T.I.’s Stepdaughter Zonnique Pullins On Gun Arrest: ‘It Was Really Just an Honest Mistake’

Zonnique Pullins is opening up after being arrested for bringing a gun to an airport last week at Atlanta’s Jackson International Airport. The daughter of Tameka ‘Tiny’ Harris and stepdaughter of T.I. says she forgot the gun was in her purse when she went to airport. She tells People:

I know that’s really irresponsible on my part, but it was really just an honest mistake. I was at home, rushing to get to the airport, and I was throwing everything in my purse. The gun is really, really small. It looks like a toy gun. It was just at the bottom of my purse. When I went through security check, I was like ‘Oh I forgot it was in there.’

The 20-year-old singer, who also stars on her parents reality show, T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle, pulled the .380 Ruger semi-automatic pistol out of her purse after it was discovered going through the x-ray machine.

Zonnique Pullins Mugshot

She says

I thought maybe I would be able to go back to the car and put it in there or they’d be able to throw it away, but it was worse than I thought. She called some police over and that’s when I thought, ‘Okay, it’s about to be serious.’ That’s when I called my mom and said, ‘I might have to go to jail tonight. Please help me.’

Tiny, Zonnique circa 2014

So why was she carrying a gun? She explains that it is for protection, especially after the tragic murder of The Voice alum Christina Grimmie earlier this month.

I feel like I definitely have to stay safe – especially with me going around so much by myself. I’m not usually with anybody or security or anything, so I always feel like I have to keep myself safe. Then, with all the things going on, especially with Christina Grimmie, stuff like that.

Zonnique’s mother, Tiny, legally purchased the gun for her daughter for protection:

I just want her to be safe and feel safe at home by herself because if someone comes in or if something happens, she’s all alone, then what is she going to do?

VHI’s T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle returns with new episodes July 18 at 9 p.m. ET. [People]

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