Ruby Howell
Starkville, MS — Ruby Howell, a 70-year old white woman who was convicted of a misdemeanor charge for threatening and pointing a gun at a Black couple last May, was found guilty of threatening exhibition of a weapon. Even though she could have accidentally (or intentionally) killed the couple, she will not be jailed.
The incident was caught on a now-viral video wherein Howell, an employee of Kampgrounds of America, can be seen approaching Jessica Richardson and her husband Franklin. She was brandishing a gun while telling them to leave campground because they had no reservation.
The couple learned later on from Howell’s husband that a reservation was not actually necessary to access the campground.
Shortly after the incident, KOA confirmed that the woman was fired and said that KOA “does not condone the use of a firearm in any manner on our properties or those owned and operated by our franchisees.”
Although Mississippi is an open-carry state, it is illegal to brandish a weapon in a “rude, angry or threatening manner in the presence of three or more persons.” Those who were found guilty can face a $500 fine, three months in jail, or both with prosecutors regardless if the weapon was “charged, loaded or in a condition to be discharged.”