A Missouri woman allegedly counted down from three before firing a gun at her neighbour as he knelt fixing a fence in his garden, according to court documents.
The incident occurred on Sunday, October 11, at around 8pm in St. Charles County, near St. Louis. The neighbour had been working on a fence post he had installed in the wrong place, using an electric grinder to cut through it, when he heard shouting followed by the countdown and a gunshot.
Alleged shooting captured on camera
Investigators say a security camera from the neighbouring couple's home captured Paula Kohensky, 60, pointing a handgun towards the fence. The footage allegedly shows her standing beside her husband with the weapon angled downwards before it discharges.
Her husband is said to have then taken the gun from her before both went indoors. Police found spent handgun casings near the spot where Kohensky was alleged to have been standing.
Conflicting accounts
Kohensky told police the weapon went off accidentally, though she acknowledged holding it at the time. She said she had gone into her back garden to walk her dog and had taken a handgun outside with her.
She described hearing a loud metallic noise and seeing sparks beneath a tarp covering part of the fence, then spotting what she believed was her neighbour's shadow. According to court documents, she shouted: 'Get away from my fence.'
Kohensky also told police she had a 'history of harassment and stalking issues' involving the neighbours, claiming the problems had continued for several months.
Charges and court proceedings
Kohensky faces charges of first-degree assault or attempted assault and armed criminal action. She is being held on a $500,000 bond, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for December 2.
The victim told police he abandoned the fence work and ran inside, asking his wife to contact police. The court documents did not specify whether he suffered any injuries.
