A man has been charged with seven counts of aggravated assault in Whitefish, as well as one count of aggravated battery. He was identified as Austin L. Sherper, 25, of Whitefish. The charges against him have been brought in connection with a shooting incident that occurred at a bar in Coeur d’Alene last year.
According to the details shared by the authorities, the incident took place at the Iron Horse & Grill bar in downtown Coeur d’Alene. Sherper had first arrived at the establishment and had an argument with the security. He was then told by the members of the security staff that he wasn’t welcome at the bar.
As Sherper left the place, he shouted at the people outside the bar and threatened to kill them. At around 9 p.m. he later returned in a vehicle and opened fire at the employees of the bar in a drive-by shooting. He used what police believe was a .45 caliber handgun.
Two people suffered injuries in the shooting incident. Sherper left the scene and was later located by the police at a residential address. He initially refused to surrender but eventually surrendered to the police after a few hours.
Following his arrest and the filing of formal charges against him, Sherper has pleaded guilty to all felony counts of aggravated battery and aggravated assault in Whitefish. In addition, a deadly weapon enhancement has also been appended to his felony charges by the prosecutors.
The prosecutors had previously charged Sherper with eight counts of attempted murder. These were later amended to lesser charges in an attempt to reach a plea arrangement with him. In return for the lower charges, Sherper agreed to plead guilty.
A trial for the case is scheduled to take place on June 28. For the charges against him, Sherper may face up to 15 years if the penalties run concurrently. For Boise crimes of a similar nature, a Boise aggravated assault and battery lawyer can help prepare an effective defense.
Source: https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2021/apr/25/whitefish-man-pleads-guilty-idaho-shooting/