MONTGOMERY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Montgomery woman is facing charges after police say she fired a handgun in the direction of a man during a domestic-related dispute, with the bullet striking a nearby residence.
According to the Montgomery Police Department, officers responded around 10:03 a.m. on May 21 to the area of Fourth Avenue following reports of gunshots. The initial 911 call came from a Jan-Care Ambulance employee who reported hearing possible gunfire and seeing individuals running along nearby railroad tracks.
During the investigation, police identified the suspect as Lachaela Putnick of Montgomery and recovered a Taurus .380 ACP semi-automatic pistol believed to have been used in the incident.
Police said Gage Thompson told dispatchers he had been involved in an argument with Putnick and claimed he had been shot at after leaving their shared residence on Gaines Street.
Putnick later provided a statement to investigators after voluntarily going to the Montgomery Police Department. She told police the incident began with a verbal dispute involving Thompson allegedly looking at her while she was showering and an argument over a cellphone she owned.
According to Putnick’s statement, Thompson displayed a knife while leaving the residence. She said she and her brother, Christopher Putnick, followed Thompson to a home on Fourth Avenue, where another argument occurred.
Putnick told investigators Thompson again brandished the knife while standing on the porch of the residence. She admitted pulling out a handgun and firing what she described as a “warning shot” in his direction before returning home.
Investigators obtained statements from Putnick, her brother, and Thompson. A gunshot residue kit was also collected and will be analyzed by the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory.
Police located a single bullet hole in a front picture window of the residence where Thompson said he had been sitting. Investigators determined the bullet entered the window less than two feet from Thompson’s location. Authorities said Putnick was standing approximately 20 feet away on the sidewalk when the shot was fired.
Based on the evidence and witness statements, police concluded that Putnick fired a weapon toward Thompson, creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury. Authorities also noted the firearm was discharged within 500 feet of multiple residences.
Charges were filed as a result of the investigation.
