Authorities said Frank Forshee surrendered after deputies searched woods near a Hillsboro home.
HILLSBORO, Mo. — A Jefferson County man has been charged after authorities said he shot a woman during an argument over her barking dog, then fled into nearby woods before negotiators reached him by cellphone.
Frank Forshee, 65, of Hillsboro, faces charges of first-degree domestic assault causing serious physical injury, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm. The woman survived the shooting and was treated at a hospital. Prosecutors and sheriff’s investigators said the case began May 3 at a home in the 6900 block of Klondike Road.
Deputies were called to the Hillsboro-area home after a domestic assault report involving a gunshot wound. Investigators said Forshee lived at the residence with a woman and another man. A probable cause statement said Forshee and the woman argued in a room that was used as both a living room and bedroom. The document said Forshee became angry because he “was upset that the victim’s dog wouldn’t stop barking.” Authorities said he first threatened the woman with a small silver pocket knife, left the room, then returned with a dark .22-caliber revolver with a wooden handle. The woman was sitting on a bed and holding the dog when a single round was fired, investigators said.
The bullet struck the woman in the abdomen, according to the probable cause statement. Deputies later described the wound as entering through the right side of her abdomen and exiting into her left calf. The woman and the other man escaped the home and called 911. Authorities said she was taken to a hospital, treated and later released. Investigators said the scene and physical evidence were consistent with witness accounts. They did not publicly release the woman’s name or say whether she and Forshee were related. The dog was not reported killed in the shooting.
Investigators also described an earlier confrontation at the home. The other man told deputies Forshee had been acting erratically in the days before the shooting and appeared to be dealing with drug use and mental health issues. The witness said Forshee had threatened the woman with a gun the night before the shooting and fired a round into the floor. Authorities did not announce separate charges tied only to that earlier allegation. The case file also said Forshee later told a neighbor he had been holding the firearm during the argument and had tried to hit the dog with it when a round discharged. Prosecutors have charged him based on the woman’s injury and the alleged use of the gun.
After the shooting, Forshee left the home and went into a wooded area, authorities said. Deputies, detectives and Jefferson County SWAT members searched for him for hours. During the search, investigators learned he had contacted a family member and made comments suggesting he would not go to prison and might harm himself. Negotiators reached him by text message. According to the probable cause statement, Forshee replied that he would “make the news” and that “law enforcement should come find him.” Detectives continued talking with him by cellphone and persuaded him to surrender. Sheriff’s officials said he was taken into custody May 4 without incident.
Forshee was taken to a hospital after his arrest for a medical procedure that authorities said was unrelated to the shooting. He was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on May 7 and was being held without bond. Local reports said Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak credited detectives and SWAT members for the search and the surrender. The sheriff’s office also said the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office moved quickly on the charges. No plea had been reported, and authorities had not announced a next court date in the case.
The charges remain allegations. Forshee is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The case is expected to move next through Jefferson County court proceedings, where prosecutors can present the probable cause statement, witness accounts, medical records and firearm evidence. Investigators had not announced whether the recovered gun had been tested or whether additional charges could follow. The victim’s recovery status beyond her release from the hospital was not publicly detailed.
As of Wednesday, Forshee remained charged in the Jefferson County domestic assault case. Authorities had identified the shooting location, the alleged weapon and the basic timeline, but several details remained undisclosed, including the full relationship among the people in the home.
Author note: Last updated Wednesday, May 13, 2026.