BLOOMINGTON — A Bloomington woman was arrested on the morning of Tuesday, August 6, 2024, after firing several shots at a moving vehicle. Bullets missed the car but went into a nearby apartment where a one-year-old child was sleeping.
Emma Spears, 19, was arrested on a charge of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony. She pleaded guilty to the crime in a negotiated plea deal. Monroe County Circuit Court 3 Judge Christine Talley Haseman sentenced Spears to 430 days of home detention and 50 hours of community service. After home detention, she will serve one year on supervised probation.
According to Bloomington Police, officers responded to a call just before 5:00 a.m. at an apartment complex near South Winslow Court. A witness reported hearing a heated argument in the parking lot and, upon looking out their window, observed multiple muzzle flashes. Police later identified 19-year-old Emma Spears as the shooter.
After firing the weapon, Spears returned to her apartment, prompting authorities to secure a search warrant. Upon searching the apartment, officers discovered a handgun, ammunition, bloody clothing, and other items related to the incident.
Although the bullets missed the targeted car, one of the rounds penetrated a nearby apartment where a one-year-old child was sleeping. The child’s mother, who was awakened by the sound of gunfire, discovered her son covered in dust and noticed a bullet hole above his bed in the ceiling.
Spears told police that the shooting occurred after an altercation between her boyfriend and another man and woman. She claimed to feel threatened by the other woman who had a gun; she fired two shots from her apartment as the group left in a car. Spears explained that she believed the vehicle’s occupants had fired shots at her first, though she could not identify the shooter due to the vehicle’s tinted windows.
