Tyler woman in custody after burning trailer and firing at deputies

SMITH COUNTY— A Tyler woman was arrested Wednesday morning arrested after allegedly shooting at deputies and setting a trailer on fire while she was in it.

The Smith County Sheriff’s Office said at around 3:15 a.m., deputies responded to a call at on Horseshoe Ln due to a disturbance. The caller told officials a woman was causing damage to his property. Once deputies arrived to the scene, they could hear a woman, later identified as Rachel Marie Shell, 35 of Tyler, inside the trailer as well as crashing noises.

Deputies were told Shell had access to a rifle and a .22 caliber firearm inside the trailer. While attempting to contact her, she reportedly began firing a weapon at deputies.

Our news partner, KETK, reports that officials told her to exit the camper but she refused. A perimeter was established around the camper to safeguard nearby citizens and law enforcement.

“[Shell] continued to shooting toward the deputies from within the trailer,” the Smith County Sheriff’s Office said. “She then started a fire in the trailer while still inside. The fire quickly grew, and [Shell] exited out the front door with what appeared to be a rifle.”

Shell then dropped the weapon and was taken into custody and no one was injured due to the gunfire, the sheriff’s office said.

The camper, however, became fully engulfed as the fire spread. Chapel Hill, Jackson Heights, Winona, Red Springs Fire Departments, and the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the location. The fire was extinguished and no other trailers were damaged.

Shell has been booked into the Smith County Jail on seven counts of aggravated assault to a peace officer, failure to identify, and arson.