Provo police responded to the Provo City Library at 5 p.m. Monday after security reported a woman had fired a gun into the floor.

Brye Williamson, a part-time library security guard, said a librarian told him a 61-year-old woman had been drinking heavily in the library. As Williamson and the librarian went to find the woman to escort her off the premise, they heard a gunshot.

"We just heard a loud pop," Williamson said. "Essentially it was a gunshot."

They found the woman in a quiet corner of the library being comforted by a man approximately 30 years old whom officials assume knew the woman previously.

"We found her being comforted by a gentleman holding a 38-special revolver," Williamson said. "He was saying 'Nobody was hurt, nobody was hurt' and seemed to be pretty shaken up."

Police said the bullet ricocheted into a table stand, and no one was injured.

Gene Nelson, the Provo City Library director, said the incident happened on the first floor of the library on the north side.

"We've been open for six years [at the 500 N. University Ave. location] and nothing like this has happened before," Nelson said. "This is all very disturbing. I'm just grateful no one was hurt."

The library was not evacuated based on the decisions of library security and police officers.

"The staff handled it very well," Nelson said. "They're trained to facilitate an evacuation if necessary, but they felt that the danger had passed."

Lt. John Geyerman of the Provo Police Department said the woman was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center for a mental examination.

"They'll look into charges and book her either into the Utah County Jail or she'll be admitted to the Wasatch Mental Health," he said.



Copyright Brigham Young University 9 Apr 2007