RANDOLPH COUNTY, W.Va. — A West Virginia woman is facing an attempted murder charge following a shooting that authorities say left another person with a gunshot wound to the face.
West Virginia State Police responded to Turkey Bone Road in Pickens on July 31 after receiving a report of shots fired. Deputies with the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department and officers with the Elkins Police Department also responded.
According to a criminal complaint, officers encountered 45-year-old Regina Collette of Philippi at the scene. Authorities said Collette was going in and out of consciousness and was transported for medical treatment.
Investigators later interviewed witnesses about what happened before the shooting.
One witness told police that he and the victim had been camping along Turkey Bone Road when Collette and another person approached them and an argument began. According to the complaint, the confrontation escalated into a physical fight between Collette and the victim.
Investigators allege Collette then went to a truck, retrieved a firearm and pointed it toward the victim’s face before firing.
Collette provided authorities with a different account of the confrontation. She reportedly told investigators that the victim was on top of her, hitting her and threatening to kill her before she fired the weapon.
However, another witness told investigators that Collette was standing when she fired after retrieving the gun, according to the complaint.
Collette has been charged with attempted murder and is being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail.
The charge is an allegation, and Collette is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
