Whitefish man taken into custody following Saturday shooting

COEUR d’ALENE — A Whitefish, Mont., man is in custody following a reported shooting late Saturday near the back entrance of the Iron Horse Bar and Grill, according to the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.

Austin L. Sherper, 24, was booked into Kootenai County jail early Sunday morning on two counts of aggravated assault stemming from the incident.

Shortly after 9 p.m., officers responded to the alley behind the Iron Horse Bar for a reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers discovered Sherper was involved in an argument with several people in the alley and reportedly mentioned he had a gun. A short time later, police said, Sherper fired several rounds at people standing near the back entrance of the Iron Horse. Sherper fled the scene prior to law enforcement’s arrival.

A male and female victim were both injured during the incident and transported to Kootenai Health for their injuries.

Further information was not released as the investigation is ongoing.

While interviewing witnesses, officers learned the location of the suspect and were then able to locate Sherper’s truck at a residence in the 400 block of East Foster Avenue in Coeur d’Alene. Officers set up a perimeter and SWAT officers were called to the residence. After several hours, the suspect surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident.

Sherper is likely to face additional criminal charges, according to the release.