A Solsberry woman who was involved in an altercation that resulted in a shooting in Lyons last November was in court last week for an initial hearing.

Michelle Rentschler, 44, Solsberry, has been charged with carrying a handgun without a license, a Class A misdemeanor, following an investigation led by Detective Shawn Cullison of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department.

At 4:43 p.m. on Thursday, November 5, Greene County General Hospital Security Officer Bryan Woodall contacted the Greene County Sheriff’s Department to report a shooting victim was in the hospital’s emergency department. The victim had been shot in the hand and butt cheek. Officer Woodall reported the victim said he had gotten into an argument with another man and then a woman shot him. The victim had been transported to the hospital via private vehicle.

Det. Cullison responded toward the hospital but while he was on the way, Michelle Rentschler called 911 and said she had shot a person in self-defense. Det. Cullison said Rentschler told a dispatcher that the man she shot had hit her boyfriend in the head then came after her. She said she had her gun in her hand when the man went for it, and it went off.

Det. Cullison then headed to the scene of the shooting and by 5 p.m., he and GCSD Deputy Camron Frye had arrived at a residence on West Prairie Street in Lyons where they talked to Rentschler, her boyfriend, and other individuals who were there.

The shooting had occurred in the garage and the deputies saw blood droplets on the floor, and an unloaded black handgun sitting on a bench. Further investigation revealed the handgun was a black Taurus 9 mm handgun with the magazine removed and all bullets removed from the gun and magazine, all sitting on a bench, a portable light that was busted and a picture on the wall with a hole through it. Behind the picture, they located one hollow point projectile.

Det. Cullison said when he talked to the boyfriend, the boyfriend said he and Rentschler had stopped to see the resident but when he (the boyfriend) walked into the garage, the alleged victim was there and that the two of them have some old issues between them. He said the victim started a verbal argument then started hitting him. He said Rentschler loaded a round into her gun, then the victim pushed her. Both the boyfriend and Rentschler said the victim started to twist her hand and that is when the gun went off.

Another man who was in the garage at the time of the shooting and witnessed the whole incident was able to confirm the story.

The resident said he was inside his residence when he heard the shot and heard glass breaking. He was able to provide video and audio surveillance footage which did not show what happened inside the garage but did show the outside.

After the shooting, the victim ran out of the garage and got into a vehicle with another man who drove him to the hospital.

Det. Cullison said the gunshot can be heard in the audio at approximately 4:30 p.m. and a few seconds later, the video shows the victim running out of the garage.

After initial interviews, Rentschler and her boyfriend met Det. Cullison and Det. David Elmore at the sheriff’s department for more in-depth interviews.

A records check revealed that Rentschler did not have a handgun permit. During the interview at the sheriff’s department, Rentschler allegedly admitted she did not have a permit but said she had completed the paperwork and fingerprinting but had not yet received the permit in the mail.

Information and evidence gathered during the investigation was forwarded to the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office and in mid-November, a criminal case was filed against Rentschler in Greene Superior Court. A summons was issued to Rentschler ordering her to appear in court.

Last week, during an initial hearing, a public defender was appointed to represent Rentschler and she was formally charged with carrying a handgun without a license, a Class A misdemeanor.