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Spirit Lake shooting suspect pleads guilty

KEITH KINNAIRD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 13 years, 6 months AGO
by KEITH KINNAIRD
News Editor | December 14, 2011 8:15 PM

SANDPOINT - A Post Falls man accused of shooting another man in the leg on Friday pleaded guilty to a reduced charge on Monday.

Judge Barbara Buchanan sentenced Edward Joseph Barnhill to 180 days in jail with 177 days suspended and credit for three days he served in the Bonner County Jail.

Barnhill, 48, was accused of shooting 57-year-old Michael Gene Buck shortly after 11:30 p.m. in the 21000 block of Highway 41. Buck suffered a through-and-through gunshot wound to his lower left leg, according to court documents.

Barnhill denied firing the gunshot when he was questioned by sheriff's detectives.

Buck told investigators he was shot by Barnhill as they watched television in a camp trailer. Buck declined to elaborate any further, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Both Barnhill and Buck were "highly intoxicated," the affidavit said.

Barnhill was booked on a felony battery charge, but it was reduced to misdemeanor battery in exchange for a guilty plea, court documents indicate. A $1,000 fine was suspended and Barnhill was placed on unsupervised probation for a year.

The shooting came three days after two teenagers were injured by gunfire north of Clark Fork. Larry Dean Flanigan Jr. is accused of firing a shotgun blast at a vehicle containing five people last Tuesday.

Two people were struck by birdshot from the 12-gauge shotgun blast, sheriff's officials said. They suffered serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.

Flanigan, 19, is charged with two counts of aggravated battery and three counts of aggravated assault. He is being held at the jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

A hearing to determine if Flanigan should be tried in 1st District Court is set for Dec. 21. Flanigan is also seeking a bond reduction.

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