In the court of District Judge Dan Wilson, 25-year old Lewis Anthony Crooks of Kalispell plead “not guilty” to shooting up businesses along Main Street in the early hours of Monday, August 26th. His bail has been set at $100,000 as he remains in the Flathead County Detention Center.
Prosecutors say they have video footage of Crooks leaving the Glacier Park VFW on 1st Street West early that morning. He turned down 4th Street West towards Main Street. Soon after, they say Crooks headed up Main Street shooting a businesses between 4th and 3rd Streets.
As businesses opened that morning, they reported bullet holes in several businesses. That’s when police closed-down that section of Main Street while they investigated–fearing that someone might have been shot. When they found everyone was safe, they reopened the street about a 90-minutes later.
Witnesses viewing the video footage identified Crooks as the man getting into the SUV. Damage to the businesses estimated to be $1,500.
For his part, Crooks says he doesn’t own a gun and that an–as yet, unidentified woman was in his car and did the shooting. However, when police searched his home, they found a gun next to his bed.
He’s charged with Criminal Mischief and Criminal Endangerment, both of which could land Crooks in prison for up to a decade. His next court appearance is an omnibus hearing on Wednesday, October 2nd, with trial set for sometime in November.
