BURLINGTON – An Iowa woman allegedly went berserk and fired a gun as a father, during his legally scheduled visitation time, tried to pick up his children, then gave her a knuckle sandwich.
Burlington, Iowa police officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of Stowe Street on August 18, 2023 at 2:25 PM following a report of a mother and father arguing over a child and the mother firing a gun. While officers were responding, 32-year-old Amanda VanSant called DESCOM and said she had fired one round into the air. VanSant allegedly told police she and the father of her children had been arguing all day about the father wanting to take the children out of state. VanSant said she returned home and found the father there with one of the children in his vehicle. VanSant pulled her vehicle beside the father’s vehicle to block him in. At one point, VanSant exited her vehicle with a handgun and fired it. VanSant told officers she fired it in the air to make the father of her children leave. VanSant said the father of her children then struck her in the face. VanSant admitted it was the father’s time for visitation and knew she couldn’t legally make him leave the children.
Police say no one was injured from the gunfire.
Amanda VanSant was arrested and charged with Child Endangerment, Reckless Use of A Firearm, Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon C-Felony, and Aggravated Domestic Abuse Assault while displaying a dangerous weapon.
