Breaking News: Astro-Nuts BB Gun Was Off-Safe

"...when Nowak allegedly attacked Shipman early Monday, she was packing a knife, pepper spray, a mallet - and a loaded BB gun with the safety off."

This is more and more beginning to sound like Clark Griswald trying to force his way into Wally World by threatening security guard John Candy with a BB gun.

"Ah, I noticed that thats not even a real gun."

"Oh yeah? Well it can still hurt ya."

"BB guns can't hurt..."

"Oh yes it can, It could lodge under the skin and cause a serious infection."

But even National Lampoon's Vacation couldn't have come up with a script as whacky as this.

"Nowak's bizarre alleged plan to rub out her nemesis appears to have been hatched some time around Jan. 23, when she broke into Oefelein's computer and downloaded detailed maps to Orlando, court documents revealed. The information sent Nowak racing to intercept Shipman, an engineer who works at Patrick Air Force Base and lives in Cape Canaveral.

Nowak insisted she just wanted to talk to Shipman about "their relationship with Mr. Oefelein." But police didn't buy Nowak's claim that she was trying "to entice Ms. Shipman to talk with her." They also charged her with attempted kidnapping, attempted vehicle burglary and battery.

Oefelein, who is 41 and divorced, piloted the space shuttle Discovery in December. He and Nowak trained together in Alaska but never flew a mission together.

Nowak told police that her relationship with Oefelein was "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship."