A 28-year-old Martin City man has been charged with multiple felonies for allegedly shooting at customers outside of a Hungry Horse grocery store on Sunday.
Adrian Sebastian Gengler was booked in the Flathead County Detention Center on Dec. 8 on a $200,000 bond. He is charged with three felony counts of assault with a weapon and a fourth felony for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted person. His arraignment hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 19 at 1:30 p.m. in Flathead County District Court before Judge Dan Wilson.
According to an affidavit filed by Deputy Flathead County Attorney Ashley Frechette on Dec. 11, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Dec. 8 at 8:48 p.m. responded to Canyon Foods on U.S. Highway 2 following multiple 911 calls regarding shots fired at the grocery store.
Upon arrival, deputies located a man wearing all black crouching next to a post office box on the north side of the grocery store. After authorities commanded the man, who was later identified as Gengler, to show his hands, he produced a handgun and placed it at his feet before fleeing the scene toward Beta Street.
Deputies apprehended Gengler and took him to the Flathead County Detention Center. In addition to the handgun, authorities recovered a backpack with two magazines with holsters, a firearm holster, and a pipe containing methamphetamine residue.
After speaking to witnesses, law enforcement learned that Gengler shot the firearm at three separate customers, including a vehicle that was struck by a bullet after it exited the parking lot, records state.
A neighbor who lived on Beta Road told deputies he heard two “pops” near the grocery store and yelled at Gengler, who then jumped up and fired three rounds at him before running away. The neighbor then heard two more pops.
During the third incident, a man was leaving Canyon Foods with his wife when Gengler pointed a handgun at his face. The man told law enforcement Gengler said something to the effect of, “they’re shooting at me first.” After walking his wife to their vehicle, the man told Gengler to put the firearm away, records state, at which point Gengler pointed the gun at him and fired once. The gunshot missed the man and Gengler fled the scene, according to documents.
After speaking with Canyon Foods employees, deputies learned Gengler had been at the store since 2 p.m. that day, telling staff he had been kicked out of his parents’ house in Martin City and needed a ride to Kalispell or Columbia Falls. Employees attempted to keep Gengler warm and find him a ride throughout the day.
During an interview with detectives, Gengler told authorities he had used methamphetamine that day and said the firearm was his.
Gengler is currently on probation and is prohibited from possessing firearms following a 2023 conviction for sexual intercourse without consent. He was sentenced to the Montana State Prison for 15 years with all of that time suspended and is required to register as a sexual offender.
There was an active warrant for Gengler’s arrest at the time of the incident.