Woman allegedly fired shots at group of people from hotel balcony Friday

BATON ROUGE – A woman claims she thought she was in danger when she shot at a group of people from the second floor of a hotel Friday.

The Baton Rouge Police Department said the shooting happened at the OYO Hotel on Gwenadale Avenue, a recent hotbed for violent crime in the capital area.

Police said Janiya Wattley, 19, was standing on the balcony when she shot toward a man and two women below. She later told officers she believed the group was waiting outside the hotel to attack her.

One woman was injured when a bullet grazed her face, and she was taken to a hospital for treatment, officials say. A parked vehicle was also struck and damaged by the gunfire.

After the shooting, police found Wattley hiding in a nearby shed and took her into custody.

Wattley was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges of attempted first-degree murder, illegal use of weapons and aggravated criminal damage to property.