Pippa Middleton caught up in Paris gun incident

Pippa Middleton watches the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament in London on Nov. 27, 2011.

/ Getty

(CBS News) Pippa Middleton could reportedly face criminal charges stemming from paparazzi photos taken of her in Paris over the weekend.

The 27-year-old sister of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, was riding in the passenger seat of an Audi convertible on Sunday with three male friends when the driver pointed what appears to be a semi-automatic handgun at a photographer, according to Britain's The Sun.

Pictures: Pippa Middleton

A source told the tabloid, "If the evidence points to her involvement, she will be prosecuted. Anybody involved in the illegal use of a handgun in public is liable to arrest and interrogation."

"Certainly if you were in a car and knew somebody was using a gun to warn people off you'd be liable to arrest," the source added.

A person who witnessed the incident filed a formal complaint with Paris police, the Daily Mail reports. If the gun turns out to be real, those involved could face up to seven years in prison, the paper added. If the weapon is fake, the maximum sentence is two years.

According to the Daily Mail, Middleton was in the French capital to attend a birthday party for Paris fashion entrepreneur Arthur de Soultrait, who was reportedly riding in the backseat of the convertible on Sunday.

Buckingham Palace has not commented on the incident, according to reports.

Middleton became a paparazzi favorite after serving as maid of honor when her sister married Prince William almost one year ago. One newspaper editor has said he gets hundreds of photos of Pippa crossing his desk every day.

18 Photos

Pippa Middleton

[Harry1899]

Pippa is extremely hot. The fact that she likes to hang out with bad boys makes her even hotter.

[lovelygal900]

the tabloid is having fun day again. they carry nothing but trash. if indeed that guy had a gun in his hand he the one should be punish not Pippa.whatin the world is wrong with that guy?

[MIO42]

Gun don't seem to be as big a problem as the bullets coming out of the mouths of the COMMENTERS

[Molly-Pchr]

She is obviously jealous of her sister and carries on in this fashion for attention.

[LouanW]

The only one jealous of anything appears to be you Molly!!!

[shnovitz]

Wow, you must indeed be a nasty person. And you even know Pippa Middleton's mind. Go and read a book.

[mick7744]

The Daily F*cking Mail...?

How in hell can she be sublect to charges if someone else in a vehicle she is in flashes a weapon? If someone did, he was probably SAS or something and probably better left alone by frog AND Brit paparazzi.

Many years ago, a 15 year old Prince Charles, soon to be the Prince of Wales, was seen by a tabloid reporter having a glass of port (no kidding) in a pub near Eton. The British tabloid press was actually suggesting firing the very senior policeman assigned to guard the future King of England, and taking his pension because he had "ALLOWED" it to happen

They didn't, but the Brit gutter press hasn't changed a bit since then

Neither alleged incident is a newsworthy story

[longtree-2009]

gun vs. a camera? they should all be jailed, including pippa, for threatening with a gun. if it's a toy gun that looks real, it's the same as a real gun to the person who is being threatened. put them all in jail. as for royalty, when will they learn to stop marrying commoners?

[Lerianis4]

You apparently missed that most likely, the person in question was a British SAS agent, who is legal to carry anywhere in the world AND can legally use a weapon to warn someone away from a car.

Personally, I see nothing wrong here.... the press oversteps their bounds a lot of the time and THEY should be charged with harassment and stalking alot of the time.

[STEVENROHAN]

This is why Royals don't marry Commoners.

[lovelygal900]

Here we go again with papparazi there have nothing better nothing to do than destroy somone reputaion. Here me out Get a freakin life and stop you dstructive ways.

[snwbrdr1622]

Im sure this will magically dissapear. Just nonsense, and a very good look-a-like.

[hdc77494]

In Europe, along wth Chicago and DC, only criminals can have guns. Two years for a fake gun? What a world.

[MagnaCartaUK]

Correction.: Only the criminals want them. I can quite happily leave my door unlocked, if I choose, when going out. I've never been burgled, mugged, threatened, assaulted, or had to dodge bullets. It's awful isn't it?