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Woman Charged With Providing Gun That Killed Teen Yells In Court

CHICAGO -- The woman on trial for providing the gun used to kill 14-year-old Endia Martin broke down screaming in federal court Wednesday during closing arguments by the prosecution.

"They f—ing lied on me," Vandetta Redwood shouted while Andrianna Kastanek, a federal prosecutor, spoke to the jury, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

"I didn't kill no baby," Redwood said, adding: "I have my own child."

And later, to add to the bizarre scene in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve, Redwood's attorney was accused of taking photos in the courtroom during the prosecutor's closing argument.

Redwood had been shaking her head early in Kastanek's argument as the prosecutor told jurors Redwood had given a loaded gun to a 14-year-old girl.

Then, during her outburst, Redwood also attacked one of the key pieces of evidence against her: a video of a fight that preceded the shooting.

"They made that video up," Redwood said.

Kastanek had said Martin "is now dead because of the decisions the defendant made on that day." She tried to walk jurors step-by-step through cell phone footage of the fight. Redwood's outburst began when Kastanek asked jurors to consider what happened when Redwood walked off camera.

Redwood's attorneys tried to calm her down, and St. Eve excused the jury.

Redwood was told that she would have 10 minutes to calm herself. Otherwise, she would have to watch the closing arguments by video from another courtroom.

U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon was in the courtroom during Redwood's outburst.

Redwood was seen later coming back into the courtoom, appearing calmer. St. Eve returned to the bench and asked her if she was "under control."

"Yes ma'am," Redwood said.

Closing arguments then continued — with extra security officers in the courtroom.

"This video," Kastanek continued, "is not made up."

The prosecutor ended her argument by showing jurors a photo of Martin dressed in purple, Martin's favorite color.

After the jury left the courtroom for a lunch break, prosecutors accused Redwood's defense team of taking photographs during the closing argument. Photography is prohibited at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, except for in the lobby, and sanctions were handed down late in 2015 against an attorney who admitted taking photos during a criminal trial he had been observing.

Redwood attorney Alison Motta acknowledged she had been taking pictures of Kastanek's Powerpoint presentation, and St. Eve asked to see the attorney's cell phone.

"What is going to come next from you?" St. Eve asked Motta.

The judge later noted that she saw "at least" three photographs of the computer screen on Motta's phone.

Redwood, 35, has been charged with handing a .38-caliber revolver to her 14-year-old cousin in the midst of a chaotic street fight, along with a simple instruction: "Shoot that bitch," referring to Endia.

Redwood won a legal battle in Cook County Circuit Court over similar charges but now faces the federal prosecution.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2017. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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