Court docs: Woman accused of firing gun in Portland airport says she did so because her family are pedophiles

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - A woman who is charged with firing a gun inside the Portland International Airport on Tuesday night told detectives that she did so, so as not to kill her family, according to charging documents.

Police records identified the alleged shooter as 47-year-old Laura Marie Patterson. She is charged with firing a weapon in a public building, interfering with public transportation, unlawful use of a weapon, public mischief, disorderly conduct, reckless endangerment, and four counts of attempted murder.

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The shots were fired in the pre-security public area of the D/E Concourse near the restrooms at about 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

In an affidavit filed Thursday, witnesses reported that the woman put the gun down on the floor after firing it. She also reportedly asked, “Is anyone going to do anything?” and told people she’d fired the gun because she was crazy.

Later, according to the affidavit, Patterson told detectives that she purposely brought a loaded gun to the airport, driving from her home in Kennewick, Wash. and fired at the ceiling.

“Patterson stated that when she arrived at the checkpoint she unzipped her purse, took out the gun, and shot it,” according to the affidavit.

She did this, according to the affidavit, “because she needed to do something because she wanted to kill her family members…”

Those family members include her mother, sister, aunt and uncle who live in Houston, Texas, and who she’s considered killing for two years. She said she also thought about killing a second cousin who lives “local to the area.”

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“Patterson advised that she wanted her family dead because they are pedophiles and were aware of the sexual abuse but covered it up,” the affidavit states. “Patterson advised that she shot the gun at the airport in order to not go kill her family and that she did not think anyone was ever going to stop her.”

Also according to the affidavit, detectives found two boxes of .38 caliber cartridges and a folder with multiple expired driver’s licenses belonging to Patterson in her bags.

Port of Portland Police officers said they found a bullet hole in a roof window, and recovered a .38 handgun with one round in the chamber, one in the magazine and two spent shell casings.

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