Published: May 17, 2006 07:26 pm      

McDowell shooting kills one

WELCH — One man is dead and another critically wounded after an alleged break-in and altercation at a Ritter Hollow residence in McDowell County.

The incident occurred around 10:22 p.m. Tuesday night.

The 911 report “is that two men broke into the house and started fighting with the homeowner, and the homeowner had shot and had killed one man and the other had been shot and left the scene,” McDowell County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Shelton said.

Thornton Toby Jones, 43, the homeowner of the house shot the alleged intruders with a 9 mm handgun, Shelton said.

Randall Osborne, no date of birth available, died on the scene, Shelton said.

Jaime McCoy, no date birth available, also of Coon Branch, fled the scene to seek medical treatment, Shelton said.

McCoy was taken to Welch Memorial Hospital and later transported to Charleston Area Medical Center, where he is listed in stable but critical condition, Shelton said.

During the incident, Shelton said shots were actually fired in the living room, “but it is still undetermined where either one was shot at — whether it was outside or inside.”

“There’s so much involved, and it undermined at this time. We’re still interviewing people. It’s still under investigation,” Shelton said. No charges have been filed at this time, he said.

Coon Branch is about five miles from Ritter Hollow. Ritter Hollow is located near Iaeger.

The sheriff’s department was assisted on the case by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the West Virginia State Police.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department at 436-8523 or 436-4106.

— Contact Samantha Perry at sperry@bdtonline.com