Men plead not guilty to shooting on river

Two Kalispell men have pleaded not guilty to firing semiautomatic weapons at people floating the Flathead River in July.

Jason Bauch, 33, and Ryan Bauch, 32, entered not guilty pleas on Wednesday and Thursday in Flathead District Court. Each was charged with felony criminal endangerment.

According to court documents, a woman called law enforcement for help on July 24 after bullets sprayed part of the Flathead River. The woman was floating with her boyfriend and four children, ages 8 to 12. The woman said that the bullets hit the water in front of and behind the rafts.

The woman said she screamed at the shooters to stop and told them there were children in the raft. She heard one of the shooters say that a shot had just flown over a rafter’s head.

Sheriff’s deputies spoke with another woman who was floating the river in a canoe with her boyfriend. That woman reported that bullets had passed over their heads and hit the water within 10 to 15 feet of the canoe.

An investigating sheriff’s deputy heard shots coming from one side of the Flathead River and saw bullets impacting trees on the other side of the river.

The deputy announced his presence and heard a man’s voice respond. He approached and found Jason and Ryan Bauch and one other man. The Bauches allegedly admitted shooting a .223 AR-15 rifle and a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol.

The men allegedly yelled, “This is a declared fire zone,” and waited a few minutes before shooting.

The Bauches told deputies they did not hear anyone on the river because they used ear protection while shooting.

Jury trials in the case are set for January 2017.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.