A dispute over whether a toddler could play with a toy inside an Indianapolis resale shop allegedly ended with a 21-year-old mother pulling out a handgun and threatening to shoot employees. Tamya Staten, 21, is accused in connection with the confrontation.
Confrontation Caught on Store Cameras
The incident happened on July 16, 2026, at the Once Upon A Child location at 1210 West 86th Street in northern Indianapolis, according to WTHR. Staten had come to the shop to sell clothing and brought her toddler along, and according to Fox 59, her child began playing with a small motorized car toy on the sales floor. An employee told Staten that children were not permitted to play with in-store toys, and Staten reportedly said okay — but let her child keep playing anyway.
Fox 59 reports that Staten then pulled out a large black handgun and poked an employee in the face with her finger. She allegedly threatened staff with a shooting, telling them, “We can fight about it. We can get down,” and, “I can use this gun,” while pointing the weapon in their direction. Staten reportedly encouraged her child to keep playing with the toy throughout the confrontation before putting the gun into her leggings, picking up her child, and leaving the store.
Silent Alarm During Dispute
Store staff triggered the shop's silent holdup alarm during the dispute. Surveillance footage captured the entire incident, and investigators say Staten drove away in a 2011 Jeep Patriot.
IMPD detectives identified Staten using her license plate number captured on store surveillance video, combined with an identification card she had given employees, and a store employee later picked her out of a photo lineup, the station notes.
Charges Filed Months After the Incident
Formal charges were not filed in Marion County court until September 29, 2026 — more than two months after the confrontation — and a warrant remains outstanding for Staten's arrest. She was charged in Marion Superior Court 31 with intimidation with a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony, and pointing a firearm at another person, a Level 6 felony.
Under Indiana Code, intimidation while drawing or using a deadly weapon is a Level 5 felony carrying a prison term of one to six years, an advisory sentence of three years, and fines up to $10,000, according to Indiana legal resources. Simple intimidation is ordinarily a Class A misdemeanor in Indiana, but it escalates to a felony once a deadly weapon is drawn. Separately, knowingly pointing a loaded firearm at another person is a Level 6 felony punishable by six months to two-and-a-half years in prison, with an advisory sentence of one year and fines up to $10,000, per Eskew Law. That same source notes that pointing an unloaded firearm reduces the charge to a Class A misdemeanor. If convicted on both felony counts and sentenced consecutively at the statutory maximum, Staten could face up to 8.5 years in prison, WTHR reports.
Permitless Carry Doesn't Cover Threats
Indiana's constitutional carry law, known as HEA 1296, took effect in July 2022 and allows eligible adults 18 and older to carry handguns without a state license, though private business owners retain the right to restrict firearms on their property. That law did not change statutes prohibiting weapon threats or pointing firearms at people, a distinction that separates lawful possession from the brandishing allegations Staten now faces.
The 86th Street location is a Once Upon A Child store, a children's resale shop.
Staten's exact whereabouts and legal representation remain unknown as the warrant for her arrest stays active.
