Police: Target shooter hit woman in Superior
By Jana Hollingsworth
Duluth News Tribune
Updated: 07/07/2009 07:44:07 AM CDT

The Superior man arrested Saturday after a woman was shot in the foot apparently meant to be shooting at a target, not a person, police said.

Trish Williams, 29, of Duluth was in the parking lot of JT's Bar and Grill in the north end of Superior about 10 p.m. when she was hit in the left foot by a bullet, Superior police said.

The suspect, using a .22-caliber rifle, was shooting at a bedroom dresser with a rudimentary target spray-painted on it in the field behind the Viking Bar, two blocks directly north of the JT's parking lot, Sgt. Derrick Hughes told reporters Monday.

No evidence indicates the suspect, 41, was targeting people in the lot or intentionally attempting to shoot someone, Hughes said. The man is being held on charges of causing injury by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Both charges are felonies. Police said the man has a felony conviction in Minnesota. He is scheduled to appear in court today.

Williams, who underwent surgery and has been released from St. Mary's Hospital in Superior, apparently thought she had been struck by stray fireworks. Additional bullets hit a nearby vehicle while police were interviewing witnesses.

Hughes said the suspect, who had left the area where the gunfire originated, was found at a Superior residence. He was not cooperative and asked for an attorney, Hughes said, adding that to his knowledge the man wasn't impaired. The incident could have been muchworse, he said.

"Downtown on a busy night, firing a firearm; that's not using good common sense," he said.

Williams declined comment to the News Tribune on Monday.

He was not cooperative and asked for an attorney, Hughes said, adding that to his knowledge the man wasn't impaired.

They advise o of your right to an attorney, but when you exercise that right they wite in their report that you atr "not cooperative". Seems to me that following the law IS cooperating. Not cooperating would be tossing the cop out the window, I think.