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Prosecutor Says Man Who Used Crossbow To Kill Assailant Acted In Self-Defense
A Pennsylvania prosecutor has ruled that Billy Colwell’s fatal crossbow shooting in Sharon was an act of self-defence. The decision concerns a domestic dispute in September and means the prosecutor considers the shooting justified, though he has not publicly detailed what happened.
Colwell was shot in the shoulder and later died in hospital; the coroner recorded his cause of death as a penetrating chest wound. Crossbows are broadly legal hunting implements in Pennsylvania, subject to licensing and equipment rules. The article also notes that at least 33 states permit crossbow hunting during some part of the season, and a 2025 survey found about 54% of 5,398 licensed bowhunter respondents had used one to hunt in the previous five years.
In short
- Prosecutor says the fatal shooting was self-defence.
- Billy Colwell died after a crossbow wound in September.
- Crossbows are used by many hunters across the US.
Explained simply
In Pennsylvania, prosecutors decide whether criminal charges are warranted when someone dies in a violent incident. A finding of self-defence means the prosecutor considers the use of force legally justified in the circumstances.
The case concerns a domestic dispute in Sharon, a city in western Pennsylvania, and the death of Billy Colwell after he was shot with a crossbow. Crossbows are also used for hunting and are legal in Pennsylvania subject to rules; hunting regulations vary across the United States.