One shot Tuesday, suspect arrested

Authorities says a Poplar Bluff man suffered life-threatening injuries Tuesday afternoon when he was shot in the head.

The man, who is in his 40s and whose name is not being released at this time, was taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center and was expected to be transferred to another hospital for further treatment, said Poplar Bluff Police Chief Danny Whiteley.

The victim’s injuries, he said, are considered life threatening.

The man’s alleged attacker, Kayln Trasell Johnson, 22, was arrested without incident at 4:27 p.m. in the 900 block of Gardner Street, the chief said.

Johnson was arrested 30 minutes after officers responded at 3:57 p.m. to a call of shots fired in the 1300 block of North Main Street, where a subject had been shot in the head, Whiteley said.

Officers arrived within one minute of the original dispatch to find the victim laying facedown on the sidewalk in front of a residence, Whiteley said.

Whiteley said suspect information was obtained and disseminated to the Butler County Sheriff’s Department, United States Forestry Service Law Enforcement and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, who also were responding to assist in an area search for the shooter.

As officers were searching for the would-be shooter, “we received a report that he was at a Gardner Street,” Whiteley said.

The weapon believed to have been used in the shooting also was recovered by investigators, said Whiteley.

The motive is not being released at this time pending further investigation, Whiteley said.

Further details were not available by press time.