HENDERSON, Ky. - A stolen flashlight, an ex-girlfriend and rumors of drug use are among possible reasons behind a shooting earlier this month in which the victim remains hospitalized.

A preliminary hearing for James Thomas, 23, Corydon, who is charged with attempted murder, was held this week in Henderson District Court.

Thomas is accused of shooting Dylan Majors, 25, who is still at St. Vincent Hospital in Evansville.

During testimony Wednesday, Henderson County Sheriff's Detective Rick Lawrence, said the bullet that struck Majors traveled through his neck, severing both of his carotid arteries.

The shooting occurred the night of Dec. 6 in the area of Hancock Street in Corydon.

Witnesses told Lawrence that "Majors and Thomas had an argument about a $40 flashlight" which Thomas believed Majors had stolen from him.

Thomas left the scene of the argument in a truck, but according to a female witness, Thomas texted her asking her to notify him when Majors left and in which direction he had gone.

Lawrence testified that Majors left the witness' residence on foot in the area of Hancock Street, where he was then shot.

After the shooting occurred, the witnesses to the argument provided law enforcement with Thomas' cell phone number, which Lawrence said they were able to use to get a general location of the phone.

The truck, occupied by a person later identified as Thomas, was located in the area of the Geneva bottoms.

Thomas allegedly refused to stop for law enforcement and a pursuit ensued.

Lawrence said authorities tried to use stop sticks, but Thomas evaded those. The pursuit went from the Geneva bottoms, onto Kentucky 136-West and into the city of Henderson. It finally ended on Rankin Avenue in Henderson where Thomas was arrested without further incident, the HCSO said.

Lawrence said a loaded 9 mm Taurus was found in plain view in Thomas' vehicle.

Later at the sheriff's office, Thomas agreed to have a gunshot residue test performed on his hands.

"He told me that he would have GSR on his hands because he'd shot a raccoon," Lawrence said.

Thomas also allegedly told Lawrence that the reason he didn't stop for the police was that he wanted to see/talk to his mom before going to jail.

During the interview with the detective, Thomas allegedly told Lawrence that he did have an argument with Majors concerning the flashlight, but decided to leave because "$40 wasn't worth the trouble."

"He told me that he then drove around the bottoms for awhile and that's when he got the text that Majors had been shot," the detective testified. "Mr. Thomas denied being the shooter."

As part of the investigation, Lawrence said he spoke with an emergency room doctor who worked to save Majors' life. The doctor said the bullet could not be removed from Majors' neck for safety reasons, but that it did appear to be a 9 mm bullet.

During the investigation, Lawrence said detectives learned that Thomas' ex-girlfriend is now dating Majors. "A witness also told us that Thomas believes Majors told Thomas' boss that he uses drugs and that's why he isn't getting called in to work."

Defense Attorney Paul Sysol, who represented Thomas at the hearing, asked if any of the other detectives working the case interviewed Thomas.

"No," Lawrence said.

Sysol asked if the sheriff's office has custody of the bullet that was lodged in Majors.

"We do not," Lawrence said. "Medical staff said it is too dangerous to remove the bullet."

"Was anyone else in the vehicle with Thomas?" Sysol said.

"No," Lawrence said.

At the end of the hearing, District Judge Jill Brady found probable cause for the charges against Thomas. In addition to attempted murder, Thomas has been charged with fleeing/evading police, operating on a suspended/revoked license, five counts of second-degree wanton endangerment and one count of failure to appear.

He remains lodged at the Henderson County Detention Center.