Deputies say the Hillsboro suspect fled into woods before negotiators reached him by phone.

HILLSBORO, Mo. — A 65-year-old Missouri man was charged after authorities said he shot a woman during an argument over her barking dog, fled from a Klondike Road home and later surrendered after negotiators reached him by cellphone.

Frank Forshee of Hillsboro faces charges of first-degree domestic assault causing serious physical injury, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm. The Jefferson County case has drawn attention because investigators say a household argument turned violent after the woman’s dog would not stop barking, leaving her wounded and prompting a multi-hour search involving deputies, detectives and SWAT team members.

Authorities said the shooting happened May 3 at a home in the 6900 block of Klondike Road, a rural stretch near Hillsboro, about 40 miles southwest of St. Louis. Forshee lived at the residence with the woman and another man, according to accounts in the probable cause statement. Investigators said the argument began inside a room used as both a living room and the woman’s bedroom. Sheriff Dave Marshak said Forshee became angry during the dispute after the dog started barking. The sheriff’s office said the woman was shot once, escaped the home and was taken to a hospital. Local reports said she was treated and later released.

The probable cause statement gives a sharper picture of what deputies believe happened inside the home before the gunfire. A male resident told investigators Forshee had been acting erratically in recent days and described him as being on a meth bender and appearing to suffer from mental health issues. The same witness said Forshee had threatened the woman with a gun the previous evening and fired a round into the floor. On May 3, investigators said, Forshee argued with the woman, threatened her with a small silver pocket knife, returned to his bedroom and came back with a dark .22-caliber revolver with a wooden handle. The woman was on her bed holding her dog when a single round was fired, striking her in the abdomen.

Deputies said the bullet entered through the right side of the woman’s abdomen and exited into her left calf. After the shooting, the woman and the male resident left the house and called 911. Investigators later interviewed a neighbor who said Forshee came onto the neighbor’s property carrying a gun that matched the witness description. According to the affidavit, Forshee told the neighbor he had been holding the gun during the argument and had tried to hit the dog with it when a round discharged. Investigators said the residence was searched and that the crime scene and evidence were consistent with the witness statements. Authorities have not released the woman’s name.

The case quickly became a search for an armed suspect. After the shooting, authorities said Forshee left the home and hid in a wooded area near the property. Deputies, detectives and SWAT team members searched for several hours. During the investigation, detectives learned that Forshee had contacted a family member and made statements that he would not go to prison and might harm himself. Negotiators later contacted him by cellphone. Investigators said Forshee wrote that he would make the news and that law enforcement should come find him. Detectives continued talking with him, built a rapport and persuaded him to surrender peacefully. He was taken into custody May 4 without incident.

The arrest did not immediately end the booking process. Authorities said Forshee was taken to an area hospital after his arrest for a medical procedure unrelated to the shooting investigation. He was later booked into the Jefferson County Jail on May 7. Jail and charging information listed him as being held without bond. The charges include a domestic assault count tied to serious physical injury, a separate armed criminal action count and a firearms count based on authorities’ allegation that he unlawfully possessed a gun. Officials have not released a detailed court schedule, and records cited in local reports did not make clear whether Forshee had entered a plea or retained an attorney.

The location of the shooting added to the response, with officers searching in and around woods instead of only inside a residence or city block. The 6900 block of Klondike Road sits outside the center of Hillsboro, where homes and tree lines can make searches slower and more dangerous. The sheriff’s office credited deputies and detectives for the search and said prosecutors moved quickly after the arrest. Marshak said investigators believed the woman was shot during an argument at Forshee’s home. The prosecutor’s office filed charges as the sheriff’s office continued evidence work, witness interviews and case preparation for court.

Several details remain unresolved. Authorities have not said whether the dog was injured. They have not released the full 911 call, the full text exchange with negotiators or the complete probable cause statement to the public through the reports reviewed. It is also unclear what led to the alleged firearm possession charge beyond the state’s accusation in the filed case. What is known is that investigators tied the shot to a dispute inside the home, documented statements from a roommate and a neighbor, and said the physical evidence at the residence matched those accounts. The woman’s condition after her release from the hospital has not been updated in public reports.

The next public milestone is expected in court, where prosecutors will have to support the charges and Forshee will have a chance to answer them. Forshee remained held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail as the case moved forward.

Author note: Last updated June 1, 2026.