The intersection of Sunnyside Drive and Bismark Street in Kalispell seems an unlikely location for a drive-by shooting to occur, but just after midnight on Saturday, Dec. 21, the O’Connell family became the victims of what could have been an unspeakable tragedy.

Two men, 19-year-old Joseph Trapper Bukowski, and 18-year-old Ansen Walter Ingraham, are charged with firing several rounds from 9mm and .45 caliber guns into a number of different homes located on Seventh Avenue West, Sunnyside and Ashley Creek Lane.

Four bullets entered the home of Luke and Lauren O’Connell on Sunnyside Drive, including one a few feet from where the second-youngest child lay sleeping. Other bullets entered near where the other children slept. They live in the home with their four young children. The youngest is 10 months; the oldest is 11. Behind the home is Lone Pine State Park. The view from the front of the residence are the mountains to the east.

While not entirely secluded, it did provide a sense of security and peace for the young family.

“I’ve always felt safe in Kalispell but they took a part of that away,” Luke said. “But maybe it needed to happen.”

What Luke referred to is what he believes is a growing concern among Flathead Valley residents that too many criminals are being let out of the county jail, whether it’s on bail or after receiving suspended or deferred sentences.

“What can we do about these drug crimes? Lauren asked. “We think some people see others not get prosecuted and they know they can get away with it here.”

Luke said it’s time that someone stand up and say something.

“I’m upset at the thought of them getting out,” he said. “I want to see a ripple effect where people do more than complain, but stand up and a take a part in their community.”

On that fateful night, some of the O’Connell family members had stayed up later than normal, until about 11 p.m., watching movies. It was the weekend and the beginning of a long holiday break.

“We had been asleep about an hour when we heard the shots,” Lauren said. “Luke said ‘That’s gun fire, get down!’”

There was a pause between the first round of gun shots and the ones that struck the O’Connell home.

“Once it stopped, I checked the baby monitors and everything sounded OK and Luke checked the kids,” Lauren said. “Our oldest, she freaked out when he woke her, but she and everyone else was OK.”

Lauren then called 911 and the dispatcher told her there had been other reports from the area near where they lived.

One of the more chilling moments occurred when Luke stepped on one of the bullets, the one that traveled through the 18-month-old’s bedroom.

It was lying on the floor outside the bedroom. After the bullet made it through the wall under the window it hit an easy chair where one of the parents sometimes sits with their youngest son if he has trouble sleeping.

“It’s why we put such a comfortable chair in the bedroom,” Luke said. “It’s not unusual for one of us to be sitting in the chair with him. That bullet could have taken out both of us.”

Lauren said it’s still hard to sleep at night.

“We see car lights coming up the street or hear a loud muffler,” Lauren said. “When we are sitting in our living room (it overlooks the street where the bullets were fired from a large SUV) it’s like we’re on constant surveillance.”

The accused men are both in the Flathead County Detention Center waiting a court appearance. The arraignment, where formal charges are read, is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, in Flathead District Court in front of Judge Dan Wilson.

Bukowski, 19, is facing felony charges of criminal endangerment and assault with a weapon for his alleged role in the Dec. 21 shooting that left at least three Kalispell homes riddled with bullet holes. His bail was set at $250,000.

Ingraham, 18, was arrested Dec. 23 at a home on West Cottonwood Drive in Evergreen and remains behind bars with bail set at $200,000. He is charged with two counts of felony assault with a weapon, and three counts of felony criminal endangerment.

“We hope these guys get time in prison, if it’s needed because of drugs, some help and not just a slap on the wrist,” Lauren said.

During the investigation, police learned that Ingraham allegedly had threatened a person who lives in the targeted duplex on Seventh Avenue over an ongoing dispute, telling that person he would “get what was coming to him.”

When police spoke to a resident of the home on Cottonwood Drive where Ingraham had been staying, the person allegedly told officers “they did it,” referring to Ingraham and Bukowski. The resident said the two men were at the Cottonwood Drive residence when they allegedly said they were going to “deal with some business.”

When Ingraham and Bukowski returned, the resident said they had several handguns, including a 9 mm and a Glock .45. The man said he overheard Ingraham and Bukowski allegedly say they were out of bullets, according to court documents.

The man also said he heard Bukowski say he “drained his clip.” The man told police he believed Bukowski was the driver and had used the Glock .45.

Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.