Brothers’ argument leads to shooting

Jeffrey Libby

Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003 | 11:24 a.m.

An apparent argument about gang loyalties between two teenage brothers ended early Tuesday morning on the front porch, Henderson police allege, after the older brother critically wounded his younger brother with a shotgun blast.

Matthew Dean Arrants, 19, was scheduled to appear in Henderson Justice Court today on charges of attempted murder with a deadly weapon in the shooting of his younger brother, Joshua, 18, with his father's shotgun.

According to the arrest affidavit, the two brothers argued about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday in an upstairs bedroom at their parents' Skytop Drive home in east Henderson after talking on a cordless phone to an unnamed person.

Matthew told police that he and his brother had been drinking.

During the phone conversation, Matthew became upset at comments Joshua made to the unnamed person, telling his brother that he shouldn't disrespect a gang member. The two then went downstairs, still arguing, and Joshua went outside, according to police.

Matthew returned to his parents' upstairs bedroom and emerged with a shotgun, according to the affidavit.

A witness told police that she heard Joshua say, "Go ahead and shoot me. You wanna shoot me?"

Matthew allegedly told police that he asked his brother not to put him in a position where he would have to choose between him and a gang member.

As of 10 a.m. today, officials at University Medical Center said Joshua remained in critical condition in the intensive care unit with a gunshot wound to the chest.

Billie Jo Krause, the boys' mother, told police she was taking a shower when her son was allegedly shot. Her husband, Terry Krause, had just left the house for work.

She heard a crashing noise, she told police, and ran downstairs wrapped in a towel, seeing Matthew come into the house with the shotgun her husband keeps in the master bedroom.

After dressing, she returned downstairs and saw Matthew trying to bring his brother into the house.

Billie Jo Krause called police at 3:39 a.m. to report the shooting.