The shooting happened at about 4 a.m. Thursday inside the residence Chief William McCollom shares with his wife, Margaret McCollom, authorities said. Lang said the chief called 911.
Margaret McCollom was taken by helicopter to Atlanta Medical Center, where she was listed in critical condition, according to a statement from police spokesman Lt. Mark Brown.
Chief McCollom was placed on administrative leave and the GBI has taken over the investigation, Brown said.
Lang said McCollom is fully cooperating with investigators. His wife has not been interviewed.
Scott Ballard, the Fayette County district attorney, said he won’t decide whether charges should be filed until the GBI presents him with an investigation report.
“We have no leanings one way or the other at this point because we just don’t know,” Ballard said.
McCollom said he shot his wife with his service revolver, Lang said. Brown identified that weapon as a Glock 9mm.
Lang declined to comment when asked whether alcohol played a part in the incident, saying that’s part of the investigation that cannot be revealed yet.
Lang said the investigation has determined that Margaret McCollom was shot once.
“The initial reports that we got from a 911 call were that the chief had shot his wife, accidentally, twice. As a result of our preliminary interview, we have found that he only shot her one time,” she said.
McCollom was named the police chief in October after being interim chief for three months, reported CNN affiliate WSB.
Peachtree City, a planned community southwest of Atlanta, is made up of five villages, according to the city website. Residents are known for using golf carts as the main mode of transportation within city limits on the community’s more than 90 miles of paved pathways.
