Stark County woman, 37, shot dead at home after 'violent encounter'

PARIS TWP. ‒ The fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman during a 'violent encounter' is being investigated as a homicide.

Christopher W. Short apparently shot Ashley R. Shumaker once following a domestic dispute, according to Stark County Sheriff George T. Maier .

In a 911 call released through a public records request, Short told a dispatcher he shot at his fiancée after she came at him with a knife. The call was placed at 10:29 p.m. Sunday from 16455 Coldale St. NE.

Maier said investigating deputies found "there was a violent encounter between the couple."

"This remains under investigation at this time," the sheriff said. "We'll have to wait and see what comes back from the coroner, and the next steps for us are to put information together to ... review with the county prosecutor."

He said the investigators are trying to determine whether Short's statement was factual. Short is cooperating with the investigation.

Harry Campbell, chief investigator of the Stark County Coroner's Office , pronounced Shumaker dead at the home at 1:12 a.m. Monday.

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What happened to Ashley Shumaker?

In a call with an emergency dispatcher, Short disclosed that he shot Shumaker in the chest while in the kitchen.

After 13 seconds on the call with a dispatcher, he said, "She came at me with a knife and I shot her."

Later, he repeated the sequence of events, adding, "Oh my God, she's dead."

Short can be heard sobbing throughout the call.

Prior convictions

Shumaker pleaded guilty in July 2019 to felony charges of domestic violence and disrupting public services in Stark County Common Pleas Court. She was sentenced to three years on probation. The Canton police complaint that formed the basis for the criminal case said she hit a man in the face with a closed fist and took his phone when he tried to call 911. She threw the phone, causing damage.

The domestic violence charge was a felony because Shumaker had a previous misdemeanor conviction for the same crime in 2015 in South Carolina.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 330-430-3800 or via the anonymous tip line at (330) 451-3937.

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County woman, 37, shot dead at home after 'violent encounter'