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JOSEPHINE COUNTY Man dies after shooting near Grants Pass The mother of his estranged wife is accused of firing the fatal shot Comment By Chris Bristol Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Chris Bristol Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Sep. 10, 2016 at 10:57 AM Updated Sep 10, 2016 at 10:58 AM By Chris Bristol Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Sep. 10, 2016 at 10:57 AM Updated Sep 10, 2016 at 10:58 AM » Social News A man shot Thursday morning outside of Grants Pass has died, Oregon State Police report. According to an OSP release, Michael S. Hockersmith died at Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass at about 7 a.m. today while being treated for his injuries. Ronnette D. Gideon, the mother of Hockersnith's estranged wife, is accused of the shooting. On Friday, she was arraigned on a charge of attempted murder. Gideon, 46, also is charged with first-degree assault and unlawful use of a firearm in the shooting. Her bail was set at $250,000. Gideon is accused of shooting Hockersmith, 24, during a confrontation at Gideon's home on Redwood Highway near Midway Avenue that detectives characterized as "verbal" in nature. "Gideon had a shotgun in her hands, and during the verbal altercation she fired one round, striking Hockersmith in the abdomen," an Oregon State Police detective wrote in a probable cause affidavit. The relationship between the two is not explained in the affidavit, nor the nature of the confrontation. Gideon's domestic partner and housemate, Richard Weiss, said Hockersmith is the estranged husband of Gideon's daughter and that Hockersmith has been harassing the family for several months. Hockersmith was trespassing and making physical threats moments before the shooting, Weiss told the Grants Pass Daily Courier. He said Gideon was armed with a double-barreled shotgun and he was holding a .44-caliber black powder pistol. The shooting was the first of two incidents at the home Thursday: Hours after the shooting, the home was badly damaged in a suspicious fire that broke out as detectives cleared the scene. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, although OSP confirms it has launched an arson investigation. Weiss, who was being interviewed at the OSP substation in Grants Pass when the blaze broke out, said it is his understanding someone tossed a firebomb through a window in his and Gideon's home. Gideon's quick arrest stands in contrast to OSP's handling of several other shootings in the area in recent years that bear elements of self-defense. That includes a fatal shooting in March in which a man shot and killed his brother at their home in the Hugo area. Prosecutors last week announced they could not disprove self-defense in that case and will not be pursuing charges. Chris Bristol is city editor of the Grants Pass Daily Courier. The original story was updated Saturday following Hockersmith's death. By Chris Bristol Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Chris Bristol Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Sep. 10, 2016 at 10:57 AM Updated Sep 10, 2016 at 10:58 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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