MARION (WSIL) � It started with an argument, escalated into a shooting, and ended with a woman being flown to an out-of-state hospital, according to police.
Marion police chief David Fitts says La Shonda Stewart is recovering at a St. Louis hospital after undergoing multiple surgeries after suffering gunshot wounds to her hand and chest.
"She has made it through the surgery for retrieval of the bullet," Fitts said. "She had a couple of other surgeries that I’m not quite certain what they entail."
SIU Carbondale spokesperson Rae Goldsmith confirmed to News 3 that Stewart works at the university as a political science professor. Stewart has been with the university since 2008 according to her on her SIU bio page.
Court documents obtained by News 3 reveal that police responded to a domestic call in the 2200 block of Kingspointe Dr. in Marion at around 11:21 p.m. July 19.
The dispatcher reported that Xenepher Wiley, 49, called 911 and said he hid behind a wall and shot Stewart after she went to the garage to grab a gun. Police arrived and found Stewart on the kitchen floor and took Wiley into custody.
Stewart told police that Wiley had a gun in his hand during an argument, so she walked to the garage to grab her own gun in self-defense. When she walked back in, Wiley shot her in the chest, according to court documents.
Investigators found a loaded pistol on the floor, a second pistol on a kitchen island and a single shell casing beside Stewart’s feet.
Wiley was charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm– a Class X felony– aggravated domestic battery and not having a valid FOID card. He posted a $10,000 bond Tuesday using a check.
News 3 has reached out to Wiley for comment but have not heard back.
It’s unclear if Stewart will recover in time to return to work at the university before the fall semester begins in August.
