Details released in Carter County domestic shooting

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- An Ellsinore man was in the Carter County Jail Wednesday, charged with assaulting his wife by shooting her during a dispute with his stepson.

John William Moss, 55, was charged Tuesday with the Class C felony of second-degree assault by Carter County Prosecuting Attorney Ernie Richardson.

The complaint on file with the court alleges on Monday, Moss "recklessly caused physical injury to Regina Moss by means of discharge of a firearm."

Moss, who was being held on $50,000 cash or corporate surety bond, is to appear at 9 a.m. April 14 before Associate Circuit Judge Michael Ligons for arraignment on the charge.

Moss is charged in connection with an incident that occurred at about midnight Monday at an Ellsinore residence on Highway 21, about two miles south of U.S. 60.

Authorities learned of the incident when Regina Moss' son, Michael Deshazo, called the Carter County Sheriff's Department saying "his mom had been shot."

Regina Moss, wife of John Moss and mother of Deshazo, was taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, where she underwent surgery Tuesday morning.

The bullet, authorities report, did "extensive damage to her stomach and colon, with fragments (remaining) inside of her."

Upon Deputy Tracy Green's arrival at the Moss residence, he reported finding Deshazo sitting in front of the residence.

"As I walked up, Mr. Deshazo stood up and put his hands in the air," Green said in his probable cause affidavit. "Mr. Deshazo stated that his stepdad and he were fighting and his mother had been shot."

Deshazo, Green said, was placed in handcuffs and put in a patrol car at that time.

Green said he then contacted John Moss, who was "visibly intoxicated" and bleeding from "skinned up" places on his forearms. Green said he also had a "noticeable knot on his left cheekbone."

John Moss, he said, also was placed in handcuffs and subsequently taken to the sheriff's department.

After being told of his rights, Green said, John Moss was interviewed and provided officers with a written statement Tuesday morning "after he sobered up."

In his written statement, John Moss said, he and his wife were in their bedroom when he noticed some of his medications were missing.

"I told Regina I was tired of Michael stealing our (medications) ...," John Moss wrote.

Deshazo, John Moss said, came into the bedroom and was told to leave, which he did.

When Deshazo entered a second time, "(Deshazo was) saying he was going to beat my ---," wrote John Moss, who reported getting up from the bed and being struck in the face by Deshazo.

"The altercation moved to the living (room); at that time, I picked up an air rifle and was (going) to hit him," John Moss said. "We scuffled around."

John Moss reported putting the air rifle down and asking Deshazo to leave the home.

"At that time, I picked up my .22(-caliber) rifle" and subsequently shot Deshazo's cellular telephone, he said. John Moss also allegedly threw a second cell phone onto the deck and shot it.

"(Deshazo) came back in the house; we had a scuffle with the rifle," John Moss said.

While John Moss and his stepson were scuffling with the rifle, Regina Moss reportedly came into the room, asking them to stop.

"The rifle went off and Michael said, 'Mom is shot,'" John Moss wrote.

Deshazo also made a written statement.

In it, Green said, Deshazo reported being accused of taking his stepfather's pills.

Deshazo, he said, went to the "edge of his room" to tell John Moss and his mother that he had not taken the pills.

By that time, Deshazo reported he had started packing his "stuff to leave," since his stepfather had told him to get his stuff and "hit the pavement."

Deshazo reported to Green there was some discussion over money belonging to Deshazo.

"He then told me I wasn't getting my money," Deshazo wrote. "Then, he proceeded to come after me ... I knocked him off me ..."

The struggle, according to Deshazo, continued into the kitchen and living room.

"He went and grabbed a .22 rifle," Deshazo wrote. "I went back to my room to get my stuff. I heard two shots go off. I told him I can't believe you shot my phones.

"Some words were said (and) another shot was fired down the hall toward me. I then went to get the rifle away from him."

Deshazo reported another struggle occurred and two more shots being fired.

"The struggle continued; that's when my mom got shot in the stomach," said Deshazo, who was released after no charges were filed against him.

While processing the scene, Green said, he found a .22-caliber, semiautomatic rifle with "one shell in the chamber (and) 10 in the magazine."

Green said he found evidence, indicating six rounds had been fired.