Police in Council Bluffs say they think they know the motive behind the shooting of a Council Bluffs woman and her child, but they’re being mum on the reason, for now. According to the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil, investigators say rumors, and comments by the wife of the Harlan man charged in the shooting that the incident happened over a tax refund, are not true. They say there is also no truth to the rumor the victim, 22-year old Heather Wilson, pulled a gun the alleged assailant, 30-year old Ronald Farr, of Harlan.

The shooting of Wilson and her 19 month old son Tyson Underwood happened early Tuesday morning outside an apartment complex, in Council Bluffs. Court documents indicate Farr’s wife, Lisa, told investigators the shooting occurred over a $6,000 tax refund payable to Farr, that was allegedly in the possession of the father of Wilson’s children, who refused to give it back.

Sgt. David Dawson with the Council Bluffs Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division told the paper that story is not true. Lisa Farr also told investigators that the shooting was self-defense. She claimed Wilson pulled a gun on Ronald Farr, Dawson said investigators have found no evidence Wilson had a gun. Wilson suffered eight gunshot wounds during the incident. Her son suffered a gunshot wound to his arm.

Farr, who was arrested without incident at his home in Harlan,  faces three counts of attempted murder, two counts of willful injury causing serious injury and one count of going armed with intent. He made his initial court appearance Wednesday during a video conference, where associate district court Judge Charles Fagan set a preliminary hearing for Friday, February 22^nd. Farr remains in the Pottawattamie County Jail on $1-million bond.