A quiet Monday morning in Henryetta was shattered by gunfire that left a 60-yearold woman critically injured, prompted a multi-agency police search, and forced area schools into lockdown as officers worked to locate a suspect believed to be armed and dangerous.
According to the Henryetta Police Department, officers were dispatched around 7:30 a.m. to the 200 block of S. 17th Street after receiving a call reporting a shooting. When police arrived, they found a woman who had been shot multiple times. Despite her injuries, officers said the victim was awake and alert when they made contact.
Police said the woman was able to speak with officers at the scene and identified her niece, Ashley Anne Crawford, as the person who assaulted and shot her. According to investigators, the victim told police Crawford had come to her home that morning, assaulted her, and then fired multiple shots before fleeing the residence on foot.
Emergency medical personnel transported the victim to Henryetta Medical Center, where she was later airlifted to a Tulsa hospital for further treatment. Police said she is currently believed to be in stable condition.
Henryetta Police Chief Steve Norman said the victim herself called for help after the shooting.
“She had told us that her niece had shot her in the house this morning, had come over to her house and assaulted her,” Norman stated in a media interview.
With the suspect unaccounted for, Henryetta police immediately began canvassing the area and working to track Crawford’s possible whereabouts. Officers later identified a possible address on N. Wilson Road, approximately five miles north of Henryetta.
When officers arrived at that location, they located a vehicle they believed belonged to Crawford. Police said Crawford later arrived at the residence and was taken into custody without incident.
Booking records show Crawford, 43, was arrested by the Henryetta Police Department on Monday afternoon. She was booked at 4:31 p.m. and is facing felony charges, including shooting with intent to kill and assault and/or battery with a deadly weapon. No bond information was immediately available.
As the search for Crawford unfolded, the shooting’s proximity to local school campuses led to swift safety precautions. The incident occurred less than half a mile from Henryetta Public Schools.
As a precaution, Henryetta Public Schools and Dewar Public Schools were placed on soft lockdown status while officers searched for the suspect. Wilson schools were also included in the lockdown as authorities worked to ensure the suspect was in custody. The lockdowns remained in place until around lunchtime, when police confirmed Crawford had been arrested.
“We work really closely with the school, and as soon as we figured out what the situation was, we reached out to them and let them know that they probably needed to go on lockdown,” Norman said. Chief Norman said investigators are still working to determine what led up to the shooting and have not yet established a motive.
“Given the limited time we had to talk with the victim, we don’t have any background on why this occurred,” he said.
Norman also emphasized the dangers officers face when responding to domestic-related incidents, noting that situations involving family members can escalate quickly and unpredictably.
“When it comes to domestic issues, it doesn’t matter where you live,” Norman said. “Officers know that domestic violence calls in any form are the most dangerous calls to respond to.”
Court records indicate Crawford has a prior criminal history, including serving three years in prison for possession of a firearm as a felon and two years for assault with a dangerous weapon.
Police say additional charges may be considered as the investigation continues. Crawford remains in custody as the case moves forward through the court system.
