Two Flathead Valley men accused of shooting up several homes during a late December incident in Kalispell pleaded not guilty to several felony offenses Thursday morning inside a packed courtroom at the Flathead County Justice Center.

Joseph Trapper Bukowski, 19, and Columbia Falls resident Ansen Walter Ingraham, 18, each appeared before Judge Dan Wilson in Flathead County District Court with their respective attorneys.

Defense attorney Caleb Simpson entered a not guilty plea upon behalf of Ingraham, while attorney Timothy Wenz did the same on behalf of Bukowski.

Each man is facing two felony counts of assault with a weapon and three counts of criminal endangerment.

Both are facing maximum penalties of 70 years in the Montana State Prison if convicted of all offenses.

Their attorneys said they would make requests for bond reduction hearings in the future. Bukowski is incarcerated at the Flathead County Detention Center on $250,000 while Ingraham remains in jail on a $200,000 bond.

Ingraham was arrested Dec. 23 and Bukowski was booked into jail Dec. 27 for their alleged roles in the Dec. 21 shooting that left at least three Kalispell homes riddled with bullet holes.

Simpson told Judge Wilson he believed further police investigation would reduce Ingraham’s culpability in the offense.

According to court documents, Kalispell Police received a report of “shots fired” at 12:08 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, near a duplex on Seventh Avenue West in Kalispell. It was later reported that two other residences on Sunnyside Drive and Ashley Creek Lane were shot multiple times.

Reportedly, a large SUV passed by and its occupants shot the homes, court documents allege. Numerous bullet holes were found in the residences, as well as bullets, and more than 20 casings were found in the street. Based on the evidence, police suspect both a 9 mm and .45-caliber weapon were used in the crime.

Police said one bullet passed through a wall a few feet from a sleeping child.

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 that he would “get what was coming to him.”

Ingraham was arrested Dec. 23 at a home on West Cottonwood Drive in Evergreen.

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

The next court hearing for both men is 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22. A pre-trial hearing is set for March 4 while the cases are set for the jury term of April 6.

Wenz asked the judge for the jury trial to be moved to the next term because of the amount of evidence that is involved in the case.

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