Father kicks out son, then shoots him
A Kirby Road man shot his son Thursday during a domestic dispute outside their home.
The suspect, Charles Howard Fults, 54, told investigators the shooting was an accident, the result of warning shots ricocheting off the ground and striking his son. He is charged with domestic assault.
The victim, Jason Fults, 27, was treated for noncritical wounds caused by bird shot pellets which struck him in the legs, chest and shoulder.
According to Sheriff Jackie Matheny, the shooting happened after the elder Fults told his son to leave his home late Thursday morning. After being kicked out of the house, words were reportedly exchanged between the two, prompting the father to pull a shotgun. Mr. Fults also told lawmen his son pulled a knife at some point during the altercation.
Mr. Fults then fired two rounds from the shotgun in the general direction of his son who was “quite a distance away” outside the house.
Matheny said investigators are still checking out Mr. Fults’ claim that the shooting was accidental, noting the charges could be changed before the case reaches the grand jury. Deputies did find evidence that Fults shot at the ground during an inspection of the scene. Matheny added he is not sure what sparked the rift between father and son.