Woman, 78, shot in head; husband arrested
LINCOLN, Neb. (Lincoln Journal Star) — An 80-year-old Lincoln, Nebraska, man was arrested after police say he shot his wife in the head on Sunday morning, leaving the 78-year-old woman in critical condition.
John Kotopka was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony after the shooting at around 8 a.m. Sunday, Lincoln Police Department Officer Erin Spilker said.
The arrest came after officers responded to a call from a man who said he was awakened by a gunshot in his family’s house, where he found his mother, Janet Kotopka, in their living room with a gunshot wound, Spilker said.
The man who called police lived at the house with his parents.
Janet Kotopka was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries and remained in critical condition Monday morning. Spilker said interviews led to John Kotopka’s arrest.
Spilker said the gun used in the shooting was recovered from the home, which was processed for evidence by crime scene technicians. John Kotopka was taken to the Lancaster County Jail.
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