DONIPHAN, Mo. -- A Doniphan man is accused of fatally shooting his brother-in-law during an apparent argument early Monday morning.
At about 2:15 a.m., deputies responded to a residence on Millcreek Road, off of Highway 160 West, near Highway C, in reference to a shooting, explained Ripley County Sheriff Mike Barton.
Deputies found Matthew D. Schrimsher, 31, had been shot once in the right, lower abdomen, said Barton, who indicated Schrimsher had been shot through a closed door.
"He was still alive and alert at the residence," Barton said. "While they were en route to the helicopter pad ... he crashed and was brought to the Doniphan ER in an attempt to stabilize him. That is where the ER (doctor) called the time of death."
An autopsy will be performed on Schrimsher at 6 p.m. today by Dr. Russell Deidiker at a Farmington, Mo., hospital, according to Ripley County Coroner Mike Jackson.
Schrimsher's alleged shooter, Barton said, was identified as his brother-in-law, Benjamin Michael Ruhl.
During the investigation, officers found Ruhl "retrieved an unloaded firearm from a downstairs bedroom of the residence," Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeff Johnson wrote in his probable-cause statement.
Ruhl allegedly loaded the firearm, "emerged from the bedroom and pointed it at" his 18-year-old niece, Johnson said.
"(The teen) alerted everyone present to the fact that Mr. Ruhl had a gun, and they all ran from the basement to the main level of the residence," Johnson said.
Ruhl, he said, allegedly pursued Schrimsher, his sister, Erin Schrimsher, and three children, ages 15, 15 and 9, up a stairway of the home. There also was a 10-year-old in the home at the time of the alleged shooting.
"Upon reaching the main floor of the residence, Matthew attempted to close the door leading to the basement," Johnson said. "As Mr. Ruhl was ascending the stairway, he pointed the firearm at the stairway door and discharged it.
"The round that was discharged traveled through the door and struck Matthew."
Johnson said Ruhl fled the home with the firearm.
According to Barton, Ruhl exited through a basement door, which led to the back of the house.
"Mr. Ruhl also, while in a concealed location outside, fired a second round which struck a vehicle driven by Roy S. Schrimsher," Johnson said. "Roy was driving the vehicle to the end of the driveway to meet emergency personnel and lead them to the residence."
Roy Schrimsher, Barton said, is Matthew Schrimsher's older brother and the shot allegedly struck the driver's side of his van, "toward the back of the vehicle. The bullet was recovered from inside one of the passenger seats.
After the alleged shooting, Ruhl went into the woods with a .243-caliber rifle.
About 30 minutes after emergency-medical-services personnel left with Schrimsher, Ruhl "walked out of the woods," Barton said.
Deputies, he said, were searching the area when "Ben walked out of the treeline, walking toward the house, without the rifle."
Ruhl, the sheriff said, was taken into custody without incident, and the rifle was "recovered in the area that he had walked from."
After his arrest, Ruhl was interviewed and "admitted to discharging the firearm while on the interior steps of the residence and while outside the residence," Johnson said. "Mr. Ruhl has lived at the residence the past two weeks."
Barton said the investigation is ongoing as officers continue with more interviews.
As far as a motive, "according the family, Ben has been having some alcohol issues, and Matt and Erin took him in to help him," Barton said. "An argument started ... between Ben, Matt and Roy ... and this is the outcome."
Ruhl, 36, was charged with the Class A felony of first-degree murder, the Class B felony of first-degree assault, four Class D felonies of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and two unclassified felonies of armed criminal action by Ripley County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kacey Proctor.
Associate Circuit Judge David Swindle set Ruhl's bond at $500,000 cash and ordered him appear at 9 a.m. Wednesday for arraignment on the charges.
Ruhl is being held in the Wayne County Jail.