Woman with gun confronts S.C. Rep. Gowdy

Rep. Trey Gowdy (Center), R-SC, speaks as he and a group of freshmen Republican congressmen hold a press conference on the debt ceiling July 19, 2011 in front of the White House in Washington, DC.

/ Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Updated at 3:35 p.m. ET

(CBS News) A woman drew a pistol on Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., in a church parking lot in Spartanburg, S.C. Sunday evening.

While Gowdy was waiting in his car in the First Baptist Church parking lot for his daughter to finish service, a woman walked up to his car and told the congressman to stop following her. After denying the claim and explaining that he was waiting for his daughter, the woman drew a pistol and pointed it at the congressman, according to Gowdy's spokesperson Josh Dix.

The congressman put the car in reverse and drove out of the parking lot with the woman chasing him. Gowdy drove to the police station just a few blocks a way and reported the incident.

Gloria Yvonne Brackett, 52, was charged with illegally carrying a pistol and pointing a gun, the Associated Press reports. Her bond hearing is this afternoon.

Gowdy was escorted back to the church by patrol cars to pick up his daughter.

The woman is not believed to be a congregant of the church and there is no known link or prior meeting between the congressman and Brackett, Dix said.

Threats and acts of violence against members of Congress are not unheard of. The most prominent recent gun-related event occurred in 2011 when a gunman shot then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., in the head during a public event at a grocery story in Arizona, killing six people and wounding 13.

Gowdy, a former prosecutor and U.S. attorney, won his first term to Congress in 2010.

Gowdy's office released a statement Monday saying the congressman is grateful to the Spartanburg Public Safety Department for their help last night and especially for helping make sure his daughter was safe. Given the fact that this is an ongoing investigation with a subsequent prosecution, Gowdy's office said the congressman will not be making any additional comments.

[jimatmadison]

99% of gun owners make the rest of them look bad.

Another crazy person with a gun, and, if she'd have pulled the trigger, another notch in the NRA's belt.

[ludvig1-2009]

We heard what the Congressman said. We didn't hear what the woman claimed happened. He might be telling the truth or he might have come up with a different story to avoid negative publicity. It would be interesting to hear what she has to say.

[nygurl1]

READ the story!

[thebob-bob]

I thought the reason Republicans want the citizenry is so that when our mothers and sisters feel threatened in public, they can respond and not be afraid. The Republican mantra is that, if you're afraid, you should be able to "stand your ground" and shoot the SOB.

He looks like a creep to me.

[Eco99]

Now they will go cut the city budget. Police Departments are part of municipal government and the GOP wants smaller government right?

[nygurl1]

My city cut cops, firemen and teachers!
Where do you live?

[rightone12]

Gowdy is a bigot. And my guess is, if Rethuglicans keep trying to spread hate, bigotry, and intolerance against their fellow citizens, they will soon face more than just threats.

[nygurl1]

How did this become political lies again?

[davidd5063]

It was a PARANOID older woman with likely NO CRIMINAL HISTORY. She didn't know he was a GOP Congressman, she though he was a CREEPY CREEP following her (it's not like GOP Congressman don't look really creepy now is it). In addition, IT'S NOT A THREAT IF SHE WAS CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY. Just because the local malitia in SC jumps when a GOP Congressman barks doesn't mean the woman actually did anything wrong - after all, the GOP old white men could work on looking less creepy couldn't they?

[rksharma-2009]

I am quite sure woman did not know if he was republican or democrat. She did not even know if he was a congressman. She did what most people do in south, pull a gun when things are according to their likings. After all it is the Southern rich people who continue to promote slavery, and they cannot digest the fact that times have changed. They still think that minimum wages is bad for the economy, and bad for their profits. May be we should promote guns and ask everyone to have a loaded gun. You got a bad service, go shoot the guy in the legs, if you got fired, go shoot the boss. This way, you may not need all these laws on minimum wages etc. All the big guys with lots of guns, and fast with their shots are going to get rich. It is so sad that this is how republicans think and want this country to go back to this kind of thinking. This woman is lucky that she pulled a gun, and NRA will make sure that this case is shoved under the rug as soon as possible.

[Steve-Thompson]

There isn't a single line in this story to suggest she knew he was a congressman. So why this tie-in: "Threats and acts of violence against members of Congress are not unheard of...." For all we know, she pulled a gun on some yahoo who she thought was checking her out in a church parking lot. Her motive is not evident from this story and may not have been political at all. This story should have stopped where it says ".... Dix said." Everything after that is fluff and colors the story simply for page length and writer influence on reader imagination.

[cntrygirl3]

I think "poet's" assumption is probably right on. Republican elected 2010 likely tea party. Doesn't matter where he is from I am sure signed a pledge to the NRA. Apparently the woman had the gun illegally so he could have some wiggle room here but I wouldn't bet on any kind of condemnation. After all there is nothing in the constitution that says crazy people and criminals don't have a right to guns same as anybody else.

[csuresh]

I think he had an affair with her and when he dumped her she got angry.

[nohater]

he should have been packing and shot her dead in her shoes. brainless woman. hope she gets a few years of hard time.

[parrot2-2009]

She should have been shot dead for being confused and causing NO ARM ?? Or is this just 'how dare she point a gun at a repug' ?? Dumb Dumb Repugs !!

[nygurl1]

Really hate your name?

Seems like you hate everything!