Man accused of firing gun that wounded sleeping woman changes plea

A Flathead Valley man accused of injuring a woman after firing a handgun in a home last summer has pleaded no contest to the resultant criminal endangerment charge.

George Paul Herne, 20, entered the changed plea before Judge Dan Wilson in Flathead County District Court on May 24. Wilson set sentencing for July 27.

Herne initially pleaded not guilty to the felony charge at his November 2022 arraignment. Prosecutors agreed to recommend he receive a deferred two-year sentence in exchange for the change of plea.

Authorities arrested Herne after following up on a report of a person receiving care for a gunshot wound at a local emergency room in July 2022, court documents said.

The victim told investigators that she was sleeping with her young daughter when a noise woke her up. She thought a mattress spring had broken until she felt pain and dampness, court documents said.

Deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office canvassed the home where the incident occurred and determined that the round came up from below before going through the victim’s mattress, according to court documents. An individual at the house during the shooting accused a drunken Herne of playing with a gun in the basement that night, court documents said.

After being told to put the firearm away, Herne instead pointed it at the basement ceiling and “fired a round,” court documents said.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.