A Kutztown woman has been arrested and charged in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred Tuesday night, according to the Berks County District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities said the incident happened around 8:26 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30, at a residence in the 400 block of West Walnut Street in Kutztown Borough. Police were dispatched after a 46-year-old woman called 911 and reported that she had shot her husband.
When officers from the Kutztown Borough Police Department arrived at the scene, they found 53-year-old William P. Kelly of Kutztown deceased in the dining room of the home. Investigators determined that Kelly had been shot in the head. The firearm used in the shooting was recovered at the residence.
The Berks County Detective’s Office initiated a joint investigation with Kutztown police, and the District Attorney’s Forensic Services Unit responded to process the scene.
Detectives identified the suspect as Elizabeth L. McKenna, 46, also of Kutztown. According to investigators, McKenna told authorities that she and the victim had been involved in a verbal argument prior to the shooting and that Kelly was antagonizing her. She reported that she went to a second-floor bedroom, retrieved a handgun from a safe, returned to the first floor, and shot Kelly at close range. After the shooting, investigators said McKenna placed the firearm on the dining room table and called 911.
Investigators also learned that a 10-year-old child was inside the home at the time of the incident. The child was reportedly in an upstairs bedroom and was not injured.
On Wednesday, Dec. 31, McKenna was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, and two counts of aggravated assault. She was transported to the Central Processing Center at the Berks County Courthouse, where she is awaiting arraignment.
Authorities said the investigation was assisted at the scene by the Kutztown University Police and the Berks County Coroner’s Office.
As in all criminal cases, the filing of charges is an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
