Sam Aust Wingfield, Jr.
The Grantsville man accused of firing the bullet that struck a woman watching the city’s fireworks show on July 24 made his first appearance in Third District Court on Monday morning.
Sam Aust Wingfield, Jr., 71, faces charges of first-degree felony discharge of a firearm and misdemeanor reckless endangerment and carrying a dangerous weapon under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Third District Court Judge Robert Adkins informed Wingfield, who appeared with his attorney, Lindsay Jarvis, of his rights and the charges against him during the initial appearance Monday.
A .223 bullet struck Grantsville resident Linda Stroebel in the neck while she was sitting outside at a friend’s home on Christley Lane. The bullet entered on the right side of her neck and into her chest cavity, bruising her aorta and coming to rest in her left lung, according to a probable cause statement from Grantsville City Police.
Grantsville City Police Chief Kevin Turner confirmed the bullet that struck Stroebel is still inside her and being monitored to see if it moves. If the bullet shows movement, it will need to be removed.
In the statement, Wingfield admitted in an interview to firing at least three tracer rounds while intoxicated from his backyard during the fireworks show on July 24.
Witnesses at Grantsville City Park said they observed red tracer rounds being fired to the north of the park, according to the statement. The tracer rounds were also observed by a witness in the area of Wingfield’s home.
Police canvassed Wingfield’s neighborhood and several more witnesses reported that Wingfield may be responsible, the probable cause statement said. On July 31, police interviewed Wingfield, when he admitted to firing the tracer rounds.
During the interview, Wingfield also showed the angle and direction he fired the rounds, which was in the direction of Christley Lane. Wingfield admitted to being intoxicated and being unable to understand everything that happened the night of July 24.
The exact type of gun that Wingfield fired is still a matter of dispute between him and police, Turner said. The .223 round is used in a variety of rifles, including hunting rifles for small game and semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15.
In the probable cause statement, the direction, timing and circumstances are cited reasons it is probable that Wingfield is allegedly responsible for the injury to Stroebel.
He was arrested and taken to the Tooele County Detention Center on Aug. 3 and posted the $100,000 bond. He is expected to return to court for a roll call hearing on Sept. 1 at 1:30 p.m.
As a condition of his release, Wingfield is not allowed to have contact with the victim, consume alcohol or possess a firearm. If convicted of the first-degree felony, Wingfield could face between five years and life in prison.