A 22-year-old Browning man accused of shooting and injuring his neighbor with a crossbow on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to an assault charge today, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Alonzo Gene Skunkcap pleaded guilty to an assault with a dangerous weapon charge before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Brian M. Morris. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Skunkcap on Oct. 1, 2023 was outside of his residence and a male neighbor was in his driveway working on a vehicle when Skunkcap threatened to shoot his dog. The neighbor responded that if Skunkcap shot his dog, he would shoot Skunkcap.
Skunkcap then retrieved a crossbow from his residence and fired it at the neighbor, who was standing by a fence. The bolt, or arrow, pierced the side of his neck.
After the assault, Skunkcap went back into his house and waited for law enforcement. When officers arrived, he told them he shot his neighbor because he didn’t know how to deal with threats, that he was scared and just went with his “instinct.”
The neighbor removed the bolt himself, suffered two puncture wounds and sought medical attention. He did not suffer a serious or life-threatening injury.
Skunkcap’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 15. He was detained pending further proceedings.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and FBI conducted the investigation.