An Indiana man who allegedly had a habit of pulling out guns during family disputes is behind bars after his wife was shot and killed inside their home.
Stephen Ray Lang, 32, was arrested Thursday night and charged with murder, domestic battery, intimidation, and pointing a firearm. The charges stem from the death of his wife, Sara M. Lang, who died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.
The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department reported that deputies rushed to the family’s home on Hillcrest Drive in Mauckport just before 10 p.m. Lang himself had called 911, telling dispatchers that an “accidental gunshot” had gone off inside the residence. Emergency responders found Sara Lang at the scene, but she could not be saved and was pronounced dead right there in the home.
Two children, a 14-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, were inside the house when the weapon was fired. Detectives later recovered the firearm involved, identifying it as a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.
Authorities have not yet revealed exactly what evidence led them to file a murder charge against Lang instead of treating the incident as an accident.
However, Lang’s own relatives provided insight into the moments leading up to the gunfire. Speaking with WLKY, Lang’s sister, Sarah Shireman, explained that a household argument had broken out between Sara Lang and the 14-year-old boy. She said her brother stepped into the middle of the fight and drew his weapon.
“With all the bickering going back and forth, I think he was literally just trying to get them to be quiet, and everybody just calm down,” Shireman said.
Shireman added that this was not the first time her brother used a gun to handle a disagreement, recalling a personal altercation she had with him just a few months prior.
“He pulled it out because he thinks he was hot stuff,” Shireman stated. “I will admit he acted like he was going to do something with me and him when we got into a fight a couple months ago, but it didn’t work out for him.”
Despite that history, Shireman told reporters she does not believe her brother meant to pull the trigger.
“My brother is not a killer. My brother is the sweetest,” she said. “He is the sweetest person ever and would do anything to help anybody.”
Lang’s father also spoke about the tragedy, calling it “a simple, little, stupid argument that got out of hand.”
The Harrison County Coroner’s Office has scheduled an autopsy for Sara Lang as local detectives continue to piece together the exact timeline of the shooting.
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