Suspect in shooting of Pearcy teen claims it was accidental
An 18-year-old Hot Springs male accused of shooting a 17-year-old Pearcy male in the face early Wednesday told Garland County sheriff’s investigators the shooting was an accident.
Keonte Deshon Rauls, 18, who lists a School Street address, was charged with first-degree battery, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, in connection with the shooting that reportedly occurred at the victim’s residence at 407 Ryan Road. The victim was transported to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs with non life-threatening injuries.
The victim’s mother, Lessie Christine Augusta Galo, 36, alias Angela Wallace, who also lived at the residence, was charged with two counts of possession of firearms by certain persons
and one count of criminal use of a prohibited weapon, each a felony punishable by up to six years, because she is reportedly a previously convicted felon on parole and one of the two weapons found at her residence had allegedly been altered.
Galo, who was also charged with a misdemeanor count of obstructing government operations, and Rauls are set to appear today in Garland County District Court for a plea and arraignment hearing. Galo remained in custody Thursday under a zero bond parole hold and Rauls was being held on $4,500 bond.
According to the probable cause affidavits, at approximately 6:47 a.m. Wednesday, the Garland County Sheriff’s Department received a phone call from Galo, using the name Angela Wallace, stating a juvenile male, her son, was suffering from a single gunshot wound.
Galo stated she was driving the victim to the hospital. While still on the phone, Galo was instructed to pull over in order for LifeNet personnel to assist and stopped in an empty parking at 1739 Airport Road where she was met by deputies and LifeNet, who transported the victim to the hospital.
Rauls was also found in the vehicle and both he and Galo were brought in for questioning at the sheriff’s department.
Galo reportedly told investigators she had been in the shower when she heard “a pop.” She said she came out and Rauls told her, “I didn’t mean to shoot him. I didn’t know it was loaded.”
Rauls reportedly told investigators he was sitting in a chair in the living room of the residence when he accidentally shot the victim in the face with a “snub nose .38-special revolver that was silver in color.”
Shortly after 9 a.m., a search warrant was executed at the Ryan Road residence and a Smith and Wesson .38-caliber handgun and a Cannon Breach shotgun were both located on a bed in the master bedroom of the residence. The affidavit notes the shotgun had been altered “from its original manufactured state” because the barrel had been shortened to a length of about 13 inches. The revolver reportedly contained one spent round and four live rounds.
Investigators spoke to the landlord for the residence who indicated she had rented the home to a Lessie Daniels, which is another known alias of Galo. When questioned, Galo reportedly confirmed she lived at the residence and stayed in the main bedroom where the two firearms were located.
The affidavit notes Galo was previously convicted of a felony count of residential burglary on Sept. 28, 2015 and had a prior conviction for obstructing governmental operations on Nov. 2, 2015. Convicted felons are prohibited by law from owning or possessing firearms.