17-year-old suspect charged with shooting, injuring woman in St. Matthews

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A 17-year-old suspect is in custody for allegedly shooting a woman in St. Matthews on Sunday.

At a news conference on Monday, St. Matthews Police Chief Barry Wilkerson said officers were called to the Extended Stay in the 6100 Block of Dutchmans Lane about 4:30 p.m.

When officers arrived, they found a 20-year-old woman suffering from a single gunshot wound. She was taken to University of Louisville Hospital. She is expected to recover.

Wilkerson said initial reports that the shooting was part of a robbery were incorrect. He said that story was fabricated by the suspect when he called 911 to deflect attention from himself.

"He called in generally to defer blame to someone else, again, trying to make up a story," Wilkerson said. "There was no robbery. This was a situation between these individuals."

The 17-year-old suspect has been arrested and charged with first-degree assault, first-degree wanton endangerment and tampering with physical evidence.

Wilkerson said the entire incident took place inside a hotel room and all of the people involved knew each other. He said the wanton endangerment charge is because the victim's 4-year-old was inside the room at the time of the shooting.

Wilkerson said investigators knew the suspect's report of a robbery was "not adding up," and they discounted it, after reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses.

The 4-year-old is safe and is with a relative. "The good news – this didn't turn out more tragic," Wilkerson said.

The shooting was the first in St. Matthews this year.