WV Press Videos

Delegate struck by bullet plans return to Legislature

By Alex Lang and David Beard

The Dominion Post

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Police confirmed that Delegate Tony Barill, D-Monongalia, was struck by a bullet during his son’s suicide Saturday morning. On Monday, Morgantown Police Department Chief Ed Preston put out a press release with more details.

Also Monday, other delegates prayed for the Barill family prior to the start of the day’s session.

According to Preston’s release, at about 1:45 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to shots fired reported at Barill’s Garrison Avenue home. When they arrived, they found Tony Barill had been shot in the foot/lower leg.

The investigation showed that Barill was in bed and was struck by a bullet that traveled through the floor and the bed where he was sleeping. Barill said that he believed his son, Bradley Barill, may have been the person who fired the shot.

Barill was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital for treatment. According to hospital spokeswoman Amy Johns there was no information available on Barill on Monday.

He had been in fair condition Saturday and Sunday.

Once Tony Barill was taken from the house, the Morgantown Police Department Special Response Team was called to help find the shooter and to secure the location because of a potentially armed suspect who wasn’t responding to officers.

At 4 a.m., the body of Bradley Barill was found inside the residence and the medical examiner was called to the scene.

The investigation showed that Bradley Barill’s injuries were self-inflected and Tony Barill’s appeared to be unintentional. The death was characterized as unattended because nobody was present with Bradley at the time.

Tony Barill was on the minds of his House colleagues Monday morning. He and his family were the focal point of Monday’s House prayer — the House opens each d ay ’s session with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance — led by Delegate Clif Moore, D-McDowell.

Moore prayed for comfort and healing for Barill and his family.

Majority Whip Mike Caputo, D-Marion, told members he and Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, visited Barill during the weekend. Barill has a long cast on his right leg and is undergoing physical therapy.

“He sends his love to all the members,” Caputo said, and plans to return to work before the session ends in March. “He will get through this. His family will get through this. ”

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