Man shoots wife with crossbow then evades police

George Dennison, 68, charged with attempt to commit murder and domestic abuse according to Ottumwa Police. (Ottumwa Police Department)

68-year-old George Dennison was arrested for allegedly shooting his wife with a crossbow in their Iowa home while she slept on a couch.

At approximately 1:13 AM yesterday morning, officers from the Ottumwa Police Department responded to a call claiming that a woman had been shot in her home roughly 90 miles southeast of Des Moines, Iowa, the state’s capitol.

Ottumwa Police Department identified the victim as Lillian Dennison, 68. In a press release by the department, authorities stated that Lillian was alleged to have been sleeping on the sofa when her husband shot her with a crossbow.

According to authorities, Lillian Dennison was taken by emergency responders to a local hospital where she was treated for injuries sustained in the incident.

George Dennison escaped the home before authorities arrived but according to police, he was found and arrested hours after the incident.

In a statement released on social media, Ottumwa police said, “Later that morning at approximately 10:00 a.m., officers from the Ottumwa Police Department and the Wapello County Sheriff’s Department arrested George Edward Dennison, age 68, near the wooded area around Evergreen and Mable in Ottumwa.”

At that time, Dennison was taken into custody by police and charged with domestic abuse and attempt to commit murder. As of right now, police have not disclosed Dennison’s motive for shooting his wife.

Dennison is currently being held on a $50,000 cash-only bond at the Wapello County Jail. It does not appear that a court date has been set.

According to police, Lillian Dennison was released from the hospital and is expected to recover.