On Wednesday, someone called the Paducah Police Department and told them that 23-year-old Tyreik Simmons had been shot and was being taken to a hospital.
Officers met the vehicle at the hospital and helped Simmons inside. They were able to speak with him briefly, and he reportedly told them that 20-year-old William Moore had shot him. A witness confirmed the information.
Simmons was later taken to an out-of-state hospital in critical condition.
Detectives say they were able to determine that Moore was "playing" with a handgun. Moore reportedly pointed the gun at Simmons and pulled the trigger, shooting Simmons in the face.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Moore and began searching for him. At 6:45 p.m. officers responded to a disturbance near Stonebrook Drive. When officers arrived on the scene, Moore ran out of the back door into a wooded area.
Officers and McCracken County deputies began searching the wooded area with K9 officer Don. The search eventually forced Moore out of the wooded area and he was arrested.
After an interview with detectives, Moore admitted to the shooting and told officers that he didn't realize the gun was loaded.
Moore was released from jail Monday and is on probation after he previously pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, third-degree criminal mischief, fleeing or evading police, and tampering with physical evidence.
Moore was previously arrested in 2019 after several people reportedly saw a man fire three shots at another man in an alley behind The Church of the Nazarene's family center. One of the rounds had struck the building.
Several people sitting in a line at a fast food restaurant observed the incident. Moore was spotted nearby, and fled on foot. He was arrested after a brief chase, and the handgun was allegedly found in a trash can Moore had run past.
