Bonners Ferry man in custody after shooting near downtown Cd'A
JACK DEWITT and KAYE THORNBRUGH / Staff Writers | Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 6 hours, 35 minutes AGO
Police investigate the scene of a shooting in the 2000 block of E. Front Avenue.
JACK DEWITT/Press
Authorities arrested a Bonners Ferry man for allegedly shooting at his ex wife outside a residence near downtown Coeur d'Alene, according to the Coeur d'Alene Police Department.
Police said Christopher J. Bustillos, 37, traveled to Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday afternoon to drop off his ex wife at her sister's residence in the 2000 block of East Front Avenue.
After the woman exited the vehicle, Bustillos allegedly "fired a single round from a handgun in her direction before fleeing the area," according to police. No one was hit by the gunfire and no other injuries were reported as of Tuesday afternoon.
Jeshua Graham said he heard the gunshot while preparing a customer's order at a nearby food truck 208 Bahn Mi.
"We didn't really know whether it was an actual gunshot or like a firework," he said.
Graham said he saw customers get up from their tables and run toward the truck after the gunshot.
Eli Hoosier, another 208 Bahn Mi employee, said he thought the noise could be the sound of a car backfiring at first but was alerted to the possible danger when he saw a customer run for cover.
Hoosier said the East Sherman Avenue area is usually quiet, but there was another shooting last week just two blocks away at 19th and Mullan Avenue that left two people injured.
"What happened or like, what caused (the suspect) to do that?" he said. "Because I mean, it's not supposed to happen that often."
Graham and Hoosier told The Press they saw a car drive away from the scene after the shooting and turn to get on the freeway.
Bustillos allegedly fled in a blue 1997 Honda CR-V, according to the Coeur d'Alene Police Department. Police alerted law enforcement in the surrounding areas.
Deputies with the Boundary County Sheriff's Office later located Bustillos and took him into custody "without incident," police said.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the incident can contact the Coeur d'Alene Police Department at 208-769-2320.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, reach Safe Passage 24/7 by calling 208-664-9303 or texting 208-449-7228.