Report: Terri Runnels Not Going To Prison After Bringing Loaded Gun To Tampa Airport
Terri Runnels escapes prison time.
It late May, TMZ reported that former WWE talent Terri Runnels was arrested in Florida after she was caught with a loaded Glock 9mm in the Tampa International Airport. Runnels was arrested at 7:30 AM for carrying a concealed firearm which is a class 3 felony. In an update from TMZ, the publication shared that Runnels will not be going to prison after the incident last month. The prosecutors have dropped her case and she is free of the charges.
TMZ has pictures posted of the firearm as it was confiscated from Runnels and there were 11 bullets with the gun. Terri Runnels posted a video on social media a day after the incident and stated that she had a long stretch of days that consisted of little sleep and she regularly brings her gun with her when going to visit her mother to protect her mom’s garden from animals that ruin the garden.
——– Love you all…THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE CALLS AND MESSAGES! — pic.twitter.com/UT3QUpf6AX
— Terri Runnels (@TheTerriRunnels) May 30, 2019
“Evidently, it’s every where that I took a loaded handgun into the Tampa International Airport, and I literally… when I go to see my mom, I pack my gun because she has armadillos that ruin her garden and other critters that go after her chickens and I usually take my gun when I go to see her and I was with her for about a week-and-a-half and helping her out, and I got home, I think I got eight hours sleep in three days and then I got up this morning, Wednesday, 29th to — I think it was 4 AM when I got up to make this early flight to go to Allentown for the show for the benefit for Sam [Samu Anoa’i], and literally, it did not even cross my mind that my gun was in my Vera Bradley Tote that I always take on the plane with me and it was the most… God I’ve never been in trouble in my life and it scared the hell out of me and it was a simple mistake that… Dear God it was horrible.” Runnels said. “If you’re a praying soul, pray because it still scares me and I don’t even know what to say because I’m gonna start crying so I’m gonna shut up but I at least want you guys to know what mistake I had made and what happened. I think some places are reporting as if I intended to do something terrible. I simply forgot that it was in that bag so, yeah, thanks guys. Love you.”
Runnels explained to officers why she had the gun but they were not buying her explanation and Runnels was facing up to five years in prison. Prosecutors then decided to issue a “letter of release”, signaling that they were dropping the case but prosecutors can pick it back up at any time. Although that option is on the table, TMZ added that the chances of the case arising again on a legal front is “extremely slim”.
