Woman charged with shooting stolen gun and much, much more in Columbia incident

A woman was arrested faces multiple charges from an incident where she’s accused of shooting a stolen pistol after a car break-in Monday.

Susanne Lynnette Purdy, 35, was charged with two counts of Auto Breaking, Larceny, Unlawful Carrying of a Pistol, Discharging a Firearm within City Limits, Possession of Marijuana, Public Disorderly Conduct, and Unlawful Use of a License, according to the Columbia Police Department.

Just before 10:30 p.m. in the 600 block of Gervais Street, close to the Publix Super Market near the intersection with Huger Street, officers responded to a disturbance call and found Purdy, who appeared to be intoxicated in the roadway, according to the police.

Purdy is accused of running away from the officer, who detained her nearby and discovered that she was in possession of marijuana, police said.

During the arrest, Purdy allegedly gave a false name, but officers were able to verify her true identity with the use of a fingerprint scanner, according to the police.

Purdy also confessed to stealing a pistol from a vehicle and firing it several times, said the police, adding no one was injured, but officers found shell casings and property damage to a vehicle.

During a second auto-breaking, Purdy is accused of stealing debit cards, cigarettes, and an identification card, according to the police who said all of the stolen items were recovered.

Purdy was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

This story was originally published October 24, 2017 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Woman charged with shooting stolen gun and much, much more in Columbia incident."