Eighty-seven-year-old Frank Arthur Hames told police he felt bullied by an employee at the Josephine assisted living home in Stanwood so he took his handgun, walked into the man's office and said, "I've got something for you."

Hames allegedly fired his small-caliber pistol twice from the hip Monday, hitting the victim once in the abdomen. The 57-year-old employee was able to jump up and wrestle the pistol away, police said in a probable cause statement.

Other staff members held Hames until police arrived.

The wounded Mount Vernon man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, treated and released, the hospital said.

"The staff member is at home," said Josephine CEO Terry Robertson, declining to release his name Tuesday. "It was very traumatic for him. He's very happy to be alive today."

Hames was arrested for investigation of assault with a firearm and held in the Snohomish County Jail in Everett for a Tuesday afternoon bail hearing.

Hames told detectives he kept the gun in his possession, Snohomish County sheriff's spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.

Josephine bans firearms on its premises. "So he was in violation of our policy," Robertson said.

Josephine is a nonprofit social ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that includes a 160-bed nursing home, 57-bed assisted living home and a day care for 250 children, Robertson said. Josephine has been operating in Stanwood for more than 100 years and has 300 employees.

Josephine has not had any complaints in the past year about abuse, said Linda Moss, district administrator for the Department of Social and Health Services in Arlington.

The department is investigating whether there were any failures in connection with the shooting, such as how Hames kept a gun in his room, Moss said.

Hames talked willingly with detectives and deputies after the shooting and said he intended to kill the employee for perceived wrongs and commit suicide, police said. He was upset for failing.