Thursday, November 20, 2025 – 6:15 AM EST | NEWELL, WV – A West Virginia man was hospitalized after being shot during a struggle over a gun while the two men were attempting to shoot rats from a second-story window, authorities report.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called around 1:00 AM Wednesday to a residence on Harrison Street in Newell after reports of a man being shot. Early accounts suggested the injury may have occurred during a gun cleaning accident.

Upon arrival, deputies found two men and a woman at the scene. The victim, holding a blood-soaked towel to his head, was standing at the top of the stairs with the other individuals. Emergency medical personnel treated him for an apparent gunshot wound to the head and transported him to East Liverpool City Hospital. He was later transferred to UPMC in Pittsburgh and was reported in stable condition.

Investigators later determined the incident was not related to gun cleaning. Instead, the two men had been using a small-caliber rifle to shoot at rats outside a second-story window when they began struggling over the firearm. During the struggle, the rifle discharged, striking the victim in the head.

Mark Reece Fuller, 58, the homeowner, was arrested and charged with wanton endangerment with a firearm and shooting within 500 feet of a dwelling. Fuller was taken to the Northern Regional Jail.