Efland woman allegedly fired gun in road rage episode, charged five days later
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Deputies initially declined felony charges against woman in road rage incident, reversed course.
- 2025 N.C. Court of Appeals decision informed review and decision to press charges.
- Woman allegedly pointed gun at victims, fired two shots out from her car window.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office reversed course on Thursday after initially declining to press charges against a woman who allegedly fired two shots in the air Sunday in a road rage incident.
Samantha Russo, a 36-year-old from Efland, was arrested on Friday on charges of discharging a firearm within enclosure to incite fear, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Friday night. She is being held on a $10,000 bond and was in custody as of Friday night.
On Sunday, the victims alleged that Russo, traveling in a red Honda Civic, had passed them in a no-passing zone then cut back into their lane of travel, the sheriff’s office said. Then, Russo allegedly got out of the car and pointed a gun at the victims’ passenger side.
The victims also allege Russo pointed her gun out of the window and fired it twice, the sheriff’s office said. After receiving a 911 call, deputies pulled Russo over, charged her with assault by pointing a firearm and seized her gun. Deputies also charged the driver, Nicholas Howle, with aggressive driving and driving with an open container. Howle, 37, also lives in Efland.
Deputies decided on Sunday night not swear out a warrant for Russo’s arrest on felony charges, the sheriff’s office said. Because Russo did not directly fire a shot at a person or into the victims’ car or cause injury, the deputies did not believe they had probable cause to move forward with charges.
As the sheriff’s office reviewed the case Monday, investigators determined that the statute under which they charged Russo only required that the person who willfully discharges a firearm with intent to incite fear in another be inside their own vehicle, the sheriff’s office said. The sheriff’s office cited a 2025 N.C. Court of Appeals decision which rejected the idea that the law requires the firearm to be fired into an occupied vehicle.
In consultation with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the sheriff’s office swore out a warrant for Russo on Thursday and arrested her Friday.
Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said he believed his deputies tried to do the right thing and noted the deputies issued citations to compel Russo and Howle to court, which he said is not standard practice.
“Still, I offer my apology to the victims in this case, as I understand their feeling that misdemeanor charges did not match the fear and trauma they experienced,” Blackwood said.
Russo’s court appearance is set for Monday at 2 p.m., the sheriff’s office said.
“I hope these actions demonstrate that we take road rage situations very seriously,” Blackwood said.
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