Granny gets her gun; now she’s in jail

Dayton woman, 63, fires at grandson’s mother during argument.

A 63-year-old grandmother is in jail after an argument about her grandson’s attendance at school began with throwing a bottle of bleach and ended in gunfire.

Lillian Lanier, of the 2000 block of Catalpa Drive, remained in the Montgomery County Jail on Wednesday night charged with felonious assault and misdemeanor aggravated menacing. She is to be in court on Thursday, according to online jail records.

She is accused of firing a round from a 9mm handgun at her grandson’s mother on Tuesday as she stood on the front porch of her home, according to a Dayton police incident report filed Wednesday. That shot came after Lanier fired one into the ceiling of the porch during an argument with the boy’s mother about his school attendance.

The 15-year-old’s mother told police officers that she went to Lanier’s home to confront her after an official with Dayton Public Schools called to report that the boy did not arrive at school Tuesday until 12:30 p.m.

His mother told police that was news to her, because she saw her son leave their home in plenty early enough to get to school on time. When she confronted her son about his tardiness, he told her he had gone to his grandmother’s home.

The boy’s mother told police she threatened Lanier, promising to call the police “If my son is over here and he is not supposed to be.”

That threat prompted Lanier to hurl a bottle of bleach at the boy’s mother, who threw it back at Lanier.

When that happened, Lanier went back into her house and came out with the handgun. She fired it once into the ceiling of the porch and once at the boy’s mother, who wasn’t hit.

Lanier told police she and the boy’s mother don’t get along. She also admitted firing the gun and said her son came to the house and took it with him. It’s his gun, she told police.

That didn’t wash, because police searched the home — with Lanier’s consent — and found the weapon, which had one live round in the chamber and five in the magazine.

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