Motive in Bloom Lake shooting elusive

SANDPOINT - What prompted a shooting at Bloom Lake on Sunday remains elusive.

The shooting followed an argument in the 2000 block of Bloom Lake Road, but the defendant, Michael Jesse Chisholm, and the alleged victim declined to give statements to Bonner County sheriff's investigators.

Chisholm made an initial court appearance via video feed on Tuesday and he was ordered held in lieu of $50,000. A public defender has been appointed to represent him and an order prohibiting contact with the alleged victim was entered, according to court documents.

The alleged victim, 49, was shot behind the right scapula and the .45-caliber bullet lodged in his pelvic region, Det. Phil Stella said during a probable cause hearing on Monday.

A "large quantity" of alcohol was consumed by the two men and their girlfriends prior to the shooting, Stella advised the court.

One of the men's girlfriends told investigators that there was an argument, but couldn't remember what it was about and described it as "man talk," according to the detective's testimony.

Chisholm, 66, left the scene in a hurry and crashed his vehicle about three-quarters of a mile from the scene. He fled into the woods, but was apprehended with the help of a sheriff's K9 unit, court records indicate.

Chisholm was in possession of a revolver and a semi-automatic Colt pistol when he was apprehended. Authorities said the latter weapon was used in the shooting.

Neither Chisholm nor the alleged victim have prior criminal histories in the state, according to the Idaho Supreme Court Data Repository.