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Report: Man threatened group before shooting

by MADISON HARDY
Hagadone News Network | July 14, 2020 1:00 AM

COEUR d’ALENE — A Whitefish, Mont., man reportedly fired as many as nine rounds from a handgun into a crowd of patrons outside the Iron Horse Bar and Grill in downtown Coeur d’Alene Saturday night and injured two victims.

Austin L. Sherper, 24, was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault by the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, but officials expect that those charges will be increased in the coming days.

Sherper made his first appearance Monday morning and is in custody at the Kootenai County jail. Bail was set at $500,000.

According to a Coeur d’Alene police report, the two victims were drinking with friends and had stepped outside the restaurant to smoke a cigarette when they saw Sherper. In a statement, one victim said she remembered overhearing the suspect yelling obscenities at the security employees and recognized Sherper from being denied entry the night before.

In the same statement, both victims said Sherper yelled at their group as he had walked by but their group told him to move along and watched him walk around the corner. A few moments later, Sherper returned and threatened that he was going to come back and kill them, the police report said.

Three Iron Horse security employees had altercations with Sherper moments before the shooting.

According to police, an employee noticed Sherper was intoxicated in the alleyway behind Iron Horse and took his drink away. He said he was familiar with Sherper because he had removed him from the bar Friday night.

A few moments later, the employee saw Sherper inside the bar and the other security guards told Sherper he was no longer allowed in the building, police said. Sherper left from the back exit of the building but walked back to glare at the employees before disappearing behind a corner.

According to the police report, Sherper returned through the alley in a white Ford pickup truck with an ATV in the back and began shooting at the three security employees as he passed the Iron Horse. Sherper continued to fire his gun at people under the alleyway awning.

Police officials estimate between six and nine shots from what was believed to be a .45 caliber handgun based on casings found at the scene were fired into the crowd.

Two people were injured during the incident and transported to Kootenai Health.

The male victim sustained several gunshot wounds to his left arm and chest, while the female victim was shot in the left cheek and left arm, according to officer reports.

Both victims have been discharged from Kootenai Health as of Monday morning.

Sherper fled the scene before law enforcement arrived, but was later located at a residence in the 400 block of East Foster Avenue in Coeur d’Alene, where he had been staying while visiting town.

According to a police press release, witnesses helped identify and locate the suspect. Officers set up a perimeter around the residence after confirming a visual on Sherper, who surrendered after several hours.

Police reports said they did locate a 9mm Ruger in the Foster Avenue residence.