The alleged shooter in a Jan. 8 shooting reportedly told police he was only trying to scare the victim.

Chase Winings, 20, of Lexington, was arrested for first-degree assault after Dalton Rogers was shot twice while he sat in his car at a parking lot on Lexington Avenue.

During Winings’ preliminary hearing Wednesday in Clark District Court, Winchester Police Capt. James Hall said Winings made several statements about the incident during multiple interviews with detectives before admitting firing a handgun at Rogers.

“This was over an alleged robbery against (Jacob) Hornback and (Heather) Cunningham,” Hall said. “(Winings) said he fired the shots to scare Mr. Rogers.”

According to police, Winings and co-defendants Jacob Hornback and Heather Cunningham were driving around Winchester that morning searching for Rogers.

They claim Rogers robbed Hornback and Cunningham hours earlier and took cash.

Wednesday, Hall said he has not been able to verify their claims after talking to numerous neighbors.

Hall said the shooting occurred in a parking lot at the corner of Arlington Road and West Lexington Avenue.

Cunningham was driving the car with Hornback in the front passenger seat and Winings in the back seat. They reportedly pulled alongside Rogers’ car and Winings started shooting.

Hall said officers recovered seven used shell casings from the scene. The weapon was later recovered from Winings’ grandfather’s house in Lexington, he said.

Rogers, who was critically injured in the shooting, told detectives he did not remember much about the shooting.

Hall said Rogers drove himself to the police department after being shot twice; paramedics then transported him to the University of Kentucky Medical Center with two collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver and internal bleeding.

One of the bullets was also lodged near Rogers’ spine, he said.

Rogers is presently listed in stable condition, Hall said.

Cunningham and Hornback were later charged with complicity to first-degree assault.

Cunningham waived her case to the Clark County grand jury Wednesday.

Hornback remains in custody in Fayette County on other charges.

“They had been in the vehicle with Mr. Winings when the shots were fired in the direction of Mr. Rogers,” Hall said.