Shanteari Weems does not feel remorse for shooting her husband, James Weems, last July after learning that he allegedly molested children at her business, Lil Kidz Kastle Daycare Center.
As previously reported by REVOLT, Shanteari confronted James about the allegations inside a room at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which has since been rebranded as The Salamander D.C., in Washington, D.C. At some point, the couple became enthralled in an argument when the 50-year-old fired two shots, injuring her husband in the neck and the leg.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, she pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. Last month, she was sentenced to four years in jail and two years of supervised probation upon her release. That same month, she also filed for divorce from James.
In an exclusive interview with WUSA9, she said that she does not carry any guilt for her actions and does not plan on apologizing to her soon-to-be ex-husband. “I will apologize when he apologizes to those children,” she said.
Elsewhere in the interview, she reflected on running the daycare alongside James. “We were both supposed to be on this crusade of saving children, and child molestation is something that we had talked about all the time, how horrible it was,” said the woman, who supporters view as a hero. “I think about that child all the time. I think about all the children all the time.”
Shanteari said she recalled learning about the allegations against her husband from a parent. “I saw the pain in her face, and I knew she was not lying,” said the former corrections officer. She continued, “I felt like the blood had just drained out of my body because … it was my husband. He was supposed to help me protect these children. He always told me he was my protector. So when I heard this, I just felt like — I just felt like my world had ended.”
She said the alarming news led her to have her first alcoholic drink after 20 years of sobriety before she went to the hotel to confront him. “I snapped. I’m not a violent person,” she told the outlet. Shanteari also admitted that she contemplated suicide, feeling as though she had let her family and community down.
During an investigation into the claims of molestation, the state spoke with 93 boys and girls. As a result, the retired Baltimore police officer was charged with rape, sexual abuse of a minor and assault. The incidents allegedly occurred between Aug. 1, 2021, and July 3, 2022.