A 55-year-old man is facing murder charges after police said he shot his friend in the face Thursday while a witness heard the shooting over the phone.
According to a press release from the Dent County Sheriff's Office, 55-year-old Fridtjov Severud shot Michael Gehm, 41, in the face a little after 8 p.m. Thursday.
Deputies received a call from Severud at around 8:15 saying his friend was shot. When police arrived, they found Gehm shot one time in the face with no detectable pulse.
After getting a search warrant, deputies found a pistol and one spent cartridge case. Deputies also found that Gehm was on the phone with someone when the shooting occurred.
The phone witness told deputies Gehm said "If you’re going to point that thing at me, you better pull the trigger" before hearing a gunshot.
After the shot, the witness said he heard Severud say “How does that make you feel?" before picking up the phone and telling the witness "you better get him help, he's been shot."
Officers said Severud admitted to shooting Gehm.
He was charged with first-degree murder and is being held on a $1-million, cash-only bond.
