BEDFORD – Mistaken identity leaves one man in critical condition and Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department detectives putting the pieces together.
The Lawrence County Central Dispatch received a 911 call around 6:00 a.m. Tuesday morning advising that a male had been shot at a residence in the 3800 block of Leatherwood Road.
Responding officers found a 40-year-old male suffering from a gunshot wound to the face, neck, and shoulder area. The male was airlifted to Methodist Hospital, where he is listed in critical condition.
Detectives, officers, and command staff of the Sheriff’s office began an investigation into the shooting.
Preliminary information revealed that both the victim and the male who discharged the firearm live at the residence.
A female at the residence had an active “no contact” order against yet a third male. Around 6 a.m., the male who discharged the weapon and the female heard someone attempting to break into a locked door. They believed it to be the third male who she had the “no contact” order against.
The male inside the residence fired one round through the door, striking a male outside. After the shot, the occupants of the residence realized the male who was shot was actually the other resident of the house.
It was discovered that he did not have a key to get into the locked door, so he was attempting to kick the door open. However, according to police, he did not respond to the male and female who were inside the home yelling warnings about entering the house.
This case remains under investigation and no arrests have been made at this time.
Detectives will complete their investigation and submit it to the prosecutor for review.
