Suspicious Husband Shot In Face Man Went To Sandpoint Restaurant To Confront The Owner About Wife

A Bonner County man was shot in the face after confronting a man he suspected of having an affair with his wife.

Daniel Wood, 43, was shot at the Captain’s Table, a popular restaurant on Lake Pend Oreille. Wood was reported in serious condition Monday at Kootenai Medical Center.

Bonner County authorities said Art Steele, 45, who owns the restaurant, fired the shot but has not been arrested.

“It was some type of domestic dispute and we are not sure yet what all happened,” Detective John Valdez said. “Steele is claiming it was self-defense and we have not filed any charges at this point. We are still gathering evidence.”

The shooting occurred shortly after 2:30 a.m. Sunday when the restaurant was closed.

Authorities said Wood, who thought his wife was having an affair with Steele, drove to the restaurant in Garfield Bay, about 15 miles south of Sandpoint.

Wood was armed with a .38-caliber handgun and rapped on the restaurant window with the gun and started hollering outside, authorities said.

Authorities said that when Steele saw the armed intruder, he grabbed his own .38-caliber pistol and fired one shot. The bullet went through the glass window and hit Wood in the face.

“When Wood tapped on the window with the gun he scared Mr. Steele and he shot at him,” Valdez said. “He didn’t know who it was at that point.”

Steele called 911 and told the dispatcher he had just shot someone.

Valdez said Mrs. Wood, whose first name was not released, was in the restaurant when the shooting occurred.

“There was another person in there, but she did not witness the shooting, she only heard the shot,” Valdez said.

Wood was taken to the hospital and authorities have been unable to talk to him. The bullet damaged part of his tongue and lodged near his spine. It is unclear if doctors will be able to remove the bullet.

Authorities still are trying to piece together what happened. They did confiscate two .38-caliber handguns.

“At this point it’s all still under investigation and we will turn our information over to the county prosecutor,” Valdez said. “It will be up to the prosecutor to determine if any charges are filed.”

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