Man shot in chest during Spirit Lake domestic dispute expected to be charged

May 21-A boy shot a man in the chest after intervening in a domestic dispute between the man and a woman Wednesday night near Spirit Lake.

A no-contact order was in place between the man and woman, according to a Kootenai County Sheriff's Office news release. Charges are expected pending the man's release from the hospital.

Sheriff's deputies, with the help of the Spirit Lake Police Department, responded to the shooting about 10:30 p.m. in the 28000 block of North Highway 41, according to the release.

Deputies found a man with a gunshot wound to the chest. Timberlake Fire Protection District provided medical aid to the man and he was taken to Kootenai Health in Coeur d'Alene, where he was listed in stable condition.

The sheriff's office said it believes the shooting started as a domestic dispute between a man and woman. During the altercation, a boy who witnessed the dispute retrieved a firearm and confronted the man, who was allegedly standing over the woman in a "threatening manner," the release said.

Investigators said the boy ordered the man to leave the residence. The man then "aggressively advanced" toward the boy and the boy fired a single shot. The boy and the woman safely left the residence, called 911 and waited for law enforcement.

The investigation is ongoing.

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