Spokane man clings to life after being shot

A Spokane man is on life support at a Spokane hospital after being shot in the head early Saturday morning. Police arrested Robert D. Startin, 27, and booked him into Spokane County Jail for first-degree assault. The charge could be upgraded if the victim does not survive, Spokane County Sheriff’s spokesman Dave Reagan said in a news release. Officers responded to Sixth Avenue and Sunderland Road after receiving a call about an accident at that intersection shortly before 4 a.m. They found a 26-year-old man bleeding heavily in a vehicle. Witnesses said Startin showed up at a party but left when no one there knew him. He came back a short while later and left with the victim in the victim’s 1962 Chevrolet pickup. A while later, witnesses saw the two men driving slowly past the party in the truck. They told police they heard a “pop” and then a crash and saw Startin running from the truck. After learning the victim was shot, officers set up surveillance on Startin’s home and detained him when he left about 10:15 a.m. Saturday, according to the news release. After interviewing the suspect at the Public Safety Building, detectives determined he was the shooter. They obtained a search warrant for Startin’s home and recovered a .45-caliber pistol, which was used in the shooting, and Startin’s clothing Saturday. Anyone with information about the incident who had not already spoken with investigators is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.