La Pine shooting victim’s condition improves

An ongoing argument prompted one man to shoot another several times at a La Pine home Friday afternoon, leaving the victim critically wounded — improving to serious condition Saturday — and the suspect in jail facing attempted murder and other charges, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.

A family member reportedly called in the shooting shortly after 2 p.m. at a home at 52722 Golden Astor Road.

Sheriff’s Lt. Scott Beard said deputies arrived to learn of an argument and altercation on the property, during which David Ward Morehouse, 60, shot Charles Williams, 43, multiple times. Capt. Erik Utter said the man was shot in the chest with a handgun and that both men lived at the address.

Williams was taken by La Pine fire medics to a landing zone where an AirLink helicopter picked him up and flew him to St. Charles-Bend. He was listed in critical condition Friday evening but had improved to serious condition 24 hours later and remained in serious condition Monday, as Morehouse made his first court appearance.

Before the first deputies arrived on Friday, dispatchers were told the gun had been secured and was no longer with the suspect, who reportedly remained on scene outside the home and was taken into custody without incident.

The scene was taped off and secured as deputies searched the house and began interviewing several witnesses and people on scene.

Morehouse was arrested and lodged at the county jail in Bend Friday evening on charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon, Beard said. A jail officer said he was being held on $355,000 bail.

No other details were released pending further investigation by sheriff’s deputies and detectives.