Denmark shooting victim in stable condition

BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

FORT MADISON - A Denmark man is in stable condition this morning at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after he was shot two times on Saturday at a residence on the north side of Denmark.

The Lee County Sheriff's department has released the name of the victim as Mark Richers, 58, of Denmark.

Richers was shot twice Saturday morning, and according to the report, his 13-year-old son Wyatt, has been arrested and is being charged with the crime and is being held at the Southeast Iowa Detention Center

A hearing was scheduled for today, but staff at the North Lee County Courthouse indicated the hearings would be closed due to the age of the suspect.

The juvenile is charged with willful injury causing bodily injury to another, and going armed with intent, both class Class D felonies under Iowa law that are punishable by up to five years incarceration and $7,500 in fines.

Lee County Attorney Ross Braden said the county will be prosecuting Richers as a juvenile and Mio Santiago, an assistant in the office is assigned to the case, however, Braden said he will be working very closely with Santiago on the case. Braden was in contact with officers at the scene of the shooting by telephone.

"I will be very hands on with it," Braden said today.

During a traffic stop on Saturday, a family member who was driving to the residence in Denmark at a high rate of speed told a Lee County Sheriff's deputy about the incident, prompting the deputy to send rescue personnel from Lee County EMS, Denmark Fire and Rescue, Lee County Sheriff's Department and AirEvac to the scene.

No details were released pertaining to the type of gun used in the shooting.

A hearing was set for this afternoon at North Lee County Courthouse.