Accused shooter enters Alford plea to misdemeanor charges

A Whitefish man arrested for allegedly shooting at a group of kayakers last summer pleaded guilty via an Alford plea to four misdemeanor counts of negligent endangerment on Monday.

Jeffrey Allen Smith, 49, initially faced multiple counts of felony assault with a weapon in Flathead County District Court for the alleged June 18, 2022 shooting at Lower Stillwater Lake. Prosecutors amended those charges to four counts of felony criminal endangerment in November of that year.

They agreed to amend the charges again on April 3 after reaching a plea deal with Smith, according to court records. In an Alford plea a defendant maintains their innocence while acknowledging a jury likely would find them guilty.

Following the plea change, Judge Amy Eddy set sentencing for April 27.

Deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Smith after responding to a 911 call reporting an individual shooting at kayakers out on the water. Arriving deputies reported hearing gunshots as they approached the area, according to court documents.

They allegedly found Smith near his parked minivan and about 15 shotgun casings on the ground between the vehicle and the water’s edge. Looking inside the minivan, investigators spotted “numerous firearms and ammunition," court documents said.