CHARLESTON, WV — A West Virginia homeowner opened fire on a man inside his home last week, and now he has been charged with malicious wounding for the fight.
Apparently the two men were known to each other — and this doesn’t seem to be a home invasion.
As WSAZ reports:
Charleston Police are still on scene of a shooting that occurred in the 600 block of Grant Street Saturday over the noon hour.
Dispatchers tell WSAZ it was the homeowner who shot the victim, and that (the) two people knew each other.
We’re also told it was a shotgun that was used, and the victim was shot in the leg. That victim was taken to an area hospital for treatment… Charleston Police say they were called about 12:15 p.m. to 617 Grant Street for a gunshot injury. 28-year-old Frank Gravely was shot in the leg during an altercation inside the home with the homeowner, Shawn Hall.
Hall is the one who called 911, and he remained on scene until emergency services arrived. Gravely was taken to the hospital and treated. His gunshot was deemed not life-threatening, but he remains at CAMC General in stable condition.
51-year-old Shawn Hall was arrested for malicious wounding and taken to the South Central Regional Jail awaiting arraignment.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard the charge “malicious wounding” before, but it sounds like this is an instance in which the homeowner didn’t do his part in trying to de-escalate the situation.
If you start a fight, then things get to a point that someone is shot — that’s not a defensive shooting.
You have an obligation to end a threat if there is a deadly one to you or to your family, but you are just as obligated to prevent a fight if you can manage it.
Stay safe out there, folks, and stay judicious.
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