Prison ordered in shooting case

SANDPOINT — A Clark Fork teen who unleashed a shotgun blast on a carload of people and injuring two occupants will have to serve up to a year in prison.

First District Judge Steve Verby imposed a two- to five-year sentence in Larry Dean Flanigan Jr.’s case, but the court retained jurisdiction.

When jurisdiction is retained, a defendant can serve up to 365 days in state prison before being considered for release onto probation. If things go poorly during that time frame, however, Flanigan could be made to serve the underlying prison sentence.

Flanigan, 19, was sentenced on May 7, according to court documents. Flanigan was also ordered to pay $3,035 in restitution.

Flanigan was charged with two counts of aggravated battery and three counts of aggravated assault following the shooting incident north of Clark Fork last December.

Flanigan was accused of firing a shotgun blast into the rear window of a vehicle containing five people, striking two of the occupants with pellets. The group went to Flanigan’s home so one of the vehicle’s occupants could fight Flanigan, according to preliminary hearing testimony.

The alleged victims said Flanigan responded to the challenge by arming himself with a shotgun and firing it at the vehicle as it departed.

Flanigan entered into a plea agreement this spring which dismissed all but one felony battery count.

The father of three of the vehicle’s occupants told the court during Flanigan’s sentencing that one of his sons missed being killed by a scant 16th of an inch and said the shooting has had an irrevocable effect on his family.

Flanigan had no comment when he was sentenced, court records show.

Less than a week before Flanigan was sentenced, he was charged with violating a no-contact order in the case.

A misdemeanor jury trial on the new charge is pending.