Police say Vinton woman shot herself, fabricated story about intruders

Vinton police say a woman who claimed that she had been shot by an intruder in her home actually shot herself.

Police were called to the woman's home in the 300 block of South Q Avenue at about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday. A 20-year-old woman claimed she had been shot while struggling with an intruder in her home.

No one else was home at the time, other than the woman's 1-year-old son, whom she had placed in a car seat inside a car in the driveway prior to the incident.

Police said their investigation revealed no evidence of forced entry, that the firearm used was owned by another member of the household, and that the woman had shot herself.

The woman was taken to Virginia Gay Hospital in Vinton, then transferred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. Information on her condition was not available.

Police said they have no reason to believe that the general public was, or is, in any danger.

The child has been referred to the Iowa Department of Human Services.

The case remains under investigation, but police say no criminal charges are expected.