Lunch Lady Allegedly Threatened to Shoot Co-Workers on Hit List

Feb. 4, 2014— -- A cafeteria worker at a Massachusetts middle school has been arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot fellow employees on a hit list after getting upset over burnt cookies, authorities said today.

King Phillip Middle School head cook Wendy Ferris, 46, of Cumberland, R.I., allegedly threatened her co-workers on Friday, police in Norfolk, Mass., told ABC News.

She was upset about a batch of burnt cookies she had to re-bake, and then became even more upset after visiting the school nurse's office for a band-aid, according to court documents obtained by ABC News affiliate WLNE-TV. She then told co-workers she had a hit list, and that she was going to buy an assault rifle and ammunition to shoot up the school, according to the court papers, which also note that Ferris allegedly said the school nurse was at the top of that list.

School officials reported the threats to Norfolk police, who arrested Ferris and charged her with one count of threatening to commit a crime, police said.

She has been placed on administrative leave with pay, pending the outcome of the investigation, King Phillip Regional Schools Superintendent Elizabeth Zielinski told ABC News today. Zielinski declined to comment on why Ferris became so upset with the school nurse.

ABC News was unable to immediately reach Ferris for comment.

Relatives and neighbors of Ferris said the charges don't fit the person they know.

"She's like an angel girl. Honestly, she never does anything wrong," neighbor Mary Marszalkowski described Ferris to WLNE. Her husband said Ferris never spoke about purchasing ammunition, WLNE reported.

Her attorney Peter Padula did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ferris was released on $5,000 bail. She has a license to carry a firearm and owns a 9 mm handgun, Norfolk police said, but was required to hand over those weapons to police as a condition of her bail.

Her next court date is scheduled for March 11.