Case continues for man accused of shooting wife

COEUR d’ALENE — A 74-year-old man accused of shooting his wife last month was bound over to district court.

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 of 39 years had shot her.

A Coeur d’Alene Police report said the bullet entered the woman’s back and exited through her abdomen.

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

She said she had locked the gun up out of concern, but her husband allegedly found 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.