GAINESVILLE - Hall County authorities Wednesday afternoon said an early morning shooting in the New Holland community was domestic related.<br />
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According to Hall County Sheriff's Deputy Nicole Bailes, the suspect, Steven Keith Murphy 27, of Gainesville, faces several charges related to the early morning incident.<br />
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While authorities have not released the name of the victim, a sheriff's office news release states that she was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. She suffered non-life threatening injuries when Murphy allegedly fired a handgun at her. <br />
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"Initially it did not appear that she had any exit injury, and later when she was sent to the ER, it was learned that she just had what we call a grazing, where the bullet grazed her from the forehead back to about the central portion of her head," Bailes said.<br />
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Bailes described the victim as Murphy's live-in girlfriend. She said the woman was shot inside their couple's duplex on Branch Street around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.<br />
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Murphy is charged with aggravated assault and cruelty to child first degree under the Family Violence Act and possession of methamphetamine. <br />
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Bailes said Murphy's children were present at the time of the shooting, and the Department of Family and Children Services is working closely with investigators. "They (the children) have not been removed completely from the residence, but they have been removed from Mr. Murphy's care and custody," said Bailes.<br />
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Murphy was in jail without bond Wednesday afternoon, awaiting his first court appearance Thursday at 2 p.m.
