.
No other injuries were reported in the incident.
In 2022, NBC 5 learned that the woman had been found incompetent to stand trial more than once and was previously accused of attempted bank robbery and falsifying a fire. Both cases were dismissed due to mental competency and in at least one case she was ordered committed to Terrell State Hospital. Because of that action, the woman's name and image have not been included in this story.
