DELAWARE - Almost a year later, police have arrested a Smyrna woman in connection with a 2025 threatening incident.
Felton Police say on Aug. 29, 2025, a suspect had sent threatening messages to the victim through social media. They say as a result of the investigation, officers got an arrest warrant for 32-year-old Shawna Kay Barsness from Smyrna on a terroristic threatening charge.
According to Delaware code, terroristic threatening is when a person commits any of the following:
- Threatens to commit a crime likely to result in death or serious injury to person or property
- Makes a false statement knowing they are likely to cause evacuation of a building, assembly place, or public transportation
- Makes a false statement knowing they are likely to cause serious inconvenience
- Makes a false statement in reckless disregard of the risk causing terror or serious inconvenience
- Commits an act with intent of causing an individual to believe that they've been exposed to a substance that will cause them death or serious injury.
Felton police say attempts to find Barsness in 2025 were unsuccessful.
Then, officials say on July 8, 2025, Capitol police came into contact with Barsness and realized she had an active warrant issued by the Felton Police Department. They say she was arrested and Felton police took custody of her.
She was released on a $500 unsecured bons pending a future court appearance, and issued a no-contact order with the victim.
