Georgia: Peachtree City's Police Chief William McCollom Shoots Wife in Bedroom Hours into New Year

The wife of a Georgia police chief is in critical condition after her husband shot her in the bedroom of their suburban Atlanta home just hours into the new year.

Peachtree City Police responded to the home of Chief William McCollom at approximately 4:17 a.m. ET, Lt. Mark Brown said in a news conference. McCollom called 911 saying he accidentally shot his wife, Margaret McCollom, with his service weapon, according to Sherry Lang, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman. The victim was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center after officers arrived, according to Brown.

McCollom reportedly told a 911 dispatcher he had shot his wife twice. However, investigators found the woman to have been shot only once, Lang stated. Investigators would not say where the victim was struck. McCollom has been placed on administrative leave. He has served for a year as chief of the police department, Brown said. McCollom is a "well-liked, well-loved chief," Brown said. Peachtree City, a city of 35,000, is about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta.

The chief has not been charged for the shooting but charges are possible depending on the results of the GBI investigation, Scott Ballard, Fayette County District Attorney, said.