The woman allegedly shot by her 88-year-old husband Sunday has died.
Carson Sheriff Ken Furlong says evidence indicates William Dresser shot 86-year-old Francis Dresser in Carson-Tahoe Medical Center. She was taken to Renown in Reno for treatment and died three days after the shooting.
Mr. Dresser’s charges are now murder with an elderly victim enhancement. Dresser is under suicide watch, according to investigators.
The Dressers’ home is in Douglas County.
Department of Corrections officers were on duty in the ward where the shooting took place and were able to contain the incident, according to the sheriff, who says Dresser bought the small caliber handgun recently.
A sheriff’s office report detailing the incident indicates Dresser had planned to kill his wife of 63 years, who was paralyzed after an accident and no longer wanted to live, then kill himself. But after shooting her, his gun jammed, then came apart. He told detectives he failed to complete his mission.
At the time of the shooting, there were only four patients in a rehab unit on the third floor, where Dresser’s wife was being treated for injuries from an earlier incident.
The hospital was on lockdown for about two hours after the shooting late Sunday morning.
