78-yo woman shot in head, husband arrested

By Lincoln Journal Star Staff

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    LINCOLN, Nebraska (Lincoln Journal Star) — An 80-year-old Lincoln man has been arrested after police say he shot his wife in the head on Sunday morning, leaving the 78-year-old in critical condition at an area hospital.

Lincoln Police Department Officer Erin Spilker said the man, John Kotopka, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony after the shooting at around 8 a.m. Sunday.

The arrest came after officers responded to a call from a man who said he was awakened by a gunshot in his family’s house near 18th and Dakota streets, where he found his mother, Janet Kotopka, in their living room with a gunshot wound, Spilker said.

The man lived at the house with his parents.

Janet Kotopka was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries, where she remained in critical condition Monday morning. Spilker said interviews led to John Kotopka’s arrest.

Spilker said the gun used in the shooting was recovered from the home, which was processed for evidence by crime scene technicians. John Kotopka was taken to the Lancaster County Jail.

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