Man accused of shooting wife

COEUR d’ALENE — A 74-year-old man is in jail on $1 million bail after he allegedly shot his wife last month.

The man is charged with aggravated battery, possession of a controlled substance and use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a crime, all felonies.

The charges stem from Oct. 11, when police responded around 12:30 a.m. to a report of a domestic dispute involving a gun at a Fernan Hill residence.

Police found a 65-year-old woman on the front porch. She had a gunshot wound in her abdomen, according to court documents, and indicated that her husband had shot her. A Coeur d'Alene Police report said the bullet entered the woman's back and exited through the abdomen.

The woman said her husband had “stopped taking his medication” and had been carrying a handgun around the house for weeks.

She said she had locked the gun up out of concern, but her husband located it, became angry and shot her once in the back. He then reportedly called the police.

She was transported to Kootenai Health, where she had surgery. Several of her organs were damaged, according to court documents.

Police arrested the man at the scene. He reportedly declined to answer questions.

When searching the man for weapons, police allegedly found two pocket knives and two cut straws with a white substance inside. The search also allegedly yielded a plastic baggie that contained a substance later identified as meth, according to court documents.

Judge Mayli Walsh ordered that the man be held on $1 million bail and issued a no contact order between the man and his wife.

The Press is not naming the suspect because that would reveal the identity of the victim. The Press tries to protect the privacy of domestic violence victims.