Galena man shot with crossbow, runs from attacker and finds help

GALENA, Illinois (KCRG) - At approximately 9:08 pm on Wednesday, the Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting that an individual had been shot.

Investigators say that up until April 2022, Ronald A. Smith had been a resident of Galena until a domestic violence incident occurred between Smith and his now-estranged wife. Since then, Smtih had moved away from Galena and was thought to be living in Colorado.

Then, on June 22nd, 2022, a male friend of Smith’s estranged wife was visiting her when Smith arrived at her residence. Smith’s estranged wife and the male were sitting on the deck of the residence when Smith appeared around the corner of the house armed with a crossbow. As the two attempted to flee, Smith allegedly shot the male in the back with the crossbow, causing the arrow to become lodged in the man’s torso.

The man fled the scene through the woods until reaching Park Avenue. He attempted to make contact with residents by knocking on doors. A resident called 911 and officers found the man and sought medical attention for him.

Smith reportedly also fled the scene after the shooting. Authorities were able to make contact with Smith’s father, who had located his son, just after midnight. Smith’s father drove Smith to the Jo Daviess County Jail and safely turned Smith into police custody around 12:19 am on Thursday.

Police found the crossbow and a duffle bag in the woods during their initial search for Smith.

Smith was charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated battery.

The male victim is expected to make a full recovery.

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