Tulsa Police: Tulsa Motel Guest Shot Over Noise Complaint

Tulsa Police say a man was shot at a motel Tuesday night after telling another guest to be quiet.

Travis Gilbreath lives in Oklahoma City with his wife and three kids. He's working in Tulsa and has been staying at the America's Best Value Inn, near I-44 and the B.A. Expressway, for several weeks.

After Tuesday night, he said he's just glad to be alive.

"These three marks right here," Gilbreath said as he showed where the shotgun pellets hit him; on the arm and in the face.

He wasn't injured enough to stop him from going to work Wednesday morning, but he knows it could have been worse.

"I wiped my face and I pulled," Gilbreath said. "One of the pellets was stuck to my nose…kind of a scary experience"

It all started late Tuesday night. Travis, staying on the second floor, said there was loud argument above him, on the third floor.

He yelled up to the man and woman to be quiet because he was trying to sleep. The man told him to come out onto the walkway; when he did, Travis said the shooter pulled the trigger.

"I could feel the pellets hit me in the face, and bounce off the wall behind me," Gilbreath said.

The motel called police, but the shooter left before officers arrived. Ashley Chaplin, the woman police believe was involved in the argument, was left behind.

Officers found a 12-gauge shotgun, cocaine, marijuana, and scales in her room. She was arrested.

And all of this made Travis think about arming himself, especially when he's away from home.

"I felt a little helpless without having a pistol on me," he said. "And you never think about something like that. I mean, people I know, they carry one because they're out of town…I never thought I needed one, you know."

Police said they found the shotgun hidden in a hideaway bed in Chaplin's room.

Police believe they know who the shooter is and are still looking for him.