Authorities said a man in Creola, Alabama, was allegedly shot by his wife's boyfriend, who had secretly been living in the couple's home.
The Mobile County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) responded to a report of a shooting Sunday night in Creola. When officers arrived, they found two men, identified as Frank Reeves and Michael Amacker, had been shot. Both men were transported to a local hospital where they were treated for their injuries.
According to police, Reeves owns the home where the incident took place. He was shot in the chest by Amacker and Reeves responded by shooting Amacker multiple times, hitting the man's lower leg and elbow.
MCSO detectives told local news outlets that they had discovered during their investigation that the homeowner's wife, Tracy Reeves, had told her husband that an intruder—later identified as Amacker—was inside their home.
The detectives also learned that Tracy Reeves knew Amacker and had reportedly been having a relationship with him for over a year. Tracy Reeves had also been allowing Amacker to secretly live inside the home and providing him with food.
According to reports, Frank Reeves had no knowledge that Amacker was staying inside his home.
"She [Tracy] had been allowing him [Amacker] to stay within the home for a couple of days, providing him food, there were bottles of urine in the room which indicated he had been in there for a little while," Captain Paul Burch of MCSO told the Mobile, Alabama, CBS-affiliated television station WKRG.
Amacker faces several charges, including attempted murder, possession of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm with an altered serial number. WKRG reported that since Amacker is already a convicted felon, he will also face federal charges.
Deputies said Tracy Reeves and Amacker had both been using methamphetamine. During interview attempts on the scene, deputies said they found Tracy to be intoxicated to the point of being incoherent, according to WKRG.
Amacker has been arrested in the past on charges of manufacturing and possessing a controlled substance.
Burch told WKRG that he and investigators believe the shooting could have been a "murder-for-hire situation" and suggested that would explain why Tracy Reeves told Frank there was an intruder in their home.
The investigation is ongoing, and Burch indicated his office will be looking for leads from the community.
"People that are on meth, not only do they have paranoia, [but] they can't keep their mouth shut," Burch told the station. "So, if there was some kind of diabolical plan, it is very possible Amacker has told some other people prior to or certainly not after the fact."
Newsweek contacted MCSO for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
