No jail for Phila. mom who carried legally owned gun in NJ

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A South Philadelphia mother of two will not have to serve jail time for carrying a legally-owned gun in her purse when she drove into New Jersey.

Pure joy was the reaction after 27-year-old Shaneen Allen broke the news to her children that she won't be going to jail.

Instead she will be allowed to enter a pre-trial intervention program.

"I don't have to wonder what's gonna happen to them. Now I know that they're gonna be with me," said Allen.

Robbed twice after leaving work in Center City, Allen went and purchased a gun with a license to carry.

However she was arrested in Hamilton Township, New Jersey after telling a state trooper, during a traffic stop, that she had a gun and a concealed carry permit issued in Pennsylvania.

Allen says the Atlantic County prosecutor wanted to make an example out of her and have her thrown into jail for a minimum of three years.

"It scared me very much, telling me my maximum was 11 years. I cried my lights out and I wanted to run out of there," said Allen.

The single mother of two went on social media to tell her story and it went viral.

Allen pointed out that the same prosecutor was letting former Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice go without jail time after being caught on video punching and knocking out his now wife.

"They trying to tell me that I had to really abuse and hurt someone just to get a second chance. I already did 46 days in jail," said Allen.

Many were outraged. Various gun groups also got involved, raising up to $60,000 for her defense.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor had a change of heart after consulting with the New Jersey State Attorney General's Office to clarify the law on allowing first-time offenders to enter a pre-trial intervention program.

"I'm looking for this to be over so I can stop being so stressed. The point that hurts the most was not knowing what was going to happen to my kids," said Allen.

Allen will be back in court on Thursday morning, where her lawyer says the charges will be formally dropped or she will simple be allowed into the pre-trial intervention program.