Montana woman who fired gun inside motel lobby gets 10 years in prison
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POCATELLO — A Melrose, Montana, woman who threatened several people while firing a gun has been sent to prison.
Rebecca Lynn O’Connell, 41, pleaded guilty to one charge of aggravated assault after reaching a plea deal with the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office. In exchange, the following were dismissed: two additional charges of aggravated assault, one felony count of discharging a firearm inside an occupied building, a misdemeanor for malicious injury to property and a deadly weapon enhancement.
During a Nov. 20 hearing, O’Connell was sentenced to a prison term of four to 10 years by District Judge Rick Carnaroli, court records show.
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O’Connell was arrested in November 2022 when officers responded to reports of gunshots at a motel on West Burnside Avenue.
When officers arrived, they saw O’Connell pacing inside the lobby. One person, a motel employee, was inside the lobby with her and had his hands raised.
O’Connell walked outside the lobby before realizing officers were at the scene. She dropped the gun and surrendered. During a pat-down search, officers found her to have a knife, in addition to the handgun she fired in the lobby.
She told officers her boyfriend had enlisted the services of motel employees in his attempts to kill her. She also admitted to smoking methamphetamine earlier that day. Once she was arrested and placed in a police cruiser, officers said she began banging her head against the interior of the cruiser.
In addition to the prison sentence, O’Connell has been ordered to pay $345.50 in fees and fines.