CLIFTON, Colo. (AP) — A western Colorado woman is accused of pointing a rifle at several children in a neighboring backyard because she was upset that an 11-year-old boy was playing his clarinet outside.

Mesa County sheriff’s deputies believe 60-year-old Cheryl Ann Pifer of Clifton had been drinking before allegedly threatening the children Wednesday.

The Daily Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1CZINu5 ) reports that the boy told Pifer he was practicing the clarinet as part of his homework and couldn’t go back inside his grandmother’s house because a baby was sleeping.

Several of the other children in the backyard with him reported that Pifer also pointed a gun at them and yelled “Fire in the hole!” as they ran away.

Deputies say Pifer’s rifle wasn’t loaded.

Pifer declined to comment. She faces possible child abuse and felony menacing charges.

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Information from: The Daily Sentinel, http://www.gjsentinel.com

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