$1 Million Bail Each for Convenience Store Shootings
The two men charged with shooting a convenience store clerk and a customer are being held on $1 million bond each.
18 year-old Chase Munson and 19 year-old Ivory Brien appeared in Missoula Justice Court on Friday afternoon before Judge Marie Anderson, and Deputy Missoula County Attorney Mac Bloom asked that both men be held on $1 million bond due to the egregious nature of the charges.
Munson was charged with felony attempted deliberate homicide, while Brien was charged with felony accountability for attempted deliberate homicide.
“Mr. Munson is charged in the complaint with two counts of attempted deliberate homicide,” Bloom began. “The complaint alleges that Mr. Munson and his companion Mr. Brien were out ‘car hopping’, meaning they were breaking into cars. They then went to the South Avenue Market. Mr. Munson was armed with a .22 caliber revolver, and Mr. Brien was armed with bear spray.”
Bloom described the shooting incident inside the store.
“Mr. Munson charged in with Mr. Brien and shot the first victim in the back, and when the victim went to the ground, Mr. Munson then stood over him and shot him in the head,” Bloom said. “The second victim was a clerk and he attempted to hide behind the counter. Mr. Munson followed him behind the counter and shot him in the shoulder. During this time, Mr. Brien was spraying both of the victims with bear spray.”
Bloom said the two defendants then left the store and ran.
“They returned to the UM dormitories,” he said. “They didn’t call for help. They didn’t do anything but leave the two victims lying on the ground possibly to die. Mr. Munson then packed a bag and checked into the Days Inn where he was subsequently arrested. He told other witnesses that he was attempting to flee to Mexico, and they wouldn’t see him again for a long time.”
Bloom argued that Munson was an extreme risk to the community after he shot two people and then fled the scene with Brien, and that $1 million bond was justified.
The public defender argued that Markus Kaarma, who had committed a homicide, was only held on $30,000 bond, but Judge Anderson set bail for both men at $1 million each.
Both were remanded back to the jail and will be represented by a public defender.
Both men were ordered to appear again in court on March 23.
One of the shooting victims was treated and released from St. Patrick Hospital, while the other's status is unknown.