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PAYSON — Two women were hospitalized Thursday with injuries suffered during a shooting in Payson.
Police were sent to a home at 532 W. Saddlebrook Drive about 2 p.m. following a call from a woman who said there was an individual in her house and she had been shot in the leg.
When officers arrived on scene, they confirmed that the woman had in fact been shot in the leg and that a second woman had also been shot. Police say the two women were familiar with each other, but their exact relationship has not yet been determined. There was one firearm involved, which police seized.
Officers said the woman who was shot in the leg called police, and when they arrived, officers heard a man calling for help from the basement. Police found a man "holding a female ... kind of in a bear hug," Payson Police Sgt. Noemi Sandoval said. The woman was still holding the gun, and as police tried to help the man subdue her, "she was able to maneuver the gun and shoot herself," Sandoval continued.
The woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to her head, police said. The other woman was taken to the hospital but is stable.
"Obviously, there's a lot of speculation as to how this all transpired and motive and what have you, but we're still at the very beginning stages of the investigation," Sandoval said. "We don't have any indication that there was any other person involved. We've got police officers and detectives on scene where it happened, as well as both gunshot victims at their prospective hospitals."
There is no danger to the public, but individuals should stay clear of the area as officers continue to investigate the incident. Sandoval said police will release additional information as it becomes available.
"It just depends on how soon we can get these individuals interviewed and any witnesses or neighbors that may have seen or heard the incident," she added.
Individuals who may have information about the shooting are asked to call Payson Police Department at 801-798-5600.
Contributing: Bridger Beal-Cvetko
