Judge revokes gun rights to Chincoteague woman

By Linda Cicoira

A Chincoteague woman was denied her right to bear arms for six months on Thursday in Accomack Circuit Court because she went to the island’s police department in September and gave her pistol to an officer, saying she might shoot her neighbors and then herself.

An Emergency Substantial Risk Order, which is a civil matter, was filed against 68-year-old Susan Deal Anderson when, about a month later, she asked the officer to give her back her weapon. The day she handed in the gun, she was taken to a hospital where she was observed for several hours and evaluated.

She told authorities she suffers from depression and takes medication for the ailment. Anderson denied on Thursday wanting to kill anyone and said she felt like throwing the gun through a window and didn’t want to damage her property.

“I have no intent to shoot any person, including myself,” she said. “My anger was breaking glass … I wanted it out of the house … I don’t like any of my neighbors. I never thought of shooting them. He made that up,” she added.

Anderson said she had gone to the police for their assistance.

“I think the police have helped you,” said Judge Lynwood W. Lewis Jr. They were following red flag laws, he added. “We can’t wait for when something happens … I’m finding him (Lt. David Gladding) credible,” Judge Lewis said. “It’s more disturbing that you say that never happened. You pose a risk to yourself or others.”

Virginia’s red flag law allows police officers or a commonwealth’s attorney to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from someone who poses a substantial risk of harm to themselves or others.

According to evidence, Anderson was unhappy with HOA and had sent several members emails telling them not to trespass or she would “act accordingly.” Anderson said that meant she would call the police. She threatened them with lawsuits and caused some board members to resign, a remaining member told the court.

“I was not waving a gun out in the street,” Anderson testified. “I just said, ‘Would you hold this for a while?'” I don’t really understand how this has gone this far.” She admitted the emails were “embarrassing. I just don’t want anything to do with them. Stay away. I can’t see anything that happened here that made me a threat. I don’t understand why it wasn’t over when I left the hospital.”

In another case, 35-year-old Kelly Joe Fordham, of 4th Street in Chesapeake Beach, Md., pleaded no contest to breaking into Collison Works, in Tasley, and to stealing a vehicle belonging to William Nottingham. The crimes occurred on Feb. 23, 2025. He was taken back to jail to await sentencing.