A dispute over a water bill turned violent on Sept. 30, leading to a Shell Knob woman being charged with four felonies, including attempted murder.

Crystal Brown, 34, of Shell Knob, is charged with first-degree assault (considered attempted murder), second-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action.

According to a probable cause statement filed by Deputy Kyle Burbridge, with the Barry County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were dispatched to Violet Lane in Shell Knob at about 6:46 p.m. on Sept. 30 in reference to a physical disturbance.

Upon arrival, Burbridge made contact with Brown, who allegedly verbally confirmed she shot at the victim with a .22-caliber semi-automatic rifle, saying she had done so to protect her child.

Brown told Burbridge prior to the incident, she was engaged in a verbal dispute with the victim about a water bill that had not been paid. As a result, the water was turned off, leading to an argument that escalated to a physical altercation.

“Once the situation escalated to a certain level, Crystal verbally confirmed she physically picked up said semi-automatic rifle and open fired on [the victim] multiple times,” Burbridge said in his statement.

Burbridge then made contact with the victim, who said the owner of the firearm instructed him to get the rifle out of the house, and he placed it on the porch to show he had no intentions of getting involved in the situation. At that time, he said Brown allegedly walked toward him, picked up the rifle and fired it at him multiple times.

A second victim interviewed by Burbridge allegedly corroborated the victim’s story, also saying the situation was the end result of the water bill payment disagreement and subsequent shut-off. She said the latter caused Brown to allegedly shoot at her and the first victim.

Burbridge’s probably cause statement also details a physical altercation prior to the shooting where Brown allegedly struck the first victim with a baseball bat, causing significant swelling and moderate blood loss from a wound near the victim’s temple.

Brown was booked into the Barry County jail on Oct. 16 and is being held on a cash-only bond of $50,000, and reductions have been denied in hearings on Oct. 20 and Oct. 27.

A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. in the courtroom of Judge Robert Foulke.