Spokane Valley shooting victim shot with air rifle

The man shot while operating heavy equipment at the intersection of Adams Road and Cataldo Avenue Thursday evening was shot in the back with an air rifle, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators determined that the suspect, who is not being identified by deputies, used a .177 caliber high powered air rifle with a scope that is capable of firing pellets at 1,200 feet per second, said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Craig Chamberlin. The pellet is still lodged in the victim after doctors determined that it would be better if it was left in place, Chamberlin said. The suspect was quickly located at a home in the 1000 block of North Burns Road adjacent to the vacant lot where the man was working. He is not a resident in the home but was visiting the homeowner’s daughter, Chamberlin said. The investigation is ongoing and detectives will be forwarding a criminal charge recommendation to the prosecutor’s office, Chamberlin said. The vacant land is owned by Black Realty, which plans to put 29 single family homes on the property. The shooting victim is employed by MDM Excavation, a Hayden-based company grading the site in preparation for construction. “Apparently he’s all right, which is great news,” said Black Realty owner Dave Black.