All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Man arrested for attempted murder after Webster County shooting

Gary Lynn Key, 68, was arrested on multiple felony charges after allegedly shooting Jeffrey Tallarito in the head during a family property dispute in Cowen, leaving the victim with non-life-threatening injuries.

On Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at approximately 10:00 pm, Trooper B.G. Spencer and Corporal D.G. Hebb responded to a shooting on Williams River Road in Cowen, Webster County.

Upon arrival, Troopers and EMS located the victim, Jeffrey Tallarito, a 31-year-old male from Cowen, who suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Mr. Tallarito was transported to Webster Memorial Hospital, where he received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries and was subsequently released.

Troopers determined the shooting stemmed from a family property dispute and placed Gary Lynn Key, a 68-year-old male from Cowen, under arrest for Attempted First Degree Murder, Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, Utilization of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony and Obstructing an Officer.

This investigation is ongoing.

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