Woman who fired gun at Wichita officers from Whole Foods sentenced to prison

A 34-year-old woman who brandished a gun at a northeast Wichita grocery store and shot at officers before being shot has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison, Sedgwick County district attorney spokesperson Dan Dillon said Thursday.

Danielle Hannah Robinson of Salina was sentenced to 196 months in prison for the Oct. 4, 2021 incident at Whole Foods Market at 1423 N. Webb, which is near 13th.

Robinson had a jury trial slated for June but pleaded guilty on Jan. 18 to two counts of attempted second degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

“She walked in and out of the store, pointing the pistol at the windows of the store from inside and outside,” Dillon said in a news release. “It appeared the woman was under the influence.”

Police Capt. Jason Stephens previously said she was “described as being paranoid, walking in and out of the store, drinking alcohol at times and brandishing a gun.” She also pointed the gun into the parking lot, he said.

Body cam footage released from police showed two officers in the foyer of the store when the suspect ducked behind a food stand just inside the door. Police yelled for her to put the gun down. She then fired once at police.

The two officers then fired six shots each, hitting the suspect at least once, police said. She was taken to the hospital and released the next day.

There were about 10 to 15 shoppers and staff inside the store when the shooting happened. None was harmed.

Police said Robinson pointed her gun at at least three people and demanded car keys from one of them, Stephens said.

Police said the officers who shot at Robinson acted within policy.

Robinson had previously been sentenced for aggravated assault in a January 2021 incident in Salina; she had originally also faced charges for firing a gun at an occupied dwelling, aggravated burglary, battery on an officer and possession of a firearm by a person addicted or using a controlled substance, according to court records. Those other charges were dropped after she pleaded no contest, which is essentially a guilty plea, to aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony. She also has been sentenced for disorderly conduct; brawling or fighting in a March 2020 incident and another disorderly conduct from April 2017, according to court records. Both of those happened in Dickinson County.

This story was originally published February 29, 2024 at 12:05 PM.