CHARLOTTE — The widow of Deputy U.S. Marshal Tommy Weeks is speaking out after federal authorities arrested a Texas woman accused of illegally purchasing the assault-style rifle used in the April 29, 2024, ambush that killed four law enforcement officers in Charlotte.
Natasha Gibbs was arrested in Texas for allegedly purchasing an assault rifle that was later used in a deadly shootout that claimed the lives of four law enforcement officers on April 29, 2024.
Authorities allege Gibbs illegally bought the gun in a straw purchase and gave it to Terry Clark Hughes Jr., a convicted felon who fired on officers during the incident.
The shooting resulted in the deaths of Deputy U.S. Marshal Tommy Weeks, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Officer Joshua Eyer, and Task Force Officers Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott.
Hughes was killed during the exchange of gunfire. Gibbs’ arrest represents the first time anyone will face charges and judicial accountability in connection with the fatal shooting.
Gibbs appeared in federal court in Texas, where a judge ordered that she be transported by the U.S. Marshals Service to face charges in the Western District of North Carolina.
Law enforcement officials noted the specific impact of the firearm involved in the incident. “If he didn’t have this assault rifle, he would not have been able to do the damage that he did,” a law enforcement official said.
The arrest coincided with a difficult milestone for the family of Tommy Weeks, who would have celebrated his 51st birthday days prior. Kelly Weeks, the widow of Deputy U.S. Marshal Tommy Weeks, described the painful timing of the news.
“He turned 51 on Sunday, and so you know we acknowledged the birthday on Sunday and then Monday, this woman is arrested for taking him from us,” Weeks said. “If Gibbs had not purchased that weapon. We’d have been celebrating Tommy’s birthday on Sunday with him, but we weren’t.”
Kelly Weeks reflected on the consequences of the illegal gun transaction and the grief her family continues to process.
“Her one decision, one moment, changed hundreds of people’s lives and I just hope that other people see the story and go, ‘Wow, I need to make sure that I don’t do this,’” Weeks said.
She added that the arrest brought mixed emotions: “You get angry, you get sad because you now have a person that you’re angry and saying to them, ‘Why did you do this? And how could you put us in this situation?’”
The charge against Gibbs involves an alleged straw purchase, which occurs when a person knowingly buys a firearm for someone else who is legally prohibited from owning one or seeking to conceal their identity.
Federal and local authorities in Charlotte have previously increased efforts to combat straw purchases, using radio ads and billboards to warn the public that “a favor can be a felony.”
Gibbs will be transported by U.S. Marshals to the Western District of North Carolina to face federal charges.
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
