Background: A section of the 700 block of Kanawha Avenue South in Nitro, West Virginia (Google Maps). Inset: Warren Bruce Crowder (West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation).
Authorities report that a 77-year-old man from West Virginia attempted to harm his wife by swinging an ax and firing a gun as she hid just feet away from her bedroom door.
Warren Bruce Crowder now faces charges of attempted murder alongside four counts of wanton endangerment, as per records from Kanawha County court. He was taken into custody on Monday.
Details from a criminal complaint, as reported by local CBS affiliate WOWK, indicate that the incident unfolded at Crowder’s residence on Kanawha Avenue South in Nitro, roughly 14 miles from Charleston, West Virginia. In the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning, Crowder is alleged to have armed himself after an argument with his wife.
His wife, fearing for her safety, locked herself in their bedroom and called 911, stating that her husband was trying to force entry with an ax, according to reports from ABC affiliate WCHS.
When officers arrived at approximately 4 a.m., they reportedly observed the scene through a window, witnessing Crowder’s attempts to breach the bedroom. Despite their efforts to communicate with him, Crowder allegedly ignored their presence and continued to kick the door.
Authorities claim that Crowder fired four shots through the bedroom door in his bid to gain entry. After law enforcement forced their way into the home, they discovered bullet holes and shrapnel inside the room, as detailed in the complaint.
The suspect was arrested, and the local outlets did not report any injuries to the wife.
As investigators spoke with Crowder, he reportedly confessed to shooting a gun through the bedroom door in an effort to get inside. He also allegedly admitted that he “was angry, knowing that she was hiding 3 or 4 feet in front of the door in a bed.”
Crowder is behind bars on a $50,000 cash bond. He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 11.
