SUFFOLK, Va. — Family and a friend of a teacher who's behind bars are coming to her defense.
Jennifer McDonald-Awolowofaces 12 charges and is accused of purchasing guns for a convicted felon, an illegal straw purchase of guns.
Brooke Russell, a friend, said McDonald is devastated to currently be in jail.
McDonald is a teacher at Forest Glen Middle School.
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"She spends 18 hours of every day tending to her students and their needs. This is just very uncharacteristic of Jen. I think she got wrapped up in a bad situation," said Russell.
Court records reveal the name of the man she's accused of selling to, but News 3 is not currently naming him because it's not clear what, if any, charges he may face.
Russell told News 3 the man and McDonald were previously in a relationship and she bought them so they could go shooting.
Russell said ATF agents recently began questioning McDonald about the gun purchases.
"The questioned her about why she had purchased guns and this and that. She told them what was going on. We shoot at my property," said Russell.
The ATF then notified Suffolk Police about the purchases and police arrested McDonald.
"She told them why we purchased, what we did with it, how they came to not be in her possession," said Russell.
Russell says McDonald thought because she had been cooperative with law enforcement there would be some sort of leniency, but now McDonald is being held in jail without bond and is due in court next week.
"She's very much a school teacher and she's scared. She's not dealing with it very well at all. It's heartbreaking," said Russell.
