WASHINGTON — A woman is facing charges after she shot her husband in a D.C. hotel room Thursday evening, according to DC Superior Court documents, which also shed new light on her possible motive for the shooting.
Multiple DC Police officers responded to Mandarin Oriental, located at 1330 Maryland Avenue Southwest, around 7:40 p.m. after reports of a man being shot on the 8th floor. Hotel management informed officials that initially they had a fire alarm go off from that room and when they went to check they saw blood on the wall.
When the officers arrived at the hotel room, the woman, identified as 50-year-old Shanteari Weems, began to talk to them through the door. Officers asked Weems to come out so they could assist the man that was shot, but she then informed them that she would shoot herself if they came into the room.
As the conversation continued through the door, and the officers tried to confirm if there was a shooting victim, Weems yelled, "he's a child molester."
The unidentified man was able to inform officers through a door that he was shot in the leg. After the confirmation, officers made entry into the room at 8:11 p.m. to treat the victim and detain Weems, according to court documents.
While detained, Weems told police she had been married to the man she shot for five years and they live together in Baltimore. She said that numerous children at her day care business recently told her he had been molesting them. Weems says she reported her husband to Baltimore authorities.
Baltimore County police told WUSA9 that detectives are monitoring the incident in D.C. adding in a statement, "Due to the sensitive circumstances leading up to this incident, the Baltimore County Police Department continues to support the families impacted. As this investigation moves forward, the day care facility remains closed."
Weems is the owner and operator of Lil Kidz Kastle in Ownings Mills, Maryland, according to the business website.
Sources say that Weems' husband was in the nation's capital for an event and that he was staying at the luxury hotel. He has also been identified as a retired Baltimore City Police officer that retired from the force in 2005 and had been working as a contract specialist until 2008.
According to court documents, Weems told police she hadn't wanted to kill her husband, and just wanted to hurt him. She said she did want to kill herself.
Weems was placed under arrest and charged with assault with intent to kill, according to officials. She was held without bond, and is due in court Monday.