What started as an argument on a quiet stretch of North Prairie Dell Road on Tuesday ended with a gun recovered from river bluffs, four people in handcuffs, and a man convinced he had been shot, even though deputies say no one actually took a bullet.
Franklin County deputies were called around 5 p.m. to the 2300 block of North Prairie Dell Road after a dispute between two men escalated, and FOX2 reports that one of the men pulled a handgun and fired at the other. The alleged target believed he had been hit, but deputies later found no gunshot wounds on anyone at the scene. During a search of the bluffs overlooking the Bourbeuse River, investigators say they found a handgun near two people who were hiding. According to the report, the weapon contained one live round and one spent casing. Deputies also located additional individuals on a neighboring property while sweeping the area.
What deputies found
According to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, a man and a woman were discovered hiding in the bluffs, while a different man who had been concealed under a camper was identified as the person who placed the 911 call. Deputies detained everyone on scene while they sorted out who was involved in the confrontation and who simply happened to be nearby. The sheriff's office says three people were ultimately taken into custody after deputies discovered they had active warrants.
Arrests and charges
Forty-two-year-old Union resident Steven Gumpenberger admitted to firing the gun and was arrested, according to FOX2. The outlet reports he faces first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon charges and is being held at the Franklin County Detention Center without bond. FOX2 also notes that Gumpenberger has a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 16. Authorities identified the others taken into custody as 44-year-old Amy Bradberry, 32-year-old Mackenzie Welker and 40-year-old Randall Allen. Deputies say they were arrested on a combination of local and out-of-county warrants and charges.
Charges and court dates
The sheriff's office says Bradberry was booked on fourth-degree assault and fourth-degree domestic assault charges, Welker on traffic-related warrants and a first-degree stealing and trespassing charge, and Allen on a felony possession charge out of St. Francois County. Gumpenberger remains in the county jail as he awaits his upcoming hearing and any formal filings from prosecutors, according to the sheriff's office. Investigators said Tuesday night that they were not seeking any additional suspects.
Officials are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has video of what happened to contact the Franklin County Sheriff's Office to assist the investigation. This story will be updated as new court records and official releases are made available.
