Man arrested after shooting incident

David Anthony Milano was arrested Nov. 24 by officers of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office on two charges of felony assault with a weapon and one charge of misdemeanor assault. The alleged assaults, according to court records, occurred on Saturday, Nov. 22 on a parcel of land approximately 25 miles east of Libby.

According to the deputy’s narrative of the event, the suspect, who rents a home on a parcel of land from the victim, fired three volleys of three rounds each from the window of the home. The bullets reportedly struck within 50 feet of the victim and his daughter, who were hunting nearly a quarter of a mile from the home.

The victim said the first and third volleys sounded like fire from a large caliber rifle, while the second sounded like it came from a smaller weapon.

The victim stated that he and his daughter quit hunting and left the area, fearing for their safety. According to the victim’s statement, he then went to the house and confronted Milano, who was reportedly “very intoxicated and confrontational.” The victim also reported that Milano admitted to firing in their direction because he was mad that they were on the property.

The case has been set for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 17, but Lincoln County District Attorney Bernard Cassidy said he intends to file a motion to move the charges to district court prior to that date. That is routine procedure, said Cassidy, as Justice Court has no jurisdiction over felony cases.

The felony assault charges could result in a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000 for each instance. The misdemeanor assault charge carries up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.

Milano has had previous run-ins with law enforcement. Several charges were filed in Justice Court in 2012. That case was transferred to Libby City Court, but clerks were unable to provide the records from that case as they were closing for the holiday.

Milano is being held in the Lincoln County jail on a $10,000 bond.