Tonight a woman is in jail for first degree felony assault.

India Ward was arrested this morning at The Reserve at Research Park on Rime Village near University Drive.

Ward's mother, Natalie Cargill told WAAY 31 it's sad the issues going on inside of the apartment had to come to this point.

"You're a young 23-year-old female. You have this guy that's attacking you, calling you out of your name. What do you do? What do you do?" said Natalie Cargill.

Natalie Cargill is the mother of the woman who police took into custody into this afternoon.

For her safety, Cargill didn't want her face shown on camera. She told WAAY 31 her daughter didn't feel comfortable with her roommate's boyfriend and friends handing out in the apartment.

"She went to the leasing office to tell them what was going on, and needed some proof that he was actually staying there," Cargill said.

Cargill said her daughter had proof. She said the complex was planning to terminate the roommate's lease.

"The boyfriend comes back over the apartment today and he begins to attack her. It just turns into a nightmare," Cargill said.

Cargill believes her daughter shot the victim because of self-defense.

"As a young woman, are you not supposed to protect yourself? Do you just lie there and have them beat you? So because she did the right thing it turned out against her," Cargill said.

Neighbor Pat Wells called 911. She was outside the building when she heard the argument.

"It was loud and then I heard a gunshot. Just one gunshot. I walk back in my house and I asked my daughter. She says she heard it but wasn't sure what it was," Pat Wells said.

For Natalie Cargill who's living one of her worst nightmares, she believes the incident escalated to something that could have easily been prevented.

"I taught my daughter to always have a voice. Do the right thing, but it wasn't done for her," Cargill said.

Neighbors tell WAAY 31 they saw the victim with an injury to his head, but he seemed to be relatively okay because he walked to the ambulance.