Niki Giovonnie Voltaire
A Chattanooga woman charged with shooting two people she didn't know has entered guilty pleas in the case.
Niki Giovonnie Voltaire, who was 38 at the time of the incident on March 31, 2021, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and got a two-year sentence.
She got a suspended six-year sentence for aggravated assault.
Police responded on a report of a person who was shot on Tunnel Boulevard and located two victims. Police said the first victim was shot in the chest, and the second victim suffered from a gunshot wound to the left leg. Both were transported to Erlanger Hospital.
When police spoke to the second victim at the hospital, she said she had stepped outside of her apartment when she noticed several people arguing, and that she told them to leave. She said that when she walked away, she heard a gunshot and then realized she had been shot. The second victim said she did not know who shot her. The first victim also said she did not know any of the people present, nor did she know who shot her.
Police also spoke to several witnesses, including the suspect’s boyfriend and another witness closely related to him. Police said the boyfriend was arguing with his son, and the witness became involved in an argument with the man’s girlfriend, Ms. Voltaire. The female witness said Ms. Voltaire pulled a gun out of her purse, and, when the woman asked Ms. Voltaire, “Are you going to shoot me?” the first victim walked up. The witness told police Ms. Voltaire pulled the trigger but the gun did not go off.
The witness said Ms. Voltaire pulled the safety off and then shot the victim in the chest. The witness said other people began to surround the suspect, and she shot the second victim out of fear.
Police said they showed another witness a picture of Ms. Voltaire and her boyfriend, and the witness identified Ms. Voltaire as the shooter. Ms. Voltaire was taken into custody on charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and felony reckless endangerment.