Man’s Name Still Withheld In Holiday Hunting Incident

Latah County authorities continue to withhold the identity of a Southwick man who allegedly fired a shot that killed a Coeur d’Alene man during a Thanksgiving Day hunting incident.

Prosecutor William W. Thompson Jr. said Tuesday he will not release the name until the investigation is complete and he has consulted with the man’s attorney.

Lewiston attorney Charles A. Brown said he represents the man, but has refused to identify him.

Michael C. McQueen, 43, of Coeur d’Alene died of a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was hunting with another man in a remote area near Southwick.

Early reports said the two came into contact with two other men hunting in the same area. There apparently was an argument over use of all-terrain vehicles during which a single shot from a high-powered rifle was fired.

Thompson said a coroner’s inquest into the incident is still possible, but that decision will hinge in part on whether Brown agrees to let his client talk with investigators.

Latah County Sheriff Jeff Crouch said detectives investigated the shooting for more than a week before turning their results over to the prosecutor’s office. At one point, Crouch said the shooting “was not an accident.”