Attempted murder charge filed in ND shooting

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — A Grand Forks man accused of shooting a deer rifle at his roommate now faces an attempted murder charge.

Twenty-six-year-old Travis Samshal initially was charged with reckless endangerment in the Dec. 14 altercation with 34-year-old Leonel Franco. The Grand Forks Herald reports (http://bit.ly/yOTPoZ) that the court on Wednesday granted prosecutors' motion to amend the charge.

Court documents say Samshal allegedly fired a 7 mm rifle after arguing with Franco. The bullet missed Franco's head by inches and lodged in an electrical panel in a wall.

Samshal faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He appeared in court Wednesday to be arraigned on the reckless endangerment charge but did not enter a plea because of the amended charge. He's to appear again April 11.

___

Information from: Grand Forks Herald, http://www.grandforksherald.com

Tags: grand forks, updates, news, crime