Cd'A man sent to prison for shooting at wife, child

COEUR d’ALENE — A Coeur d’Alene man was sentenced to prison Tuesday for shooting at his wife and child last summer.

District Judge Richard Christensen sentenced Keenon Keyes to a 15-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after three years for aggravated assault, according to a press release from the Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Christensen also sentenced him to 10 years with parole eligibility after three years for injury to child, and five years with parole eligibility after three years for unlawful possession of a firearm, running the sentences concurrently.

Keyes, 36, was convicted in January of aggravated assault and felony injury to a child. Separately, Keyes pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and violating a no contact order.

The charges stem from last August, when Keyes’ wife returned home after an argument and found him waiting outside for her with an AR-15.

The woman left and returned later with their 3-year-old son. Keyes showed her that he had a pistol in a holster on a waistband, according to the release.

"Keyes was upset with his wife because she wanted to move out due to his physical abuse and addiction to alcohol and controlled substances," the press release said. "Earlier that day, Keyes threatened that he would shoot her dead if she stepped foot inside the house."

Keyes’ wife ran from him, according to court documents, while carrying the couple’s toddler in her arms. As she attempted to flee, Keyes fired several shots at her, hitting her vehicle and a neighbor’s house.

Police arrested Keyes at the scene.

"During his transport to the jail, Keyes made a comment that he should have just shot it out with the police so they could have killed him," the release said.

Keyes was previously convicted of assault with intent to do great bodily harm in Michigan, a felony that disqualified him from lawfully possessing a firearm.

In the days following his arrest, prosecutors said, Keyes violated a no contact order that forbade him from having contact with his wife, resulting in additional charges.

Keyes has been in custody for about eight months and will receive credit for time served.

“Unprovoked gun violence in our community is unacceptable," said Prosecuting Attorney Stanley Mortensen. "We will continue to work hard to prosecute violent crimes despite the outcome in court.”