A pregnant woman’s treatment on July 2 exposed an alleged pattern of threats that ended with gunfire, investigators say.
POTOSI, Mo. — The first public step in a Washington County attempted-murder case came when deputies were sent to a hospital, where a pregnant woman was receiving treatment for a bullet wound that authorities say was inflicted by her boyfriend.
By the end of the investigation’s opening phase, Nicholas Ray Geary had been arrested, a discarded handgun had become part of the inquiry and prosecutors had filed four felony counts. Geary, who was born in 2006 and lives in Potosi, is accused of striking the woman in the abdomen and shooting her in the back on July 2. He told authorities the shooting was an act of self-defense, according to the probable cause statement. Investigators rejected that explanation as insufficient to prevent his arrest, pointing to the wound, the woman’s account and alleged threats made before the encounter.
Deputies and detectives from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded after receiving notice that a gunshot victim had arrived at a local hospital. Officials have not said who took the woman there, how long after the shooting she reached medical care or whether emergency personnel were called to the original scene. The woman’s name has not been released. Authorities described her as Geary’s girlfriend and said she was pregnant, but they did not disclose the stage of her pregnancy. Published reports said she survived, while a complete update on her health was not made public.
At the hospital, the investigation widened from a report of an injury to an examination of the couple’s recent history. The woman told deputies that Geary had threatened her in the days before the shooting, according to the sheriff’s office. She alleged that his statements included threats to shoot her in the stomach because she was pregnant. The probable cause statement gave a more detailed account, saying she reported comments about shooting her abdomen to kill the baby and then shooting her in the head. Those statements are allegations attributed to the woman and have not been established by a judge or jury.
The woman also described a physical assault on July 2. Investigators alleged that Geary struck her abdomen several times before the shooting. Public accounts do not state precisely where each alleged blow occurred, how long the assault lasted or whether medical personnel documented injuries other than the gunshot wound. The sheriff’s office characterized the events as a domestic-violence incident. That description reflects the relationship between the people involved and the allegations under investigation; it does not replace the state’s obligation to prove the criminal charges.
Authorities said the shooting took place as the woman was getting out of a truck. The probable cause statement says Geary fired at her with a .380-caliber pistol and that a bullet entered and exited her back. Geary allegedly acknowledged firing multiple rounds, although reports did not provide an exact number. No other person was reported wounded. Investigators have not publicly said whether the truck was processed for evidence, whether bullet impacts were found or whether surveillance footage captured any portion of the confrontation.
Geary’s own contact with emergency dispatchers became another part of the case. The sheriff’s office said he called 911, reported shooting his girlfriend and claimed he had acted in self-defense. He also told authorities that he discarded the handgun in a wooded area. Public reporting does not make clear whether he placed the call immediately, remained near the location or directed police to the weapon. Nor has the agency said whether the gun was later located. Those facts may be documented in evidence not yet released publicly.
After detectives advised Geary of his rights, he again admitted shooting the woman but said he had feared for his safety, according to the probable cause statement. When asked what conduct made him fear serious injury or death, he said she was exiting the truck and was known to carry knives. The publicly described evidence does not say that she threatened him with a knife at that moment, displayed one or moved toward him with a weapon. Officials also have not said whether any knife was found at the scene or among her belongings.
The dispute reportedly followed the use of an aerosol dusting product. Sheriff Scott Reed later told a television station that Geary and the woman had been inhaling a product commonly used to clean computer keyboards and became intoxicated. Reed said that situation apparently started the argument. Another report said Geary was angry that the woman was using the product while pregnant. The sheriff’s remarks provide context for investigators’ early theory, but no toxicology findings or medical records confirming either person’s condition have been publicly released.
The case then moved from interviews to charging. Prosecutors accused Geary of first-degree attempted murder, first-degree domestic assault causing serious physical injury, unlawful use of a weapon by shooting at a person and armed criminal action. The attempted-murder charge is the most serious allegation and requires the state to prove the intent and conduct defined by Missouri law. The remaining counts focus on the alleged assault, the firing of the handgun and the claimed use of a weapon while committing another felony.
The woman told investigators she did not want to pursue charges, according to the probable cause statement. The officer who prepared the document nevertheless wrote that criminal charges were necessary to protect her and her unborn child because of escalating violence between the couple. That decision illustrates the separation between a victim’s preference and the state’s authority to prosecute. A reporting person does not personally file or withdraw a felony prosecution once law enforcement and prosecutors conclude that the available evidence supports a case.
Reed later emphasized that authorities viewed the alleged escalation as a serious danger. He said violence must be addressed because it can grow worse when no intervention occurs. Mary Ann Owens, chief executive of the Women’s Safe House, told a St. Louis television outlet that cases sometimes need to move forward even when victims are unwilling to participate. Their observations were about the handling of domestic-violence reports generally. They do not establish the truth of the allegations against Geary or predict the outcome of his case.
Authorities said Geary had no known criminal history or prior arrests before July 2. He was booked into the Washington County Jail under a no-bond warrant. Missouri court records identify the criminal matter as case No. 26WA-CR00448. Initial reports did not show that Geary had entered a plea, and they did not identify a defense lawyer authorized to comment for him. A plea and counsel information may appear later as the case advances through arraignment, preliminary proceedings or other hearings.
The information released so far leaves the chronology incomplete. Investigators have not said where the couple was before entering the truck, what words immediately preceded the alleged blows or whether the woman tried to leave. It is also unknown how the two separated after the gunfire, how the woman reached the hospital and where Geary was taken into custody. The sheriff’s office has not released recordings of the 911 call or interviews, and no independent witness account has been made public.
The medical evidence may become particularly important because authorities allege both an assault targeting the woman’s abdomen and a gunshot through her back. Public reports have not described scans, photographs, physicians’ findings or the condition of the fetus after treatment. The woman’s survival does not reduce the seriousness of an attempted-murder allegation, but the extent and cause of her injuries could affect how prosecutors present the domestic-assault count and how the defense challenges the state’s version.
The shooting also presents a factual conflict that will not be resolved by the arrest announcement alone. Geary’s reported self-defense claim places his perception of danger at issue. Investigators’ account, meanwhile, emphasizes prior threats, alleged abdominal blows and a wound to the woman’s back. Each side may seek additional evidence about distance, positioning, weapons, statements and conduct before the shot. At this stage, only the prosecution’s probable cause showing has been described publicly, not a full presentation by the defense.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation was continuing when it announced the charges. The agency had not released a later public account resolving the outstanding evidentiary questions, and no final disposition appeared in the sources reviewed. Geary remains presumed innocent unless he pleads guilty or is convicted. He was still described in public reports as being held without bond while the case awaited its next confirmed court proceeding.
Author note: Last updated August 2, 2026.