Killer who pressed loaded gun to ‘scared’ 4-year-old girl’s chest and pulled trigger claimed ‘firearms safety’ lesson: Prosecutor
MATT NAHAM - Law & Crime
A 25-year-old Tennessee woman faces murder and aggravated child abuse charges after she allegedly pressed a loaded firearm up against a “scared” 4-year-old girl’s chest and pulled the trigger during a purported gun safety lesson.
Prosecutors in the office of 9th Judicial District Attorney General Russell Johnson allege that Breanna Gayle Devall Runions shot and killed Evangaline Gunter on Sunday at a residence in Rockwood, Roane County, where Runions, another unidentified woman, and a second child were present. Neither woman was a parent to the children.
When police arrived on the scene, Runions told officers that the shooting took place while she was showing the child “firearm safety,” according to an arrest warrant obtained by Law&Crime.
“Runions removed her Taurus Millenium 9mm handgun from its case, then removed the magazine. Runions related that she then called Gunter over to show her firearm safety, at which point she pressed the barrel of the gun into the front of Gunter’s torso and pulled the trigger, discharging a round into Gunter,” the police report states.
If it’s true that the magazine was removed when the gun was fired, then it would seem there was still a bullet in the chamber.
The defendant’s reported explanation, already suspect in the eyes of investigators, looked even worse after the other woman in the home allegedly told authorities that Runions punished the children that Sunday morning for not waking them up and for eating the second woman’s food.
What’s more, the other child in the home who witnessed the shocking shooting allegedly corroborated that Runions hit both kids with a sandal and forced them to stand in the corner of the defendant’s bedroom as punishment.
VIA forensic interview, P.S. related that she and GUNTER were struck with a sandal by RUNIONS in the morning for not waking up RUNIONS and DANIELS, and eating DANIELS’ food.
The girls were then forced to stand in the corners of RUNIONS’ bedroom as punishment.
The victim was declared dead at the county hospital after the two women made a last-ditch effort to save her by driving to a Walmart parking lot, where they contacted emergency medical services personnel.
CBS local affiliate WVLT reported that the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) had previously been called to the residence where the shooting took place and that Runions had a handgun permit.
DCS confirmed to Law&Crime that an investigation “has commenced in this case” but would not elaborate. They would not confirm if there had been prior contact at the home.
They also would not directly address why the child and second victim were in that home with Runions and another woman who were not their parents.
“Pursuant to state and federal law, we are unable to release case specific information regarding children or families served by the Department,” DCS told Law&Crime in a statement. “Without commenting specially on this case, there are any number of circumstances where a custodian moves a child to another adult with no DCS involvement. For example, parents as legal guardians can make decisions as to whom will care for their children.”
Runions’ bond has been set at $1.5 million in the first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse case, Law&Crime confirmed. Under Tennessee law, first-degree murder can be charged when someone kills another person “in the perpetration of or attempt to perpetrate […] aggravated child abuse,” among other offenses.
The first-degree murder offense is punishable upon conviction by death, life without parole, or life in prison.
Roane County criminal court records only show that Runions had 2016, 2017, and 2018 seatbelt violations.
Civil case records show Synchrony Bank filed a “civil warrant” against Runions in March 2023. A July 12 hearing in the case was rescheduled and there has been no apparent docket activity since.
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