A 23-year-old woman arrested after a 7-year-old found a gun in her purse and accidentally shot a 4-year-old with it last year was charged Thursday with drug possession.
Lyric L. Parker-Wheeler faces one count of fifth-degree drug possession after police also found cocaine in her purse, according to a criminal complaint filed against her last month in Ramsey County District Court.
The felony-drug-charge stems from an incident that took place back in late July of 2017.
Officers responded to a home in the 700 block of East Third Street about 6:40 p.m. that evening on reports of a shooting involving children.
A 7-year-old girl reportedly found a gun in Parker-Wheeler’s purse and was playing with it when she accidentally shot a 4-year-old girl, police said at the time.
Responding officers used a tourniquet to control the bleeding, and the girl was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with non-life-threatening injuries.
As police processed the house, Parker-Wheeler attempted to enter the crime scene to retrieve a white purse left on the floor, according to the criminal complaint filed against her Sept. 18.
Although officers repeatedly told her she needed to leave the purse where it was, Parker-Wheeler eventually snatched it up before police could stop her.
During a subsequent search of the purse, police found a white substance inside of it that later tested positive as seven grams of cocaine.
Parker-Wheeler is not related to the children involved in the shooting, according to police. She had been staying at the residence where the shooting occurred.
She made her first appearance in Ramsey County District Court on the drug charge this week.
Her attorney, Michael Carsten, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Parker-Wheeler has no past felony convictions on her record in Minnesota.